Help Me Solve a Bathroom Decoration Problem, Please.

[Amara]

I have been pondering this problem for months now and have yet to come up with any ideas. Maybe some of you can help me?

I rent so what I can do is limited. In my master bathroom, which is rectangular, a tub sits at the far end (opposite the door). Above it is a large window. On the front and back of the tub are two built-in shelves so they provide lovely coverage all the way to the floor. They are rather wide and fit between the tub ends and the walls. Right now I have books on them as well as a newly developing pile of towels in several shades of green.

The problem is that the tub is unused. I tried it once shortly after moving in and hated it. So it sits empty and useless because I can't cover it up--I have to be able to get to the window and open and close it, and I do that by stepping in it. I am willing to move the books so both "shelves" are available. But I have no ideas. And I don't like it as it is now. Plants are out as I have three cats who will eat anything green or living. (I do have some dried lavender in a flower vase and another dried hydrangea in another.)

Do you have any ideas?

[Wulfie]

What about building a wooden cover for it that is braced so that you can step on it. Then turn the tub into a low shelf that you can put something pretty on.

[Bijou]

What kind of tub is it?  An old claw foot one?  (I love those)  If it is one of the old fashioned ones I would just drape a pretty towel over the edge, put a little container of pretty soaps and other pretty bathing type things and use it as a decorative element.  Assuming it is safe to step in and out you could still do that.  I do like the idea of making it a shelf area by topping it with something that wouldn't damage it.  I would be afraid to climb up on something like that though, especially if it is just sitting on top of the tub and not attached.

[RebeccainGA]

Agree with the 'put a cover on it' idea. You can make one with plywood, use the space under it for long term storage (put anything that damp might affect in plastic), with a SMALL vent opening over the drain (to help air circulate and avoid mold under the cover). If you put felt on the underside, so it doesn't scratch the tub, and put some legs on the front side (to help keep it from sliding), you should be in good shape - and you'll not only gain storage, but a whole new area. You might even put in a cushion for the cat and some toys up there and make it a cat play zone - if your is anything like mine was, they always want to hang out in that room when you are in there.

Good luck!

[Amara]

Thanks for much for the ideas. Unfortunately, I had seriously considered and ultimately rejected the idea of boarding it over. It just really isn't workable for several reasons; too bad. I may just have to live with it (longer).

Maybe I'll send this problem to HGTV magazine so they can use it as a "find a solution" type of thing.

[sevenday]

If it's really such an impediment, HGTV and the like will tell you to remove it entirely.

[Audrey Quest]

Fill it with a collection of some sort--bowling balls, basketballs, stuffed animals.
Store the towels in it, nicely folded.
Get an upholstered cushion to go in the bottom of it and have a nice place to sit and read, or the cats could sleep there.
You could fill it with sand and make your own bathroom beach.
Indoor herb garden.

[VorFemme]

If it's really such an impediment, HGTV and the like will tell you to remove it entirely.

Rental - so removal is NOT an option. 

Putting a couple of extra shower curtain rods in it and using it to hang drip dry clothes - where the drips go down the drain might work.  Pressure curtain rods will hold a reasonable number of plastic hangers with clothes on them.....

Using it to drain an ice chest (water goes down the drain) or similar equipment that starts out wet and needs to dry comes to mind. 

Wire rack (used when bathing to hold "stuff" in reach) across the tub for soap, lotion, shower gel, and such will let them dry off when she puts them away after a shower, will LOOK like the tub is in use, but won't be too messy - and the net scrubby puff will also drip dry there nicely.

[jpcher]

If it's really such an impediment, HGTV and the like will tell you to remove it entirely.

Rental - so removal is NOT an option. 

Putting a couple of extra shower curtain rods in it and using it to hang drip dry clothes - where the drips go down the drain might work.  Pressure curtain rods will hold a reasonable number of plastic hangers with clothes on them....

I thought of putting a clothes rack in the tub and using it for extra closet space. The closet "door" could be a pretty shower curtain.

But then I thought, with the window in the tub area, this would block out all the light and fresh air if the window gets used.

Or you could use the pressure curtain rods (two next to each other) and place a board on top of them for extra shelving space.

[whatsanenigma]

If it's really such an impediment, HGTV and the like will tell you to remove it entirely.

Rental - so removal is NOT an option. 

Putting a couple of extra shower curtain rods in it and using it to hang drip dry clothes - where the drips go down the drain might work.  Pressure curtain rods will hold a reasonable number of plastic hangers with clothes on them....

I thought of putting a clothes rack in the tub and using it for extra closet space. The closet "door" could be a pretty shower curtain.

But then I thought, with the window in the tub area, this would block out all the light and fresh air if the window gets used.

Or you could use the pressure curtain rods (two next to each other) and place a board on top of them for extra shelving space.

Maybe a clothes rack wouldn't work well, but I really love the idea of including a pretty (preferably opaque) shower curtain.  Lots of things could go back there.  Maybe get some of those big plastic storage containers (not tall enough to block the window) and use it for storage that way.  Maybe it's a good place for the cat's litter box or food/water bowls.  Maybe you could even store clean linen in there (or alternatively, use it as a clothes hamper).

As for the light problem, you could have the curtain open whenever you wanted, and just pull it closed when you have guests.

ETA: Of course you would have to leave enough room so that you could step into the tub, or put easily moveable things in there, but that wouldn't necessarily be difficult.

And in the meantime, while you are figuring out what you ultimately want to do with it, maybe just putting up an opaque shower curtain would look better to you.

[whatsanenigma]

Oh, sorry, one other idea.

Is the reason you don't like the tub something mechanical about it? Is it defective in some way?  Maybe if you tell the landlord that the tub isn't nice to use, the landlord might replace it.  Maybe the landlord just doesn't know that the tub has problems because the landlord doesn't bathe in it.  Maybe the tub once was great but now is outdated or worn out in some way.

If the tub is technically fine, and you don't like it for some unique personal reason, this probably wouldn't work, but if the tub is in any way defective, the landlord is responsible, after all, for correcting the problem.

Just a thought!

[whatsanenigma]

Plants are out as I have three cats who will eat anything green or living.

Oh, one more idea, I seem to be on a roll here.

Maybe you could deliberately get plants that are supposed to be eaten by cats.  Pet stores sell little grass planters and such things.  Plain grass, catnip, other variations.

Make kitties happier and solve your problem all at the same time.

[esposita]

I would totally buy a keyboard (if I had the funds) and put it up inside the tub on one of those keyboard stands, at a height comfortable for playing while standing. (And I don't even play the piano.) I would mightily enjoy the look on guests faces as they came out of the bathroom. Extra points for "relevant" musical pieces displayed on the music rack.

[mandycorn]

Could you rig up a shelf going across the back half of the tub (under the window)? That way you'd still have the front half to step into for window access, but the back half could be more useful or decorative.

[Amara]

Thanks, everyone! There are some very interesting ideas here.