The One Piece Bath Turns 100 (From the Kohler US archives)

This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the one-piece, built-in bathtub, and as you can imagine, we here at Kohler are pretty excited.

So what exactly is a one-piece, built-in bath?

Well, in the early twentieth century, shoppers had two options: freestanding bath and built-in bath. Freestanding baths are the old, vintage-style tubs you commonly see with clawfeet. These are still a favourite for many.

Built-in bathtubs are just as they sound, built into the bathroom. These models are very common today; in fact, you probably have one in your home.

Believe it or not, this style of bathtub was a major breakthrough. 100 years ago, baths were cast in two separate parts: the tub itself and the exposed side or apron. The two parts were then fitted together by a plumber during the installation. This process was difficult, oftentimes messy and time-consuming.

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