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36 Creative Claw-foot Tub Ideas for Every Bathroom

Whether your style is farmhouse fresh or industrial chic, nothing says relaxing retreat like a fancy-footed, luxurious bathtub.

By Jennifer KopfUpdated: Aug 21, 2024

Whether you live in a rural farmhouse or an urban loft, when it comes to the bathroom, nothing is more iconic than a claw-foot bathtub.

History of Claw-foot Bathtubs

The first claw-foot tubs were made of tin or copper back in the mid-1800s. Cast-iron, porcelain-enameled styles were introduced in 1873 thanks to J.L. Mott Ironworks and quickly became synonymous with Victorian-era bathrooms and, later, early 20th-century farmhouses. When Wisconsin-based Kohler Co. first advertised one in 1883, the company called it a “water-trough” and sold it alongside farm equipment. Claw-foots found their way to the mainstream in the early 20th century thanks to the proliferation of mail-order furnishings available through publications like the Sears catalog.

How Did They Get Their Name

Easy! It’s derived from their sculpted ball-and-claw metal feet, which were inspired by the popular furniture styles of the day. Traditional foot styles featured an eagle’s talon or a lion’s paw. Other common foot styles, such as Paw, Cannonball, and Armada, offer a range of simple to elaborate options.

Styles of Claw-foot Tubs

Today, shapes of claw-foot tubs range from the traditional single-end rolled-rim design to the elaborate double-ended slipper tub, making them a versatile design choice for sleek and modern bathrooms, cozy and rustic bathrooms, and every style in between. Classic white or boldly colored? Deck-mount or floor-mount faucet? Shower or no shower? The options are plentiful. They also come in a variety of sizes, so even you have a small bathroom, there is likely a claw-foot tub that will work for your spac

Cast-Iron vs. Acrylic

If you’re shopping for a new claw-foot bathtub, along with the shape and faucet style, the other major decision to make is which material tub to choose: cast-iron or acrylic. Cast-iron: Traditionalists and lovers of old-homes prefer the look and feel of cast-iron tubs, but their hefty weight (up to 500 pounds without water!) is often too much for floors to handle, especially upstairs floors of old homes. Acrylic: Weighing in at only 150 to 200 pounds, not only are acrylic tubs often a more feasible option, they also keep bathwater warmer longer.

Shopping For a Vintage Tub

Start the hunt at your local architectural salvage yard. Antique plumbing expert Jill Wilson of LooLoo Design advises touching the bottom of every tub. “If it feels like suede, that means the finish is too worn,” she says. While interior stains can easily be removed (Jill recommends an old-fashioned scrub with mild soap and water and finish with a Magic Eraser), damage to cast iron—think hairline cracks—is a harder fix. (For a more extensive overhaul, use a professional refinisher such as Miracle Method.) Jill also recommends only buying tubs with existing feet, as claw-foots were often made by manufacturers who had their own specific fittings.

Below, these 36 pretty bathrooms are filled with ideas to help you decide which claw-foot tub style and installation is right for your bathroom.

For more bathroom design ideas to complement your claw-foot tub:

Make a Bold Statement

bathroom in country home with cast iron tub

Greg Penn

While the first thought of a claw-foot tub may evoke words like old-fashioned, look no further than this bathroom of Instagram personality Greg Penn (@manwithahammer) to quickly change your mind. For his primary bathroom, he coated a classic claw-foot tub in an unexpected vermillion red and then paired it with an equally bold blue-and-white Chinoiserie-style wallpaper. Grounded with antique tables and art, the end result is somehow both traditional and eclectic.

Get the Look:
Bathtub Paint Color: Vermillion by Fenwick & Tilbrook
Wainscoting Paint Color: Graylag Goose by Fenwick & Tilbrook
Wallpaper: “Les Pecheurs” in China Blue by Warner House

Mix Old and New

clawfoot tub in white bathroom with wood floor

Brie Williams, styling by Elizabeth Demos

The new acrylic claw-foot tub in this Georgia lake house bathroom pairs well with the antique postmaster’s stool beside it. Board-and-batten walls help enhance the room’s farmhouse-style charm.

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Bring in the Sunshine

bathroom with a yellow clawfoot tub and floral wallpaper on ceiling

Karyn Millet

Not only is this claw-foot tub in the California beach house of designer Raili Clasen painted a sunny egg yolk yellow, when the bright blue bifold doors are flung open, bathers can soak with a direct, open-air view of the backyard.

Get the Look:
Door Paint Color: Mountain Stream by Sherwin-Williams
Wallpaper: Matilija by Lake August

Add Some Unexpected Glitz

bathroom with black herringbone tile floor

David Tsay

Homeowner Coley Arnole found this 1920s claw-foot tub for just $200 on Craigslist and had the inside resurfaced for $125, painted the outside black, and added polished brass fixtures. With its classic design and modern updates, the tub inspired the room’s modern farmhouse mix. Black porcelain floor tile, laid in a herringbone pattern, adds an unexpected edge. A chippy green chair, an antique Moroccan lantern, and a storage cabinet salvaged from an aircraft carrier offset the sleek surfaces with a little patina.

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Create Romance

romantic bathroom with cabbage rose wallpaper

RACHEL WHITING

For a romantic-feeling bathroom, nothing can top the combination of a curvy claw-foot bathtub and lush cabbage roses. To keep the patterned wallpaper from feeling too over-whelming, keep it to just the top half of the walls with wood wainscoting below.

Embrace the Patina

bathroom with cast iron claw foot tub gray wainscoting and white walls

DANE TASHIMA

Homeowner Petra Ivanov refurbished her old home’s existing claw-foot bathtub herself, scraping, cleaning, and sealing the inside and just gently sanding the outside. “I didn’t want it to look too perfect,” she says.

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Build a Bath Nook

bathroom with green and white tile and white clawfoot tile

Photograph by Kaitlin Green, Design by Emily Henderson

If you want the look of a claw-foot tub, but the privacy of a built-in bath, consider adding a wall surround to create a cozy tub nook. Choose a bathtub that allows for a center-mount faucet for convenience and aesthetic reasons. “That vintage-inspired faucet on the double-ended claw-foot tub was too pretty not to be center stage,” says designer Emily Henderson.

Get the Look:
Claw-foot Tub: Double-Ended Clawfoot Tub from Rejuvenation

Keep it Airy & Bright

clawfoot tub in an all white farmhouse bathroom

DAVID TSAY, styling by Becki Griffin

There is nothing more classic and relaxing than an all-white bathroom. In this Texas farmhouse master bath (which is surprisingly only 114 square feet!) the homeowner embraced the architecture of the room by floating a double-end slipper tub in front of the big windows.

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Make the Most of a Small Space

Hearst Magazines UK

Small bathroom? No problem! A claw-foot tub actually takes up less space than a traditional installed tub, allowing you to add a relaxing soaker to a room where you didn’t think possible.

Go Old-School with Copper

Brian Woodcock, styling by Page Mullins

Bring patina to an all white bathroom with a copper soaking tub. The statement piece will not only bring your space warmth and texture, but the dark finish will also help ground the room. Copper also plays well with lots of other materials as shown in this Tennessee farmhouse, where the salvaged tub is mixed with a wood ceiling, white painted planked walls, a concrete sink, and porcelain tile.

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Look to the Sea

Nassima Rothacker, styling by Ben Kendrick

Don’t be afraid of color! In this airy, mostly all-white bathroom, the watery blue claw-foot tub helps deliver the small bathroom’s coastal vibe.

Be Mindful of the Feet

white clawfoot bathtub in a bathroom with green and white toile wallpaper and black and white tile

Annie Schlechter, styling by Page Mullins

The signature element of a claw-foot tub is its sculpted metal feet, which were inspired by the popular furniture styles of the late 1800s. In fact, the claw-foot tub got its name for the most common style of foot: the ball-and-claw, which can be found with an eagle’s talon (pictured here) or a lion’s paw. Other common foot styles, such as Paw, Cannonball, and Armada, offer a range of simple to elaborate options.

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Channel a Fancy Hotel

bathroom with wildly patterned tile on the floor

Leslee Mitchell, styling by Cate Geiger Kalus

Give your bathroom a touch of glam by choosing a glossy black claw-foot tub accented with striking gold feet. A brass faucet and fittings complete the luxe look.

Tuck it in the Corner

Bathroom, Room, Bathtub, Property, Interior design, Plumbing fixture, Tap, Tile, Furniture, Floor,

Max Kim-Bee, Styling by Sunday Hendrickson

Tuck a claw-foot bathtub into a corner for a savings win-win. The placement maximizes floor space, while pairing it with a wall-mount faucet eliminates the hassle and expense of rerouting your plumbing.

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Make it a Shower

black clawfoot tub against rusty red wall

Annie Schlechter, styling by Becki Griffin

As a great solution to provide the most function in a small bathroom, convert your clawfoot tub into a shower by choosing a deck- (shown here) or rim-mounted faucet with a tall shower riser. A rectangular, or D-shaped, metal shower enclosure, usually mounted to the ceiling, allows for shower curtains to surround the entire tub, protecting walls, floors, and everything in between.

Have Fun With Color and Pattern

orange clawfoot bathtub in a bathroom with bold floral wallpaper and a green and turquoise checkerboard floor

JOHN ELLIS, styling by Heather Bullard

Make a bold statement by painting your cast-iron tub a bright, fun color. Surround it with a crisp white tile wainscoting to make it pop even more. In this happy kids’ bathroom, designer Alison Kandler chose a cheery red-orange for the traditional rolled-rim claw-foot tub.

Get the Look:
Bathtub Paint Color: Pomegranate by Dunn-Edwards Paints
Wallpaper: “Birds” by Galbraith & Paul

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Keep it Classic

white clawfoot tub in a white tiled bathroom

Victoria Pearson, styling by Christina Wressel

Float a clawfoot tub under a sunny window to turn your bathroom into a light and airy retreat. A polished chrome telephone-style faucet (here in a floor-mount installation) accentuates the romance of the Victorian era.

Think Outside the (Bathroom) Box

rustic wood attic space with a freestanding white clawfoot tub

Max Kim-Bee, Styling by Christina Wressell

A claw-foot tub's freestanding installation provides the opportunity to add a bath in seemingly unexpected places, because there’s no need for extra walls and built-ins.

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Design an Attic Retreat

Max Kim-Bee, Styling by Christina Wressell

By tucking a claw-foot tub under a sloping attic eave, designer Leanne Ford turned a potentially awkward attic space of her former home into an awe-inspiring walk-in bathroom. A gooseneck bridge faucet lends farmhouse style.

Showcase an Industrial-Style Tub

bathroom with blue industrial clawfoot bathtub

Monica Buck, styling by Raina Kattelson

Search out a mid-19th-century claw-foot metal tub for a look that feels at home in industrial-style surroundings. These primitive soakers were usually made of tin or copper and topped with an oak rim. Painting the exterior a chalky finish adds a fresh twist and accentuates the hunky iron feet and straps.