undesigning the bath

undesigning the bath is a book by Leonard Koren, my guru on such things as wabi-sabi (another book of his). photos of outdoor baths, hammams, mud baths, hot springs and a japanese bath in a cable car, illustrate his theory that designers don’t make great baths.

the idea of a bath under the stars on a hot summer night, which I have seen in Portugal, is very romantic, but perhaps I would prefer my non-chlorine pool  (not built yet) in Spain. I would love to have an outdoor shower, although my surroundings are not as lush as this

but the wood surround on the japanese bath is very enticing, I wonder if something like this can be done in an ordinary bathroom.  this mud bath, I think I can do without.

but the book is a wonderful meditation on bathing and the bath – you can find it here on amazon –

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1880656248/202-1118352-0392657