Black bath buying guide
Black baths are a small group, and the four on this page each get to black in a different way. Two are matte black stone baths from Fienza, the Bahama and the Luciana. One is the Caroma Noir, a two-tone bath with a black exterior and a white interior. The fourth is the Fienza claw foot, a white acrylic bath that stands on matte black feet. Black bath, black bathtub, black tub and dark bath describe the same search, and the answer depends on how much black you want: a whole black bath or a black detail on a white one. The sections below cover the four baths, how black shows water, soap and scratches, and what to check on weight, delivery, waste and size before ordering.
The four black baths here
The Fienza Bahama is a matte black stone freestanding bath at 1700mm, with an overflow, a chrome waste included and a matching basin available. The Fienza Luciana is a matte black stone freestanding bath in 1500mm or 1690mm, with an overflow and a matte black waste included. It has a wide body and a centre waste position that allows dual bathing. The Caroma Noir is a 1700mm freestanding acrylic bath with a black exterior and a clean white interior, a two tone look. The Fienza claw foot is a gloss white acrylic bath with a roll-top edge and matte black feet, in 1500mm or 1700mm lengths.
Only the Bahama and the Luciana are black all over. The Noir is black on the outside, and the claw foot is white with black feet. That matters for care, because the white interior of the Noir and the white body of the claw foot do not show water and soap the way a black surface does. The stone baths page lists the stone baths across makers and colours.
Matte black stone
Fienza baths are cast stone solid surface with a velvet smooth matte finish, moulded in one piece with no joins, for a sleek modern style and easy cleaning. The solid surface does not yellow or crack and stays the same material all the way through, so it can be sanded and refinished. The care sheet that comes with the bath is the document to follow. Stone baths are dense, hold heat, and weigh much more than acrylic. The stone baths page covers the material in full, including how stone and acrylic compare.
Two tone and black feet
The Caroma Noir has a distinct two tone colouring, with a black exterior and a clean white interior. It is 1700mm long and large enough for two bathers. Footlocker fittings are included to improve the stability of the installation. The plug and waste are not included, and Pop-Down wastes are recommended for their safety, service and maintenance qualities. The Fienza claw foot is a different idea: a traditional slipper shape with a roll-top edge, in gloss white acrylic, with matte black feet. Fienza acrylic baths are made from Lucite PMMA acrylic that is UV stabilised, which helps them not to yellow over time. The claw foot has an inbuilt steel support frame with adjustable legs, and a chrome overflow and waste included.
If you want the bath itself to be black, the two stone baths are the answer. If you want a black accent, the Noir and the claw foot give it with less black surface to keep clean.
Keeping a black bath clean
Dark surfaces show water, so a black bath needs a little more attention than a white one, though not a different kind of care. Rinse the bath after each use and dry it with a soft microfibre cloth. Matte black finishes show water spots in hard water areas, and drying after use limits mineral build-up. A water softener reduces deposits and spots, and it is a household decision, not a bath one.
For stone resin, rinse and dry after each use, clean weekly with warm soapy water and a non-abrasive cloth, and deep clean monthly with a pH neutral or stone-safe cleaner. Avoid acidic cleaners such as vinegar, lemon and descalers, and avoid bleach, ammonia and abrasives such as steel wool. Check the care sheet for the bath you buy.
Scratches and repair
Fienza solid surface can be sanded and refinished. Polished surfaces respond to a stone polishing kit, while matte surfaces need fine sanding pads worked through progressively finer grits. Scratches on matte stone resin can be sanded out with fine paper, and deep scratches, large chips and persistent stains may need a professional. Test any repair on a hidden spot and follow the maker's care sheet. On the white acrylic of the claw foot and the Noir interior, standard acrylic scratches can be buffed out with little effort, and Lucite acrylic needs a polishing kit.
Weight, delivery and the doorway
Weight is the main planning fact for the two stone baths. Fienza stone baths weigh in excess of 150kg and are delivered to an area in front of the home where a tail lift truck or pallet jack can reach easily. A large stone bath filled with water can weigh over 500kg. Read the weight on the bath's page and add the water.
The route into the room matters as much as the room. A stone bath of 1800mm may not fit through a standard 820mm door, so the path from the delivery point to the room has to be measured. Acrylic is the lightest of the common materials, but the claw foot and the Noir still need a floor and a door that suit them.
The floor
The weight of a heavy bath must be properly supported during and after installation, and the floor checked. Acrylic is lighter, which matters on upper floors, and solid surface baths may need floor reinforcement above ground level. Timber floors usually need reinforcement for heavy baths, and a structural engineer should assess the floor where the combined load is high. Ask the builder before ordering a stone bath.
Installing the claw foot
The claw foot is freestanding, so the installer levels it and sets the tapware during rough-in. Fit each foot to its position, set the bath on a level, strong floor and level it in both directions on the adjustable legs. The Fienza acrylic baths have an inbuilt steel support frame with adjustable legs, so follow the installation instructions that come with the bath. Decide the freestanding and floor mounted tapware before the plumber sets the rough-in, and use tapware that is WaterMark certified and WELS registered. Altering or extending existing plumbing is a task for a licensed plumber.
Waste, overflow and the waste position
The wastes differ across the four baths. The Bahama has an overflow and a chrome waste included. The Luciana has an overflow and a matte black waste included, so the black finish of the waste is fixed. The claw foot has a chrome overflow and waste included. The Noir has no plug and waste included, and a Pop-Down waste is recommended. The bath wastes page holds the options.
The Luciana needs floor preparation for off-centre waste positions, so discuss it with the builder or plumber before tiling and waterproofing. Its centre waste position is what allows dual bathing. Australian building codes require fully removable bath wastes in some situations, so confirm with the plumber which waste suits the installation. Where a bath comes with its waste, the waste's finish is fixed, so match the tapware finish before the bath is ordered.
Size and fit
Standard baths are about 1500mm to 1700mm long and 700mm to 800mm wide, and a 1500mm bath can work in a room 1650mm or longer, depending on tapware and clearances. A 1700mm bath generally needs a wall of at least 1800mm. The Luciana comes in 1500mm or 1690mm. The Bahama and the Noir are 1700mm, and the claw foot comes in 1500mm or 1700mm. The 1500mm to 1700mm baths page lists the common range across every shape and material. Hot water matters for large baths too, because large baths hold more water, which lengthens fill times and demands more hot water.
Each black bath in detail
The Fienza Bahama is a stone freestanding bath with a captivating asymmetrical design and a modern shape, and a matching basin is available if you want the bath and the basin to read as a pair. The overflow and a chrome waste are included, so the plumber has what is needed to connect it. The Fienza Luciana has an opulent wide body, an overflow and a matte black waste included, and its centre waste allows dual bathing, so two people can sit at either end with the drain between them.
The Caroma Noir has a spectacular organic shape with a subtle high back and a tapered design, and the two tone colouring gives it a clean look from the room, whichever side you see it from. It is 1700mm, large enough for two bathers, and it is the black bath for a room that wants the contrast of a dark shell without the weight of stone. The Fienza claw foot is a freestanding bath in a traditional slipper shape with a roll-top edge, in gloss white sanitary grade acrylic, with matte black feet. It has an inbuilt steel support frame with adjustable steel legs, a chrome pop-up waste and a chrome overflow included, and it comes in two lengths.
Choosing a black bath
Start with how much black you want. A whole black bath means the Bahama or the Luciana, with the weight and floor planning that stone needs. Black on the outside only means the Noir. White with a black detail means the claw foot. Then measure the wall, the door and the route in, confirm the floor, and decide the waste before the tiler starts. Read the care sheet before the first clean, and plan on drying the bath after each use if it is black.
For the full range across colours, shapes and materials, return to bathtubs.
