Beauty and the Bath: MILO’s Maximum Exposure

The bathtub is a traditionally private and intimate space; a cocoon enveloping your body. The MILO glass bathtub presents a stunning albeit unconventional adaptation of this space: “the appeal of a privacy alcove brought into full view.” Transparency and exposure, two terms generally not associated with bathtubs, are defining aspects of the MILO, designed by Alessandro Lenarda for Gruppo Treesse.

Experimentation with glass and pursuit of geometric perfection have yielded this composition of “different shapes…wedded together in an unconventional, Japan-inspired design.” The shape is similar to that of CUBE by Wetstyle, though the materiality is entirely different.  Sloped sides and crisp corners; the large-scale, freestanding glass form rests on a simple base that operates as a drawer for storage. Tubular forms, in either leather or wood, function as headrests at either end of the bathtub and as handrails along its lengths.  The unconventional sculptural glass bathtub is simultaneously functional, providing storage, safety and comfort. Rather than detracting from the bathtub’s design, these elements are finishing details. In orange, red, black, or white, the details balance and emphasize the invisible nature of the oversized glass form.

Its grand sculptural form makes it best suited for a generously sized space.  Although sculpturally-driven, free-standing bathtubs have been a recent trend, as evident with Scoop by Michael Schmidt for Falper and Dip D-Lighting Plasticryl and Chromotherapy Tub, the materiality of Milo is all-together new.  Despite its large scale, the seemingly invisible nature will leave your bathroom feeling open and spacious.  One can imagine it situated in front of large windows overlooking a grand vista. 

In the privacy of your bathroom, the exposure created by Milo’s transparent form should feel sexy, yet safe. While not for the modest or self-conscious, this bathtub dubs convention in favor of something fresh and new: the privacy alcove in full view.