Known for both his passion for woodworking and his love of marine vessels, craftsman Nathie Katzoff started his career by attending boat building school. There, he learned the skills needed to make products free from re-manufactured parts and extensively replicated designs.
An offer to build a friend’s staircase eventually led to beginning of his business, the Seattle-based NK Woodworking. Although the majority of their work still deals craftsman style stairs — so much so that they’ve already won four Best Staircase awards from the Stairway Manufacturers’ Association — Katzoff’s need to constantly branch out has now led his company into the field of bathtub design, too.
Each tub is handcrafted by master woodworkers intent on preserving the authentic quality of traditional craftsmanship. And since products like these are built to last for very long periods of time, NK understands how important it is that they also look timeless.
Indeed, these bathtubs are much more than just elegant bathing vessels. They are also works of art, engineering, architecture, and design, all in one package. Sustainably sourced from exotic hardwoods, they harken back to the natural world with their deep natural colors and grains. A specialized finish allows these elements to shine through their protective waterproof coat and truly stand out. Meant to be maintenance free, the tub’s surface is smooth to the touch, and completely unaffected by humidity, dryness, or common cleaning products.
Not only are NK bathtubs nice to look at, but their handcrafted origins also mean they can be produced without tapping into any kind of energy source. The wood itself is completely renewable and FSC certified. Even if a tub is abandoned or left behind, its former owners can rest a little easier knowing it will decompose back into nature rather than adding to the extensive and long-lasting waste from typical bathtub materials like acrylic and fiberglass.
On top of being extremely eco-friendly, the wooden bathtubs’ constructions also offer better insulation than metal or fiberglass, keeping your water warm for much longer. An airjet system provides spa-like bubbles to make those long soaks all the more enjoyable.
It’s easy to see the connection to Katzoff’s boat-building past in this new “Lotus” collection, whose pieces all resemble some kind of ship or another. Of course, if you’re aiming for a truly one-of-a-kind look, you can always just commission the NK Woodworking team to custom-build a piece for you.
Katzoff says of his creations: “…when people walk into their homes and see our work, the reaction is ‘Wow!’ That’s what I strive for — to stop people in their tracks, to create architectural art masterpieces.”