I'm presently adding a tub alcove to an old bath which will turn it into our master bath and part of a new "suite" . I love Sarah Richardson's designs, like her program because she always explains the decision making process. In the link you gave to her bathrooms, the first photo shows the hand held "British telephone set" option for a shower. That is the one I've chosen for my clawfoot slipper tub. I did not want a curtain or any of the attendant hardware. There is a standup shower elsewhere in the house, and this bath of ours is strictly for the TUB experience. I did not want any mildew and mold issues with it. And the alcove is still under construction, so I cannot give pictures of it. They are framing the walls on three sides now, and will soon knock down the existing exterior wall in the old bath, which will give us a space approximately 6 foot long by 5 foot deep as an alcove. The tub is about 28 inches wide, and 60 inches long. The tub rim is drilled for the faucet set, which will go down through the floor. The tub will be pointed WEST, and that 5 foot wide end wall will have a nice sized antique stained glass window in it (which was salvaged from an old house in downtown Mobile). I picked it because of the warm golds and reds and greens and creams in it, because a tub bath at sunset is a great experience. The walls in the alcove will have beadboard up to the high clerestory windows (Lexan) on the wall behind the tub, and then the sloping ceiling will also be beadboard. The old or existing part of the bathroom will have the thick and molded plaster walls removed to install wallboard with beadboard wainscoting below. The toilet and sink are already installed in their new spots, with the rebuilt American Standard 1.6 gallon flush toilet having a Toto washlet on it. I'm having blocking put inside the walls now so I can add grab bars in the future. Also blocking in the ceiling so I can place hooks for my humidity-loving hanging baskets...about four of them where I won't bang my head. And in the middle, a Kichler Palla 3 light mini chandelier which will be high enough not to present a problem...or so I'm told. That open ceiling over the tub will be 9 foot or more at its highest, so I will find out this Tuesday how to hang the chandelier when the electrician arrives. Just so I cannot reach it while standing in a tub of water, I think that is the criteria, right?

Well, you sort of have to use your imagination with this photo. It shows the tub location with a moderately sized window right over it. Widow is second floor and overlooks a lake, it's totally private. Put a pleated window shade over it, I think it's Hunter-Douglas? It's a top-down, bottom-up, which is great in a bath. If privacy was a factor, you can use the "bottom-up" feature to just have the shade cover the bottom half of the window, so you still have privacy while still maintaining a bit of the view and a bit of the natural light. In this photo you can see the shade is slightly "bottom-up". Mongo

There are many good choices for this application. I never did understand why most builders put those fixed units around the tub. The are only there to let in light from the outside. It's always nice to let the fresh air in to ventilate the bathroom. Especially after a bath or shower to help exhaust the steam. I personally like the Awning type window in these locations. It vents at the bottom and can be left open without any concerns if it rains. Crank outs and Sliders are also functional here but they both add a vertical post to the viewing area. If your tub is in a nice wooded area to look out over. You want to be able to have a nice glass of wine and watch it snow outside while your relaxing in the Spa!! Good Luck!!!

Since it's on you, I'd go after Kohler again. Simply start anew. Get a written diagnosis from the second evaluator. Send it to Kohler and start a warranty claim. Pretend it's the first time you've called them. 1) Tub was purchased from _____ on ____. 2) Tub was installed on ____ by a licensed plumber in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. 3) Within days of the installation a squeaking noise was heard. 4) You had two people come out and diagnose it as a delamination. Include the written report from the second person. 5) State what you want: A new tub. I'd also contact the point-of-purchase. They sold you a bad tub. As a follow up to the initial phone call claim with them, include the written delamination assessment made by the second evaluator. Send them the same info noted above. Written letters and emails start the paper trail. Phone calls are great to "shake the tree", any time you talk to anyone note the day, time, person you spoke with, case/claim number if they assign you one, and take brief notes of the conversation. Kohler is usually pretty good about claims. Best thing I can offer is to be calm but firm in your conversations, be businesslike. And keep good notes. When I've dealt with things like this, I've kept my notes in a document file on my computer. If I talk to someone new, I'll email them the file while I'm on the phone with them. Depending on the situation I might password protect it or convert it into a pdf file before sending it so it can't be muddled with by the recipient. No, I've never done or had done a gel injection. I've never heard of it being done. Not saying it won't work. But I've never had a tub delaminate! As a bit of a last resort, talk to your GC. If Kohler is claiming the tub was installed incorrectly, that falls back on him and on his plumber. You might be able to get separate letters from the plumber and the GC saying that the tub was installed IAW the manufacturers instructions and that they agree with the evaluation that delamination as a result of a manufacturing defect are the cause of the squeak. Again, all that is based on the tub having been installed correctly. ie, it's not a drop-in tub that is being supported by the rim instead of by the base/feet for example. Again, good luck.