Ooohhh, it's exciting to see all the action here. I had a tile guy come out today and we discussed the logistics of a wet room, including the effect it will have on the tub plumbing (out of the wall instead of up through the floor to minimize leaks). But here are some details: The room is long and narrow, 7 feet wide by almost eleven feet long. Single door at the narrow end, no windows, and it must also house the stackable washer and dryer. I will try to get a plan posted if there is any interest, but it is a pretty basic rectangle. Because the room is small I like the visual of a free standing tub, with placement planned across the far end of the room. Sink and toilet will be on opposite walls in the next section, and the washer and dryer snug in the corner next to the door. Cloudbase, the real reason for the tub is that there is no tub in the master or anywhere on the main floor, and I want a tub I can soak in. Its use as a shower will be limited to house guests. So they will still have a bit of a struggle getting in and out...or I can share my shower, if the guests are old enough or decrepit enough :) Writersblock, I have seen a similar arrangement to that and agree, it is a nice way to combine the two. Unfortunately there just isn't room in this room. If I have to, I can bite the bullet and put a more shower-friendly arrangement across that end of the bathroom. But I have no reason (no real time pressure, and other than the counter top that impales every person who walks in the room there are no immediate structural issues) to not think about all the possible ways to solve the problems of the tiny bathroom. So while the wet room may ultimately not be the way we go I thought I would toss it out there to see what people had done/not done.

Yes, a cast iron tub is a lifetime tub. We are remodeling our upstairs bath and keeping the tub. Its 30 yrs old, because it still looks new, and its white, which is what we are going for anyway. Cast iron is made to last. When we first put the tub in 30 yrs ago, we were in our late 20's so we, with the help of a friend, hauled that tub up a flight of stairs and into place. No way could we lift that now. We could, and probably will order another cast iron when the time comes and have it put in place. Right now we are in the middle of our DIY upstairs bath renovation, so I haven't hit my DH with the idea of remodeling the other bathroom, I can imagine the reaction I will get. All in good time...............

I have the Neptune Rouge Paris F1 and absolutely love it. I used a freestanding filler and use the ledge for my soap I've also seen a few made by Fleurco/Aria that look nice and have ledges on the side.

I think it depends on how you live and if you're planning for resale. I am a bath person and chose an insert so that I could have an air jetted tub, have room for candles, bath salts, etc. and for ease of cleaning around it. I was told that it can sometimes be difficult to clean around free standing tubs, especially in a smaller space. Also, we wanted a larger one as my husband enjoys it after a long day of cycling. The tub insert may not be the rage right now but it functions best for us.