The bathtub we used in our Langezandt beach house project (above) is inspired, like all other egg-shaped tubs, by the Spoon model created by Italian bathroom manufacturer Agape.

Spoon (below), which is now 15 years old, is an icon of bathtub design – cut in the shape of half an egg it elevated the basic bathtub to a piece of functional art.

Giampaolo Benedini, the designer of Spoon is also co-founder of the multi-award winning Agape which is based in the historic city of Mantua in Northern Italy. Included in the panoply of top designers which have created pieces for Agape is one of our personal favourites, Patricia Urquiola.

The newer version of the tub – Spoon XL (below) – is a little rounder and a little bigger. Also a lovely piece of sculpture, it is wide and stunning. Two people can enjoy it at the same time and Agape says the new shape is tilted on the inside for optimal water distribution to ensure maximum comfort and relaxation for the user.

Spoon is made from Cristalplant which has a smooth velvety feel, looks like natural stone and retains heat. The product is patented and made only in Italy from materials of plant origin combined with natural inert minerals making it 100{751e4452eb2cf84c4144c86bcd86c0ccd7dbeb2135ab5d102fe41ace3f047255} recyclable and eco-sustainable.

While egg-shaped tubs are generally designed to take centre stage in a bathroom, they can equally be positioned close to the wall requiring a freestanding mixer tap or wall mounted tap, respectively.

Agape products are available in South Africa through Bespoke Bathrooms as are a range of other egg-shaped tubs. The examples shown below are the Japanese tub, the Emily tub and lastly the Giocoso. The Emily is particularly suited to smaller spaces – see the tub in our House Brown project.

Images: 1. Bespoke Bathrooms | 2. Elle Decor USA-WilliamWaldran-YabuPusheberg | 3-7. Agape | 8-10. Bespoke Bathrooms