A Seattle Woodworker Is Turning Bathtubs Into Works of Art
Award-winning Seattle design studio NK Woodworking crafts one-of-a-kind bathtubs from domestic and exotic hardwoods, finished with a durable marine varnish.
By Danny Sullivan March 16, 2018
This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the March 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.
Artistry and comfort combine to spectacular effect in NK Woodworking and Design’s (South Park, 1605 S 93rd St., Unit EG3; 206.486.3600) custom-made wooden bathtubs (from $30,000).
Sapele mahogany is the popular wood of choice—shaped by hand using techniques employed by founder and lead designer Nathie Katzoff—and it insulates far better than typical porcelain or metal tubs, keeping bathwater warmer for longer.
Each tub takes hundreds of hours to craft, and gleams with a composite finish that has its roots in boatbuilding; Katzoff’s background includes woodworking and restoration for a shipwright. “We aim to be the Steinway or Maserati of bathtubs,” he says, by taking luxurious baths to the next level.
Follow Us
Master of Transparency
Award-winning architect Eric Cobb’s work seamlessly meshes glass, space and light
Noted architect Eric Cobb is collaborating on a second-home project near The Gorge Amphitheatre with a former junior high school soccer teammate, embodying a classic Seattle story of connection. The new Cliffe Pointe at the Gorge project located within the Cave B Estate grounds features 60 second homes surrounded by vineyards, natural sage, and rolling…
Sandy Sanctuary
Mercer Island couple find bliss with a cabana on the beach
With 8,000 lakes, fifth most in the country, Washington is a happy hunting ground for waterfront lots. Highly popular Lake Chelan, the third-deepest lake in the United States, is not on the top of the list of affordable freshwater options, at least not anywhere near Chelan, where scarce waterfront residential lots start at $2 million….
The Space Arranger
Kyle Gaffney and SkB take a holistic approach to building design
To say that Kyle Gaffney backed into a career in architecture may be a bit exaggerated, but he did get a late start. Gaffney, a cofounder and principal at Seattle architecture firm SkB, suffered a devastating knee injury and lost a soccer scholarship to the University of Puget Sound. Instead of college he went to…
Prairie Townhome Companions
Couple remakes Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired property
Place two architects, a hedgehog, and more than $100,000 under house arrest, and watch the magic unfold. Sandy Wolf founded Seattle’s Office of Ordinary Architecture in the belief that beauty is found in everyday objects. She and her husband — fellow architect Daniel Ash — were not disappointed in that regard in their long search…