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
Blueprints for Building Community
After tragedy struck a local restaurateur family, one of their daughters stepped in to complete the design for her brother’s unfinished home.
Although he was just 35 when a heart attack took his life, Khoa Pham’s imprint on Seattle’s international district was such that the city quickly designated April 21 as a memorial day in his honor. With his rescue pitbull, Pinky, by his side, Pham cut a colorful figure through Little Saigon and became well known…
Tuft Stuff
Tuft Ruft turns fiber art into a social, hands-on experience in Pioneer Square.
It all started with a bout of pandemic boredom. Like many, when COVID-19 hit, recent graduate Carrie Xiao found herself stuck at home, with extra time on her hands. One day, while scrolling social media, she discovered tufting: a textile manufacturing technique that creates a garment or rug with a “pile,” or raised surface. After…
Collaborating Cultures
Looking to build a home to welcome family and friends, one Kirkland couple turns to a sister to design a modern house with influences from the wife’s Thai heritage.
For many years, when homeowners planned to build or remodel, architects and designers advised them to think first and foremost about resale value. From the number of bedrooms to the materials, appliances, and finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms, homes were often treated solely as an investment, with an eye to future sales. In recent…
Whale Of A Remodel
The transformation of an Orcas Island home takes advantage of remarkable views
For many years, Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders entertained his Orcas Island neighbors with breathtaking acrobatics in his vintage airplane. Anders and his wife, Valerie, had purchased a five-acre compound on the isolated western edge of the island for its mesmerizing view, a subject he knew something about. As a member of the first human…