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Resident Reuses Tiny Room Above Water Tank, Creates Complete Spa with Masonry Hot Tub, Stone Finish, Warm Lighting, and Heated Water on a Budget.
The resident looked at a forgotten little room in the house, with a simple bathroom and a shower that were almost never used, and decided to transform it into an intimate and functional spa. Instead of buying an expensive industrial fiber tub, he designed and built a masonry hot tub for 6 people, customized for the space at a much lower cost.
The project made use of the small space, the unevenness, and even the area above the water tank to create a complete relaxation environment. With planning, the resident thought about natural light, warm lighting, air circulation, niches, power outlets for a future TV, stone finishes, and the entire water recirculation and heating system to keep the spa pleasant on a daily basis.
From Forgotten Room to Resident’s Spa
In the beginning, the space was just a tiny room with a small bathroom and a shower, one of those rooms that almost no one uses.
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It was above the reserve water tank, accessed through a small door. Instead of letting the environment remain abandoned, the resident saw there an opportunity to have a spa without needing to expand the house.
To transform the feel of the place, he discarded the idea of a “storage” and thought about comfort. He built a wall with glass bricks, bringing natural light into the interior. This choice already changed the atmosphere significantly, making the space less claustrophobic and more welcoming during the day.
At the entrance, the resident installed a black aluminum door, leaving a small opening at the bottom for air entry.
The intention was to help with ventilation; however, an important point emerged in practice: since he did not make an internal window, the environment became very humid, and now he needs to keep the door open frequently to relieve this humidity. If he were to do it again, the resident would keep the glass but include a real window for ventilation in the spa.
How the Resident Organized the Internal Environment
Inside the spa, the resident focused on functionality and rustic aesthetics. The entire environment was covered with stone up to the ceiling, creating a cozy cave-like feel.
On one wall, he left a dug-out nook to store shampoo, soap, deodorant, and small daily items, avoiding loose shelves.
There were exposed pipes on the ceiling that were visually bothersome. To resolve this, the resident decided to lower that part, hiding the piping and integrating the lighting wiring. He installed three lamps, one main light and another support light, creating more evenly distributed points of light.
The idea was to make the spa look like a planned space, even though it was a project done by the resident with a builder.
In another part of the room, he installed two strategically placed outlets in the wall, already thinking about the future. The idea is to mount a fixed TV facing the hot tub, allowing the family to watch movies, shows, or games while relaxing in the hot tub. This shows how the resident planned not only the construction aspect but also the overall experience of using the spa.
In the support area, the resident created a small lavatory with a beige Bahia stone countertop, featuring a heart-shaped cutout for the sink.
Above it, a mirror; behind it, a wall worked with pieces of stone assembled one by one, reinforcing the elegant rustic style. Below, an aluminum cabinet holds daily necessities, keeping the spa organized.
Masonry Hot Tub for 6 People
At the center of the project is the masonry hot tub for 6 people. Instead of purchasing a ready-made fiber model, the resident designed his own tub, outlined the shape, defined depth, slope, and support points, and executed everything in masonry.
According to him, there is no comparison between the cost of this solution and the price of a ready-made industrial tub of the same size.
The entire internal structure was finished with São Tomé stone, creating a robust and durable appearance. The tub’s design features a sloped wall to support the back, straight areas, and a slight incline for comfort, resembling a sofa in the water. This allows people to sit relaxed without effort.
On the plumbing side, the resident installed two water supply valves, one coming from the water tank and another directly from the street. This way, he can fill the hot tub using only the network water, only the tank water, or both at the same time when in a hurry.
The water is treated like a pool: he uses chlorine, soda ash, algaecide, and performs regular maintenance, typically changing the water every month to month and a half, depending on usage.
The drainage was also well-planned. The bottom of the tub directs the water to channels at the base, which lead everything to a drain at the bottom of the room. In practice, when the resident decides to empty it, the water drains by gravity, making cleaning and sanitizing the spa easier.
Warm Lighting, Stone Finishes, and Comfort
For the finishing, the resident wanted to avoid the common bathroom look. On the floor and inside the tub, he used pool-style tiles in a turquoise hue, providing a good grip, creating a visual effect of clean and deep water.
The grout is also blue, both on the floor and on the brickwork, emphasizing the color of the water mirror and enhancing the internal lighting.
On the walls, the use of natural stone up to the ceiling and pieces mounted one by one gives a rustic spa vibe. The resident combined stone texture, pool tiles, and exposed metals to create an environment that seems sophisticated, even though it was made with simple construction solutions.
Thinking about safety and accessibility, he installed metal handles in the right places to assist in entering and exiting the masonry hot tub.
A person steps up the step, supports themselves on the handle, and steps down into the tub, doing the reverse on the way out. Small teak stools complement the space, serving to sit, hold towels or drinks.
In terms of artificial lighting, the resident opted for warm lighting, with a yellower color temperature, which makes the spa cozy at night.
There is recessed lighting in the ceiling and light points inside the tub, activated by remote control. This way, he can create scenarios, brighter or more intimate, depending on the moment.
Pump System, Heating, and Silence in the Spa
An important detail is that the resident did not want motor noise inside the spa. This completely changed the installation project.
Instead of placing the hot tub pump and the heater in the same room, he moved the entire set of machines behind the wall, to another room.
The system includes two pumps: one dedicated to the recirculation and bubbles of the masonry hot tub, and another connected to a heater to raise the water temperature. The controls reach the spa via switches on the wall.
With one switch, he activates the main pump to generate bubbles; with another, he turns on the heater. This way, the resident achieved a hot tub with heated water, massage jets, and minimal noise inside the relaxation space.
In addition to the tub itself, the spa has a shower with a hot and cold water mixer, also supplied by the heater. This shower serves both for a quick wash before entering the masonry hot tub and for rinsing off chlorine after use, making the environment more versatile.
Cost, Reuse of Space, and Family Experience
One of the main motivations for the resident was cost. A ready-made fiber hot tub for 6 people, with heating and jets, is usually expensive and requires a perfect fit of measures.
In this case, the little room was small, with complicated proportions, which would make it difficult to find an ideal industrial model.
By designing a custom masonry hot tub for 6 people, the resident was able to make the most of every square inch, integrate the tub with the stone walls, and reduce spending on ready-made equipment.
He focused the investment on durable materials, such as São Tomé stone, pool tiles, and sturdy hardware, and simplified wherever possible, such as in the choice of rustic finishes.
The result is a spa that serves the family for relaxing, hosting friends, and enjoying weekends. The resident comments that it is one of the most pleasant places in the house, perfect for chatting, having a drink, unwinding, and stepping away from the routine of the living room and television.
He practically proves that with creativity, planning, and some work, it is possible to transform a forgotten little room into a complete spa for less than one might think.
And you, if you had a forgotten little room at home, would you use this resident’s idea to create a masonry hot tub spa as well?
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