I just came across a blog featuring a bathroom in the new Lucida condo building in NYC.  The unique elongated 2×8 tile -altho oriented vertically- is similar to our elongated 2×6 tile installed during the early 1900’s renovation (and our newby 2×6 tile from SubwayCeramics).   Subway tile is very popular right now in bathrooms & kitchens and it is interesting to me that our house already had a room done in an enlongated subway 100 years ago! But what reaaaally caught my eye is the built in shelf. 

Something similar to this could work wonders next to our tub and avoid the dreaded search later on for something elegant to hold basic shower necessities in a clawfoot tub.   Here are a few options I’ve found.  The tub caddy:

and this one from the Ace Hotel which mounts on the shower riser: