I like the idea of bath tubs situated at the center of the room. I remember my first year in an Interior Design course one summer. We were designing a master bath and I placed my bathtub at the corner. My architect teacher stared down at my work and said, "Stop designing like an architect! Forget the plumbing. Design like an interior designer." She's right. Since then, my world opened up to being more flamboyant and more experimental. Every time I see a bath tub at the center of the room, I think about my teacher. (Is that weird?)
Whether it's traditional or contemporary, it allows great circulation around the tub set next to an open shower area or a dry space.