Abstract: A soft article (2) for use in bathtubs, showers and other bathroom fixtures is manufactured by applying to a prepared mold (10) first, a primary coating (3) comprising one or more sprayed-on layers, which acts as a finish and provides a flexible skin structure, and subsequently applying a secondary coating comprising a sprayed-on layer of flexible foam (8) atop the primary coating. If the soft article is to be a liner, it is separated from the mold once the layer of flexible foam dries. For a new installation or for a stand-alone soft article such as a bath, a rigid structural layer (9) of structural urethane polyurea or structural polyurethane, which may or may not include chopped fiberglass, is then applied onto the foam layer. The soft article is then separated from the mold, and reinforcing pieces and gussets are then encapsulated into the rigid structural layer.