When was the last time you Googled “contemporary toilets?” If the answer is never, then take a moment and do it now; you will find about 439,000 hits. During the past three weeks, I swear I have looked at them all.
I began my quest for the perfect toilet to go with the perfect contemporary vanity cabinet (another 168,000 hits) naively thinking, “So what will a toilet cost – maybe $500?” Well, think again. Sure, you can go to the orange box store or the blue box store and get one for about $100, but will it have a real chrome handle? Will it look “high end?” Will a potential buyer look at it and say, “Wow! Where did they find that?” Will anyone even care?
I began my quest for the perfect toilet to go with the perfect contemporary vanity cabinet (another 168,000 hits) naively thinking, “So what will a toilet cost – maybe $500?” Well, think again. Sure, you can go to the orange box store or the blue box store and get one for about $100, but will it have a real chrome handle? Will it look “high end?” Will a potential buyer look at it and say, “Wow! Where did they find that?” Will anyone even care?
Now, I had in mind something that was ecologically sound such as a dual flush model. (For the uninitiated, that does not mean two people can flush at the same time, but that you have independent settings for when you need an easy flush or a tough flush – you’ll forgive me if I hesitate to explain further.)
I also wanted something that was streamlined, stylish, ergonomically designed and easy to clean. And not stainless steel, please. I spent too many years in law enforcement to be able to think of a stainless steel toilet as chic.
I cast aside the models with little painted flowers and Victorian pulley systems. I sped right through the photos of standard, two-piece toilets and went straight for the one-piece models. I looked at round ones, elongated ones, pillbox ones and even square ones (!). I studied toilets both foreign and domestic: Japanese, Italian, English, Czechoslovakian and the good old American brands we all know and love. But when the prices shot up over $4000, I sat down on my own Kohler Rialto and put my head between my knees. A toilet for the price of a granite countertop? Oh puleeease!
So for the moment, I have put the toilet search aside and have moved on to faucets. In the end, however, (pardon the pun) the toilet selection will probably be based on comfort and cost. The coveted Creative Commode Award may have to wait for another project.
I also wanted something that was streamlined, stylish, ergonomically designed and easy to clean. And not stainless steel, please. I spent too many years in law enforcement to be able to think of a stainless steel toilet as chic.
I cast aside the models with little painted flowers and Victorian pulley systems. I sped right through the photos of standard, two-piece toilets and went straight for the one-piece models. I looked at round ones, elongated ones, pillbox ones and even square ones (!). I studied toilets both foreign and domestic: Japanese, Italian, English, Czechoslovakian and the good old American brands we all know and love. But when the prices shot up over $4000, I sat down on my own Kohler Rialto and put my head between my knees. A toilet for the price of a granite countertop? Oh puleeease!
So for the moment, I have put the toilet search aside and have moved on to faucets. In the end, however, (pardon the pun) the toilet selection will probably be based on comfort and cost. The coveted Creative Commode Award may have to wait for another project.
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