Comments on: Vertabrae bathroom system for really small bathrooms

By: Alan

Alan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:36:05 +0000

I see a lot of press releases for exotic, space saving plumbing fixtures. Much of would not even appeal to the common person. The appeal is not in the practicality, it’s in the bragging rights for your exotic plumbing fixtures. See, for some of these people, form is more important than function and they will sacrifice lots of function and pay mega bucks to have a “cool” form to show their friends.

By: Seth

Seth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:43:55 +0000

Not really my style, and certainly not in my budget!

But I will echo what others have said – when I lived and traveled in Asia almost all of the bathrooms I saw were bare tile with a shower on the wall – no tub or stall – just a floor drain. A couple had a small lip to guide water, but most didn’t even have that.

I saw a couple of brand new condos with American style tubs/shower stalls. But I don’t think the owners were used to the idea of staying in one place during a shower, because when they finished there was usually water splashed around the entire room. I suspect they hopped in and out of the shower to do other things, or maybe even pointed the shower head outside of the shower stall.

Neither way is necessarily better, but it’s worth realizing there are big cultural differences in room design.

By: daniel

daniel — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:33:51 +0000

I’d sooner buy a japanese style bathroom from TOTO if it was marketed in the USA.

By: lynette

lynette — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:20:11 +0000

I’ve seen smaller get-ups in Italy/Europe. The entire bathroom, WC included, was actually smaller than my arm span. This whole contraption actually wouldn’t fit in some of the Italian B&B bathrooms. I’d love to see this setup in one of those portable glass houses. Personally, I’ll take my tub and separate sinks from my husband.

By: A.M.B.A.

A.M.B.A. — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:15:29 +0000

This system would’ve been a major improvement over what our family of four endured bathroom-wise while recently living in China for a year. But it’ll never win many fans in the U.S.

By: himbraim

himbraim — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:01:33 +0000

This is depressing.

If you’d shown this contraption to people two hundred years ago, they’d said:

“I am a human being, in Gods name! you suggest I live like a dog- YOU must be the dog!”

By: Beverly D

Beverly D — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:00:42 +0000

This is not unlike what’s known as a “wetbath” on a boat. They are very common. I personally like a separate shower but lots of people would rather have this than no shower at all, which is what some boats have. You do have to think out your moves so that cabinets are closed and your towel is away from the spray, but it’s more workable than you would think. You wipe it down when you’re done, so housekeeping is quick.

By: Jeanne B.

Jeanne B. — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:11:39 +0000

I’m thinking, this is pretty cool! I’ve toured a lot of horse trailers that come with “weekender package” living quarters, and they have what’s known as a “Cowboy shower”–basically the room where the toilet resides IS the shower stall. So this concept is not new to me, but this sure is a thousand times more stylish! I love how the key elements of the Vertabrae are moveable versus the Cowboy shower which is static. This would be far easier to keep clean, too. If they could put this in a horse trailer, I’d buy it.

As for keeping my toothbrush within proximity of my toilet, well no offense, ma’am, but… what difference does it make if it’s on your counter three horizontal feet away at home, or three vertical feet away in the Vertabrae? Maybe because I’m usually knee-deep in horse hair, manure and hay, I’m not so fussy.

By: michelle

michelle — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:10:52 +0000

I am sorry, but I don’t want my toothbrush that close to my toilet.

By: M.R.

M.R. — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:47:20 +0000

@Ana! You said exactly what I was thinking about my former shower in Utrecht, Netherlands! I could sit on the toilet, brush my teeth and take a shower all at the same time. Not that I did (gross), but I could have.

In all, I think this IS all about someone just trying buy all the cool toys. I would HATE to clean the joints of this thing. Disgusting.

By: Ana

Ana — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:19:35 +0000

In Europe I often came across bathrooms that were just a small room, tiled all over. No separate shower enclosure or anything like that. I think this fixture is designed for that sort of aesthetic. With a little thought you should be able to place the towel bar in a position where it won’t get splashed much, if nothing else, hang a small rod on the back of the door with a shower curtain, and put the towels behind it. It’s not really my style, but I don’t think ‘prison’ I see it as ultra modern, and it would allow you to create a whole bathroom in a space the size of a small closet.

By: emmy

emmy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:51:27 +0000

I love space saving designs and think this is pretty cool! But it’s not $17,000 worth of cool.

By: Tabitha (From Single to Married)

Tabitha (From Single to Married) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:18:36 +0000

Wow – now I’ve seen it all!

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:04:09 +0000

You should hear what plumbers are saying…

“It would be nice if you wanted your bathroom to look like a prison cell.”

“S, S, & S all at once!” (That would be S***, Shave, & Shower)

“Can’t see it here in the U.S. – Americans are too puritan! We don’t like to S where we S.”

“Talk about a space saver! I would be afraid I’d poop in the wrong spot!”

Now my own thoughts. About the only people interested in this will be extremely high end clients with “micro-spaces” for living quarters.

Richard

By: Shalin

Shalin — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:46:09 +0000

Wow that is clever! …it’d be terrible to accidentally turn on the shower when your on the WC though!

–S

By: momofthree

momofthree — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:28:50 +0000

Yea-I agree, prison chic.
And I don’t know about you people, but water sprays down on me and when it hits my shoulders, bounces off and hits the walls and the shower curtain too.
just how is the water contained once it leaves the shower head?
No place to put your towel so it doesn’t get wet before you attempt to dry off.
Forget to close the cubby that holds the shampoo and everything in there will be swimming on it’s own…and, just how water proof is the “storage” under toilet.
Wet TP anyone?
Yea, it looks cool, but just how practical is it?

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:26:30 +0000

@timgray — The toilet moves, so you wouldn’t straddle it in the shower.

By: Nicolas Roberge

Nicolas Roberge — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:20:12 +0000

Before getting all excited, thing about maintenance et cleaning. All the moving parts will get shower splash all over them and it seems to be designed to be installed in a corner of a small room, so what about the behind of this contraption (yuck).

By: timgray

timgray — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:45:54 +0000

Not that efficient. Take a look at most RV bathrooms for efficient setups.

I personally dont want to straddle the toilet when I shower.

By: Plaid Ninja

Plaid Ninja — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:39:46 +0000

Wow… prison chic at its finest.

Call me old fasioned, but I’m not really into the idea of the entire bathroom being my bathtub, nor showering with the toilet.