Updating your toilet or bidet: New bathroom ideas

The flushing toilet has a longer history than you might imagine. Ancient cities in India and Pakistan had flushing toilets connected to a sewerage system, and toilets were used by ancient Romans and Egyptians. Amazingly enough, the modern flush toilet system was actually designed way back in 1596.

Whether you have a standalone toilet or one that's incorporated into the bathroom, there is now a huge array of options for making this part of the house more beautiful and comfortable - with some ideas being more contemporary or continental than others. Bathroom Ideas explores options for the modern water closet.

Toilet types: Styles and options

There are several options when choosing your new toilet and you might like to shortlist all or some of the following styles:

• Close-Coupled is by far the most common toilet type in Australia. The cistern is placed just above the pan, with the cistern connected to the wall and pan connected to the floor
• Back-to-Wall are Close-Coupled toilets with a cabinet or false wall built into the design to hide the cistern part
• The High Level Toilet is a style whereby the cistern is hung high on the wall, and a pull chain is used to flush. This is probably the most traditional look, and the cistern can be dressed up with decorative brackets and chain
• Wall Hung toilets jut out from a false wall, which conceals the cistern and flushing apparatus. As the pan does not touch the floor, they are easy to clean underneath and create a modern look

Of course, you may have certain restrictions, such as space, budget or existing framework in which to fit an updated toilet. A brand new bathroom would obviously give you a much greater range of options. If you've got plenty of room to play around with, you might wish to consider more exotic additional features.

The bidet: A less common bathroom feature

Not an option that many Australians have embraced, nevertheless the bidet is enjoying rising popularity and has been a staple bathroom feature in many countries for centuries.

Many consider the bidet to be more sanitary than using toilet paper; certainly it's less messy, and many health professionals consider it a preferable option. Bidets are connected to the plumbing, and generally use a mixer tap to provide the most comfortable water temperature. Japanese bidets come in a stunning array of colours and designs, but may be difficult to purchase in Australia.

Environmentally friendly options

As it enters the realm of pressing, mainstream consciousness, environmental, "green" thinking is affecting all areas of our daily life, including new home design and renovation. So much so, in fact, that choosing an environmentally-friendly toilet is no longer the sole province of alternative lifestylers. There are a couple of options available for water-economical toilets:

• Low water use toilets are designed to do as their name suggests; they flush like ordinary toilets but simply use the water more efficiently, wasting less
• Composting toilets are no longer as confronting as you may expect - they are sanitary and appropriate for places that have no mains sewerage and where a septic tank is difficult to install

Ask your bathroom supplier about green options when deciding on your new toilet. You may find that optimising your bathroom for environmental harmony is easier (and more reasonable) than you might think.

The toilet is almost certainly the most functional part of any house, but with some thoughtful planning and thorough research you should find the option that best complements your home.