by Catherine Beale

Created on: June 12, 2008   Last Updated: October 15, 2011

Fish-tank toilets. Flower-shaped sinks. Mirrors that morph into HDTV's. Remote-controlled water temperature sensors, installed in baths that will also give you a suntan. Custom tubs with mood lights and heated neckrests. Luxury faucets made of French crystal.

American ingenuity and conspicuous consumption strike the bathroom. Here, a look at the world's most creative, most costly choices on the market now.

A $6,000 TOILET

Kohler's bank-breaking Numi goes where no toilet has ever gone before.

Numi's built-in motion detector opens the top as soon as you enter the bathroom, plus a heated seat and built-in temperature-controlled bidet.

It also has speakers and an audio input jack with a remote docking station for an MP3 player.  Vents at the base keep your feet toasty warm.  Charcoal filters clean the air. It glows in the dark. Not even the Queen of England will ever sit on a throne like this.

PERFECT BATHS & SHOWERS

For couch potatoes, consider the combination vanity mirror/LCD-TV. Now you can lather up without missing Good Morning America.

Philips Electronics "MiraVision Mirror TV" conceals a high-definition television behind a bathroom mirror.  It has been listed in the "Products of the Year" by Fortune magazine and the "Coolest Inventions" by Time magazine.

For beachlovers, there's ProSun's tanning "SunShower". This shower stall has built-in UV lights for bronzing in the bath. It won the 2006 K/BIS award for Best New Bath Product. It's also been featured on HGTV: http://www.prosunsunshower.com.

TIME AND TEMPERATURE

Behold Aqualisa's ilux digital shower. A quartz-controlled thermostat with preset to 94.5 degrees F. There's also a tub version that does the same job for bathwater.

But that's not even the best part. With this unit, you can turn on the water and adjust the temps from another room, drawing your bath from the comfort of your couch. Imported from England, this patented unit earned the "Queen's Award For Innovation". Contact them for U.S. distributors: www.aqualisa.co.uk.

ON THE BEACH

Be the first on your block to install a blooming porcelain sink or urinal designed by California artist Clark Sorenson.

Iinspired by seashells and tropical flowers, Sorenson has installed Tulips, Poppies, Pitcher Plants and Conch Shells for rich clients looking for something unique. You can find them overseas at England's Barton Grange Garden Center and domestically as a centerpiece for a 2008 Salt

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>