Kohler Co. Unveils New Toilet at Fashion Week in NYC

Wisconsin's Kohler Company, the maker of bathroom fixtures, unveiled a new toilet known as the Purist Hatbox that will retail for $3000 or more at the biannual Fashion Week in New York City.  The toilet is chair level at 17 inches high, has an eliptical shape and has no visible tank or water line, because all the workings are hidden in the shell.  Instead of a flush lever, there is an electronic 'soft touch' actuator that works with just a tap.  The seat features "pressure mapping" that identifies proper contours for optimal, bottom-up support, but the company is figuring the style is what will sell the fixture. 

Kohler wants to market the toilet to "people who are very interested in minimalist contemporary design, who want to be able to express themselves in their bath, want to develop their own home spa, want to create their own retreat in the bath where you can just get away from everything," said Mike Chandler, Kohler VP of marketing.  Suggested prices are $2,890 for basic white, $3,750 for shades such as "Biscuit" or "Sandbar," and $4,300 in what Kohler calls "Thunder Grey."  The story is in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.