Why must the functional fade into the background?

Sure, your toilet is a functional item, but it can still be a design feature.

Since Thomas Crapper (yeah that really was his name, and it's commonly believed that's where today's slang originated) invented the U bend back in 1880, the popularity of indoor household "plumbing" has been on the up.  The development of the U bend allowed water to form a "trap" between the toilet bowl, or pan, and the drainage pipe, preventing smells from the drains wafting back into the house. Particularly in the last 40 or 50 years the design of toilets has been a true evolution, with concepts such as the concealed cistern and the wall hung pan, alongside design and production improvements aimed at improving performance and reducing water consumption, such as the dual flush system, internal overflows and, quite recently, the rimless pan.  Incredibly the U-bend is still very much in use, somewhat refined, but still in principal the same.

The arrival of the soft-close toilet seat meant no more banging from the bathroom, especially after midnight,  and modern flushing systems help to minimise noise too.  Of course it could be argued that these features have developed to help keep the toilet inconspicuous, but these idiosyncrasies only help towards subtilty, one of the great wisdoms of bathroom (and any) design.

Extoling the design virtues of a toilet may seem a little tasteless to some,

however this is one piece of kit we all need in our daily life, so the humble toilet is something we all need to consider within our bathroom plans.  Here we have design driven by necessity.

But, Enough of Subtilty, Let's Go Bold

Sometimes making a statement is the way to go!  Many toilets are designed to fit in with particular themes, and often a design statement can be made through a bold loo.

A plethora of examples are available to fit into a Period or Traditional theme.

Now, you can be really bold with painted patterns:

Or a little less so by simply using shape and form:

It's not just about tradition, Contemporary offerings are plentiful for those who Focus on the Modern:

The pure minimalist is catered for:

Also the forward thinkers seeking a little more shape and warmth, and maybe even some colour: