Cool Stuff: Bench Toilet

I just can't seem to get off the toilet this week (metaphorically speaking, of course) ...

When it's not being used for its traditional purpose, this clever W.C. from Canadian manufacturer Julien and designer Troy Adams does double doodie -- uh, I mean duty -- as a storage bench.

Part of a whole suite of bathroom fixtures, the elegant unit's stainless steel body has an ebony, teak, wenge, or zebrawood component that covers the loo when it's not in use but slides out of the way when you require the porcelain throne's services.

If you have the cash -- the BenchToilet retails for a jawdropping $11,475 and up -- it's a handy solution for disguising a normally unsightly fixture and for providing a bit of extra bathroom storage.

One suggestion, though: Be sure to put the bench in the "open" position before sending any tipsy party guests off down the hall.

Check it out right here.