A Swiss Army bathroom???

Being in the midst of renovations, I've been browsing online to find bits and pieces I need to improve my home. One such search led me to an intriguing article about the 'Vertebrae' bathroom fitting gizmo.

It looks like an art installation inspired by a hi-tech corkscrew or Swiss army penknife.

But this is no ornament or sculpture. It is, in fact, the world's first fold-up vertical bathroom.

Called the Vertebrae, it stacks a toilet, sink, water cistern and two showers into one 8ft-tall steel column.




It has a price tag of £9,000 [about US $15,500] and is aimed at space-conscious householders who struggle to fit a traditional shower, sink and toilet into their bathroom space.

The Vertebrae is the brainchild of award-winning designer Paul Hernon, of Huddersfield, who created it with small apartments in mind.

He said: 'I did lots of research and it became obvious to me that bathroom space was decreasing, particularly in apartments.

'I have created an intriguing but functional and simplistic space-saving bathroom by stacking the contents of a bathroom on top of one another.

'It's designed to utilise vertical space instead of horizontal floor space. It is quick to assemble and easy to maintain - all you need is a wet room to put it in.

'I think it pushes the boundariesof anything that has been done before. People who have seen it are completely blown away.'

The two showers - one for adults and one for children - both rotate 180 degrees while the other units all rotate a full 360 degrees.

They all twist around a steel column which contains all the piping, and each part simply pushes out when it is required.




Mr Hernon, 38, said his creation could fit into a smaller space than a traditional bathroom, meaning architects could design smaller bathrooms and free up more space for other rooms.

But he warned that the Vertebrae - named after the human spine - weighs 150 kilos, or more than 23 stone [330 pounds], and that householders might have to reinforce their bathroom floor before fitting it.

The Vertebrae is expected to go on sale in the new year. Bespoke versions will be available with shaving mirrors, lights and other additions.

I can see the utility of this design, particularly in small modern 'convenience' apartments. However, there's one potential snag.

Have you ever used a Swiss Army knife? Ever had the blade (or implement) snap back into the handle unexpectedly, because you hadn't locked it open properly? Ever cut your fingers as a result? I certainly have.

Well, if this 'Swiss Army bathroom' suffers from the same problem - what's to prevent the partly-opened loo from retracting itself unexpectedly, ejecting you at high speed from the 'throne' and precipitating you through the door, screaming loudly?



Peter