Amid the roster of rooms touched by our efforts here at 3rings (living, dining, bed, etc…), it’s safe to say that bathrooms are rather low on the ladder’s rungs. This isn’t to suggest that we’ve purposefully neglected this space of particularly intimate repose, only that the demands of the marketplace work toward more press for larger spaces.

Spoon, Urinal. By Philip Watts Design.

Even so, we’ve managed to profile a few shining stars that are sure to enliven any lavatory. Just this week, Alicita Rodriguez sang the praises of the Cube Bathub; we’ve also seen reviews of Countertops (Corian Illumination Series); faucets (Hansgrohe!, Kawa Collection, and Ski Shower), vanities (Phillip Starck Collection and Chinatown), and the world’s most intelligent hand dryer (Dyson Airblade). Notably absent on this list, however, is (to my cloacal sensibilities at least) the principal attraction of any bathroom, the toilet.

And while it’s true that wall-mounted commercial numbers don’t typically inspire flights of aesthetic fancy (uttering the very word, “urinal,” makes women run for cover and men lock eyes to any adjacent wall) isn’t that what innovative design is all about? Discovering the fascinating beneath the mundane? Ascribing the extraordinary to the utilitarian? Give the credit to Philip Watts Design for breaking down this particular barrier, for imparting a bit of aesthetic panache to the purely industrial and making this sometime discomfiting bodily necessity all the more bearable. The U.K.-based designer and manufacturer (they do it all, from portholes to lighting to sculptural handrails) has released two new models of urinal, each sure to make micturition less mortifying.

Fabricated in cast solid resin, “Spoon” appears just so, as if some monstruous aficionado of Wonton Soup, having dispensed with several bowls of the nutritous elixir, made a game of balancing the utensil on end and lining them up in perfect synchrony. But, far short of some Seussian or Burtonian gimmick, “Spoon” is quite functional. The single-cast construction imparts an exceptional strength and durability, exigent qualities for commercial receptacles. Further, Spoon features precast cavities for plumbing fittings, allowing for easy installation. Lastly, the timed flush control stream enters from the top, thus facillitating a more complete and thorough cleansing than traditional urinals.

Like Spoon, model #2, dubbed “Gloo,” includes simple connections and fixing methods for hassle-free installs. A considerably more affordable choice, Gloo is constructed from rotationally moulded medium density polyethylene and includes a chrome back inlet spreader, as well as a chrome waste trap. On the surface, Gloo may appear to be the poor man’s antidote to unsightly urinals (and it does have a minimalistic, understated aspect), but one soon discovers that this piece has a surpassingly unusual feature: certain models include internal LED lighting, thus accentuating the occasional flash of insight with a multi-hued glow. Never before has emptying the bladder been so illuminating.