toilets  

Some are nicer than others but
since they all work just fine, i'd not pour thousands of bucks into a throne or even a sink or tub; I'd put the big money into countertops and furniture.
I bought a 1924 house that had been bumped out and doneup about 15 years ago, and other than rather boring countertops, I'm perfectly happy with what was selected at that time, fixture-wise.

.
I'm not shopping and not just thinking of how they look (which is pretty awful) but how they perfom, a er 'designer' toilet is still pretty conventional.
The water waste is crazy, they are used as garbage disposal, sewerage treatment plants have a really hard time with all extra stuff that gets flushed away, cleaning them sucks, public toilets are just cringeworthy.
Design problems are bigger than how pretty your living room looks.
I've used composting toilets before (they don't smell at all) but don't really suit the urban environemnt too well.
http://www.compostloos.org.uk/index.php?q=node/18/

Outhouse
When I was a teenager I was forced (by my parents) to live for 18 months in a kind of Outward Bound boot camp in the woods where our only toilets were outhouses with wooden seats, no heating, no walls. On the rare weekends I went home, the bathroom and toilet seemed--well, luxurious.
That said, I'm sure we can build a better toilet. Personally, I want a bidet. Toilet paper is downright primitive and creepy when you think about it.

.
I've visited some pretty remote areas before and actually found the reverse, peeing under a tree is allways a delight, but that was the luxury of very low population density...certainly wasn't the Ganges!

my brother who lives in H...
my brother who lives in Houston just put one of those toilets in his new bathroom ,I saw it, was impressed for 5 minutes buttt..................... to me a crapper is a crapper , butttt if you want something special to Hang your Ass on to each his own,

Heath
I prefer peeing at Torry Pines, or Pebble beach
For $400 a round of golf a good Pee behind the bushes is well worth the price of admission,
sorry ladies you just don't get that luxury. (I don't think)

Kohler hatbox
Pricey but state of the art; beautiful, low water, quiet, easy to sweep around.

.
Thanks James I do believe thats an improvement, It would be good to see something with a bit more of a form hugging seat.
Do US or European toilets have dual flush?
I like Asian squat toilets, they are better for the bowell (so I've read) but an improved sense of balance is required.

.
perhaps something like this with a hole in it?

James...
that crapper is one wild item. Looks like a hat box. Is it connected to water, or do you have to slosh in a gallon of water from the tub?

.
some public toilets have a master cistern behind the wall but I imagine its still gravity fed....curious to know how the water gets in there too (James' hatbox) , hopefully not with a pump, though a hand pump on the side would be kind cool...all the shower, bath and washing water could go into a tank under the house and be used for gardening and flushing...
Is water saving in the US high on anyones agenda or is it abundant enough that no-one has to worry?