Curiosities,Home & DesignMAY 14, 2021

50 Genius Restroom Solutions To Problems That Often Seem Unavoidable

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Good design is practical, functional, puts the user first, and is intuitive in how it works. So it’s only natural that we have high interior design expectations for the most important room in public areas and businesses. Let’s not beat around the bush, we’re talking about the restroom!

Call it what you will—the bathroom, the John, the powder room, the Iron Throne, or even the Chamber of Secrets—you really can’t downplay just how vital this space is, whether you’re at a restaurant, cafe, hotel, shopping center, or elsewhere. Everybody pees. Everybody poops. Everybody knows how awkward (and sometimes even icky) using public restrooms can be. So privacy and hygiene are areas of huge importance.

Fortunately, the world’s full of genius designers who love making life better, simpler, and more enjoyable for us all. Below, you’ll find some of the very best design solutions to the problems that restrooms have, all collected by Bored Panda. Remember to upvote the design decisions that you think are just spot-on and should be the standard everywhere.

Bored Panda reached out to the American Restroom Association to learn more about the need for good design solutions to public bathrooms, how there's a split between the interests of the government and that of businesses, and how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected restroom designs. Tim Pyle, the Executive Director at the ARA, said that the core reason why hygiene, privacy, and other issues aren't addressed are financial. You'll find the full interview below.

#21 The Female On This Restroom Sign Isn’t Wearing A Dress

bucherman7

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501points

Meanwhile, let’s talk a bit about privacy and comfort. Odds are, you know somebody in your life who’s wary of using any restroom in public. It might be a friend or a family member. It might even be you. Some people simply think that going to the bathroom is embarrassing, even though it’s an absolutely natural and unavoidable part of our existence as human beings.

#22 In Tallinn Airport, One Of The Men's Bathrooms Has Step By Step Instructions On Tying A Tie

Suslik1415

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495points

#23 This Movie Theater Has Screens In The Bathrooms So You Don't Miss Any Of The Action

FPS-

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488points

#24 This Bar Has Sinks Located Just Outside Of The Bathrooms So Everyone Can See If You Didn't Wash Your Hands

Urgadur

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470points

However brave or cowardly we might be in public bathrooms, it’s nonetheless a good idea to give people some privacy. Make sure that nobody can accidentally peek at you through the gaps in the stalls, have some sort of sound-dampening solutions, and generally give people the ability to relax.

#25 My School Put Free Pad And Tampon Vending Machines In The Girls' Bathrooms

KabobsterLobster

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462points

#26 The Toilets In These Bathrooms Flushes With Rainwater

Dark-Child99

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441points

#27 This Japanese Toilet Refills Through A Sink In The Top So You Can Rinse Your Hands And Re-Use The Water

Flupsy

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435points

We’re not in Roman times with public bathrooms anymore (for better or for worse) and we need modern design decisions for modern restroom problems. Thankfully, some designers have already digested some of these issues and provided genius responses. Yes, everybody pees and poops, but will everybody implement smart designs after they learn about them? That’s an important question for another time.