Ah sleep…my drug of choice. What sucks worse than not sleeping enough? Having to wake up from a nice, cozy, toe curling slumber. To arouse ourselves from our hibernating, most of us have devised some pretty unique ways of getting our collective asses out of bed. One of the most common rituals is to crank on some upbeat tunes and splash water in our crusty faces.

Designer: Jan Puylaert

So as I was gazing longingly at this bathtub design called “Sorgente” by Lenci Design for Teuco, I realized that I was schooled on the difference between a bathtub and a hot tub. A bathtub is obviously for bathing, and a hot tub is obviously for more recreational use and relaxing.

Designer: Lenci Design

It may not be something we often think about but scales aren’t exactly universally friendly - that is to say people with disabilities and handicaps. The Universal scale unfolds to all shapes and sizes to make weighing easier and less intrusive and helps patients retain a bit more dignity. A huge improvement over the slings hospitals currently use.

Designer: Shu-Hung Yeh

A shower head with a guilty conscience - that is to say you’re conscience. When you use it, the segmented joints break apart acting like a timer as they slowly snap back into place. It’s a very visual way to communicate the idea of water usage and far more tactile than say a timer clock. It should also be noted this concept is called Happy Tap. Why’s it happy? I’ll leave that to your imagination.

Designer: Julia Treutiger

Ceramist and designer Ole Jensen has cleaned up his act. Forget that hard, immovable tub you currently have in your bathroom. Ole wants you to go soft and take your eau natural body, eau natural. Made of white EPDM rubber and cork, this soft tub was designed to be a simple option for outdoor fun, healing or washing up.

Designer: Ole Jensen

What is the true measure of a man? Is it his ability to do the right thing when things are at their worst? Is it how much he gives of himself? Or is it as Plato states, “what he does with power…”? Nope, according to designers Changduk Kim and Jinsoo Jeon, it is best to measure oneself while coming out of the shower and naked as the day you were born. Actually this “Measuring Towel” design is more a playful and plush contra-concept of our pervasive digital lifestyles.

Designer: Changduk Kim

Ring faucet is about experiencing water in a whole new way in our daily lives - to rediscover the awe-inspiring beauty of water in a small home faucet. This unique faucet visually frames flowing water in a circular fashion, giving you a full view of the water just as it falls over the edge.

Designer: Sun Liang

Feet rinses are quite common in many Asian cultures but tubs aren’t exactly ergonomic enough to facilitate. Designer Sein Park wanted to design a feet washing basin that was comfortable to use, safe, and compact. The result is a simple flip down base with a channel below to catch excess water. The height sits at a perfect 50-60 cm from the floor so none of that awkward bending over.

Designer: Sein Park

The Ripple faucet creates a new, fun way to interact with water. Drawing inspiration from surface ripples, the faucet creates a strong visual relationship between the two. On top of the frosted ripple surface sits a metal ball. An array of electromagnetic sensors detects that ball’s position. Moving the ball in or out from the center controls water pressure. Moving it around controls temperature.

Designer: Smith Newnam

According to the designers of this toilet paper/pen holder, your “best ideas come to you when you’re in the bathroom.” I always thought the best ideas came while influenced by certain “herbal remedies,” but who am I to judge? “WCNotes” by designers Marc Graells, Miquel Monfort & Victor Viñamata, is a simple mash-up design of pen holder and toilet paper holder.

Designer: Marc Graells