Trends Reviews and Recaps

When I first glanced at the photograph of a new piece by designer Marc Newsom, published in today's New York Times ("The Gem in a Modern, Sleek Crown," by David Colman), I thought it was a toilet.

Called the Zenith, it's actually a chair: a low, sleek, cushionless chair made of highly polished aluminum. It's certain to be a collector's item as only 10 Zenith chairs will be made. (Retail price: about $47,000.)

To say the Zenith looks like a toilet is not to disparage the design. It's a beautiful chair.

But I'm convinced the Zenith could be adapted to serve as a toilet. It would make a striking addition to any ultramodern bathroom, provided, of course, one found a way to heat an aluminum seat to just the right temperature.