American Standard Cadet 3 Elongated Triangle Toilet

While a toilet is by necessity first and foremost a functional piece, there are a variety of styles and configurations to serve different contexts, situations and tastes. Among the many variations in tank, skirt, bowl and outlet design, there is one relatively unusual configuration of toilet that is little-known but very useful: the corner toilet.

While standard toilets sit perpendicular against a single wall with the tank against the wall behind or above the toilet, corner toilets are tucked between two adjoining walls with the bowl sticking out diagonally from the corner. This design is perfect for small spaces, late-addition half-baths or temporary setups.

However, just because it’s space-efficient doesn’t mean it can’t look stylish and provide a comfortable bathroom experience. Notably, corner toilets are more likely to be used by guests, as they are far more common in main-floor half-baths or added guest bathrooms than in original main bathrooms. This may affect the styles and features you would like to choose in a corner toilet.

While there is generally a broader range of choices in standard toilets than in corner toilets, there are still a number of features and configurations to consider. Perhaps of prime importance is seat shape and height. Older or classically designed toilets often have round bowls and a standard bowl height between 14 and 16 inches.

Bowl height is measured from the finished floor to the top of the toilet bowl, before the actual toilet seat. There are also elongated bowls and taller bowls compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at 17 to 19 inches in height. This is often also known as “comfort height.”

While the tight quarters make different tank configurations uncommon in corner toilets, they do have a variety of flushing systems, including lever and button styles, different types of bowl flushes and dual-flushing mechanisms. Dual-flush is especially good to consider for the environmentally conscious, typically saving thousands or tens of thousands of gallons of water per year.

• Always carefully measure your bathroom’s rough-in. This is the distance from the finished wall (not the baseboard or molding) to the center of the toilet’s floor drain or waste outlet.
• In standard toilets, a rough-in is measured perpendicularly from the wall through the space the tank would go.
• In a corner toilet, the rough-in distance is measured from both adjoining walls, perpendicularly to an equidistant point. Make sure the corner toilet you choose has the correct rough-in. A rough-in of 12 inches is standard and most common, but older or custom installations may be different.
• If you, someone you live with or expected guests have mobility issues, consider an ADA-compliant taller toilet and elongated seat. The higher toilet seats can be a great relief to the elderly or those with disabilities, but they can offer a more comfortable experience for everyone. Corner toilets are commonly available in ADA-compliant heights.
• Since corner toilets are less common, they tend to come in fewer colors. However, many manufacturers will provide Pantone-matching. The most common color is pure white, so if you want to play it safe, coordinate your bathroom around this assumption.