Designer thrones: Celebrity-designed toilet seats to be auctioned for charity WaterAid

Those who have one hardly consider them all that exciting.

However, one auction proves that toilet seats can be where necessity meets throne design – all for a good cause that highlights the necessity behind an item we take for granted a bit too much.

Several artists and celebrities, including Culture Club singer Boy George, fashion designers Dame Zandra Rhodes and Pam Hogg, as well as comedian Harry Hill, have designed toilet seats that will be auctioned for charity WaterAid – the international non-governmental organisation which focuses on water, sanitation and hygiene.

The Best In The House art collection, with designs ranging from pun-tastic to golden royal seat, will go on display at the British Art Fair at London’s Saatchi Gallery this month.

Best Seat In The House originated from a collaboration between WaterAid and photographer Rankin, whose agency photographed the collection to help raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis.

Boy George’s design features the words “piss and love”, while the creation by Hill includes a depiction of a horse inside a horse shoe that says “lucky toilet seat”. 

Boy George said: “Royal or rocker, toilets are a great leveller because we all have to use one. A lot of serious thinking can be done on the throne, but can you imagine life without your toilet? That’s the reality for one in five people in the world.” 

He added: “I love the concept of reimagining the toilet as a luxury, and had a lot of fun designing my own Best Seat In The House to highlight the importance of decent toilets.” 

Describing his design, the singer stated: “My seat is a ‘punk throne’ of defiance, with a cheeky message written inside as I like to bring humour and optimism into my art. It’s great to see my creation