A suite is indeed a solution
Thanks Mike, you're totally right!
Plus we share the same taste: we love Kohler's Memoir suite (actually crazy about its big lavatory, oh my) and Philip Stark's Happy D suite. Absolutely lovely.
Unfortunately, we can't afford any such suite. The Toto toilet will actually be a splurge for us.
Yep, despite the fact that we love beautiful things (who doesn't ;-) we decided to filter the endless choices by asking ourselves tons of down-to-earth questions: do we sit on the tub, do we have the space, do we use the tub more than the shower, etc.
Once the requirements were set, it was BUDGET time.
Stay within 10% of the value of the home, not go too high quality or else when we'll have to sell it will be too different from the rest of the neibourhood, try to pay it quickly, put money aside for our old days, etc.
That's why we'll do our remodel in two steps:
1. Emergencies now (the alcove wall is crumbling, the Crane suite is 20 year-old, pink and chipped, the sink is rusting, the toilet bowl is pink and its tank is white)
2. Beautifying later (vanity, more lights, new floor tiles)
Then,
only when an item would meet both things (e.g. ergonomy and $), we could pick a DESIGN.
This is not that interesting, but I'll list below how we picked things in case other people have similar needs.
BATH
We couldn't buy something at a big box store (for instance a Crane Peanut) since our tub is stuck into a 5' by 33'' alcove while we're both tall. We we're so relieved that Neptune's Daphnee does fit us.
The Maax Vichy is also very spacious.
So is American Standard Serin, but if one has long legs, he or she won't be able to elongate them (please excuse my English: not my language)
Actually, we don't really like the Daphnee's style. It's pretty, but we prefer simpler lines. So we will buy it without its skirt.
But it is amazingly comfortable. If you sit, there is enough space on the sides for the arms (not the case in the Vichy). If you go into the water, the armrests are comfortable (while the Serin has none and the Vichy felt bad on our elbows).
The skirtless Daphnee is a lot cheaper than a Kohler bath.
About CAD 300.
TOILET
1) For ecological reasons, we wanted to save water, even if we don't pay for it up here (volume-wise).
2) We wanted a good flush despite its 6 L
3) We hoped for beauty since what we see when we enter the bathroom is the bath-shower alcove (in front of the door)... actually *half of it* since the toilet is in front of it! In other words, we see the side of the toilet.
So Toto seems to be it.
SINK
We found the handsome Kohler Cimarron at around $100. Its white will go fine with the Toto toilet and Neptune tub. Hurrey!
Mike, thanks for having taken the time to provide your suggestions: it's fun to notice that we share the same eclectic tastes, Memoirs being very classic and Starck so modern.