The inspiration for George Nelson’s lounge chair was simple: A curved chunk of coconut. The leather-clad cushion envelops your body in a single sweep, supported by a molded plastic shell and trio of strut-secured chrome legs.

Love it or loathe it, we all know minimalism when we see it. A neutral palette comes to mind. Forms tend to be aggressively geometric. International Style buildings…Scandinavian furniture…deconstructed timepieces like our On the Other Hand Clock. Some find minimalist designs thrilling in their integrity. Others find them stark—even threatening. Whatever your reaction, one handy phrase comes to mind: less is more.

The Vintage Vinyl Bluetooth® Speaker puts a new spin on old LPs, letting reclaimed vinyl play music in an innovative way: as the speaker itself. You can’t drop the needle on these records, but they’ll play your entire digital music collection in analog-inspired style—a cool way to give your smartphone’s tiny speaker an audiophile upgrade. There’s also a nod to the nostalgic sweep of horn loudspeakers and gramophones, making it a true celebration of recorded music’s long history, from steel needle Victrolas to the frontiers of streaming audio.

Noisy hoses, scary spraying, and fumbling humans. Let's face it: bath time can be ruff! Make it less stressful for both pets and their owners with this wag-worthy washer. Aquapaw keeps the water focused on Fido's coat and your hands free for a faster, gentler bath with less mess and wasted water.

You've tried training Rex to fetch you a beer from the fridge and open it, but his lack of hands is kind of a problem. Short of such a talented canine bartender, try this adorable beech wood and stainless steel pooch.

Send heartfelt messages anywhere in the world with this kinetic, modern take on the classic love note.

Give kids an entire galaxy to explore with this fun, foldable play set by designer dad Luis Albarrán.

San Francisco-based Shujan Bertrand draws design inspiration from many quarters and cultures—from her Korean-American extended family, from her husband’s French heritage and her time in Provence, and from the sustainability-focused culture of the Bay area. But her innovative àplat collection of totes was born in an “a-ha” moment related to a gift of flowers, a universal gesture of kindness and expression of the simple, shared beauty of life. Recently, we asked Shujan to discuss her love of designing for the “art of living,” and found that she’s in good company—from the Nabis to Ani DiFranco.