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Alice Rawsthorn, design critic of the International Herald Tribune, reveals her design favorites:

Some of my favorite examples of design aren't at all striking. They're neither inspiring role models of sustainability, sophisticated applications of new technology, nor subtle reflections of changes in contemporary culture, and they're not in the least bit showy. Instead they are intelligent, elegant and appropriate examples of design that make you feel better just by being there. I'd be tempted to call them classic, if the word hadn't been abused so often that it's become design code for "mediocrity." The Swiss passport is one. The Chanel No. 5 bottle is another. Then there are those lovely Gallimard paperback books with creamy white covers. And, happily, rather a lot of new examples of quietly good design have surfaced recently.