Among products available to the mass market, a handful of brands have made minimalist design their hallmark and set the trends in this direction. For phones, there is Apple with its iPhone; for furniture, IKEA with its simple yet functional pieces, crafted to every canon of the Scandinavian school. Other companies try to replicate their success and borrow their best solutions.
We set ourselves the task of finding our own Apple — or, if you prefer, our own IKEA — among brands serving more niche audiences. The key criteria: minimalism in design and a genuine desire on the part of our editor to own the product personally. How well we succeeded is for you to judge. Let's begin.
1. Bergmann Audio equipment — bergmannaudio.com
The average listener cannot tell the difference between an MP3 audio file and a vinyl record. For the audiophile, however, the two are worlds apart. With that listener in mind, the Danish company Bergmann Audio produces turntables designed to reduce the extraneous noise that arises during vinyl playback.
Their defining feature is air suspension. The platter and the tonearm make no contact with other components — they are separated by a cushion of air and held in position by a magnetic system. According to the manufacturer, this minimises friction during playback and, as a result, eliminates the characteristic hiss that can accompany a record in motion.
What we would highlight is the device's superb design, which follows every tenet of functional minimalism. Clean lines, precise geometric forms, metal and plastic finished in shades of grey, intuitive controls — all of it concealing considerable technical complexity beneath the surface.
This description applies to any turntable in the Bergmann Audio range. If you would like to explore further, visit their official website — http://www.bergmannaudio.com
2. Menu furniture and interior accessories — menu.as
If IKEA furniture and accessories have grown stale but you still want to furnish your home in a minimalist style, Menu is well worth your attention. The brand has built its entire corporate philosophy around simplicity and elegance, and has been doing so since 1976.
Menu's products are designed by independent studios and freelance specialists, which accounts for the variety on offer. Yet all of them share a common idea: to make living spaces more functional and contemporary. One suspects that submissions from outside designers go through a rigorous selection process, because if you set aside the names behind individual products, you would never guess they came from different hands.
Compared with IKEA, Menu impresses with a bolder, fresher approach to design, simpler and more memorable product names, and a cleaner, more navigable catalogue.
The catalogue on Menu's official website (http://menu.as/) lists 147 products — perhaps the one area where the company falls notably short of its celebrated rival.
3. High-end audio and video equipment Bang & Olufsen — bang-olufsen.com
Bang & Olufsen has been producing high-end audio and video equipment since 1925. The company's more recent chapter has been defined by the minimalist design of its products — which, naturally, are sold at the premium end of the market.
Here, minimalism has proven an effective way of differentiating from competitors — a means of articulating what sets quality technology apart from the cheap goods mass-produced and counterfeited in Chinese factories. In the latter case, the shortcomings of the technology inside are typically disguised or excused by loud, sometimes aggressive styling. Bang & Olufsen has no need for such strategies. Switch on an audio player or a television, and everything becomes immediately clear.
That is not to say the company gives design anything less than its full attention. On the contrary, an enormous amount of work is felt behind every plastic or metal panel — which is precisely why their products look so elegant and sit so effortlessly in any interior.
When switched on, Bang & Olufsen equipment draws no attention away from what matters — the picture or the soundtrack. When switched off, it becomes a perfect complement, an afterthought to the experience just absorbed. Its design listens and whispers; it does not shout over your thoughts and impressions.
4. High-end audio equipment Harman/Kardon — harmankardon.com
Since we are already on the subject of high-end audio manufacturers, we cannot overlook another player in this market — the American company Harman/Kardon. It is somewhat younger than the previous entry in our selection: the company was founded in 1953. Around that same time, the active exploration of space was under way, and ideas of freedom and equality were being passionately championed. All of this found its reflection in the design of Harman/Kardon products made today.
The company's designers experiment with minimalism. They have retained the simplicity of materials and the colour palette that is classic to this aesthetic direction. Yet they chose to set aside strict geometric forms and compositional restraint — and, as their work demonstrates, that was entirely the right call.
Look at any of their products. Each one looks as though it was removed from a space shuttle a few hours ago and only lightly adapted for home use, with any extraneous controls tucked out of sight.
These devices make you want to reach out and touch them. It feels as though that alone would make you better somehow — lift your mood and leave a lasting impression. But imagine what happens when you play your favourite track on a Harman/Kardon player…
You could ask the owners of Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles, which come factory-fitted with this manufacturer's audio systems.
5. Leica cameras — leica-camera.com
When the conversation turns to minimalism in the design of SLR cameras, we are always dealing with a genuine challenge. A compact body must accommodate the controls for every one of the camera's functions, while remaining genuinely comfortable to use. Without that, a minimalist approach will only work against the product.
Leica's camera designers have been rising to that challenge for several decades now. The company was founded as far back as 1849, in the German city of Wetzlar.
Leica cameras are defined by a kind of deceptive simplicity. Many of their current models look as though they were designed for enthusiastic amateurs: the few controls present are arranged neatly. Yet through them you gain convenient access to every capability the camera has to offer.
A Leica looks equally good from every angle. The photographer has access to a viewfinder, a mode selection dial and a shutter release button. People on the other side of the lens see nothing but the glass and, in some cases, a plastic lens hood.
Branding elements — the logo, the marque name, the model designation on the front — are absent. And yet it is precisely these omissions that tell everyone around that the camera in the photographer's hands is a Leica. That is how minimalism works.
6. Bruzzoni toothbrush — bruzzoni.com
Let us make room for lesser-known brands. Among them are manufacturers producing genuinely noteworthy objects in a minimalist idiom. A striking example is the recent start-up Bruzzoni. The company makes accessories for home use, and one of its products is an electric toothbrush.
To be straightforward: we found no unique technical features beyond the ability to charge via USB. The design, however, is beyond reproach.
An electric toothbrush is one of the first pieces of technology we encounter when we wake up in the morning. It really ought to look good and sit comfortably in the hand. We would hope every manufacturer understands this — but it is Bruzzoni that has managed to create a product that is exemplary by that measure.
A rubberised handle that won't slip from your grip. A large button you can't miss even on the most difficult of mornings. Solid construction and a remarkable design — that is the Bruzzoni electric toothbrush.
If you cover the part that holds the cleaning head with your palm, this device could easily be mistaken for a Nintendo Wii controller or something similar. Whether that is a shortcoming or an advantage is for you to decide. We come down firmly on the side of the latter.
7. Goat Story GINA coffee maker — goat-story.com
Coffee enthusiasts have something in common with audiophiles. They can sense the subtle difference between good and bad beans, between the right brewing method and the wrong one. And while most of us reach for instant coffee, Goat Story makes brewing equipment for true aficionados who happen to be short on time.
We won't describe how it works — the device is operated via a smartphone app that walks you through the process step by step. Read, follow along, and brew your coffee.
The design deserves particular attention. We can't shake the feeling that the designers drew their inspiration from old books on alchemy or from modern chemistry laboratories.
The coffee maker consists of a metal frame — somewhere inside which the controls and wireless modules are concealed — and a glass flask that serves as the vessel for the finished drink.
The device has a compact footprint, and in practice it really is — it will fit even in the smallest kitchen. The secret lies in its ease of use and smart use of vertical space, which keeps the surface area it occupies to a minimum.
8. Herman Miller Lounge Chair — hermanmiller.com
Furniture company Herman Miller has been in business since 1923. It may enjoy a following in certain circles, but it has never gained wide recognition in Russia — which is a shame, given that its catalogue includes the extraordinary Eames Lounge chair.
The chair has only a passing connection to minimalism. It is, rather, a classic that never ages and remains relevant at all times. Yet it is anything but short on restraint and understated elegance.
The chair is beautiful in its simplicity. What sets it apart is the visually soft seat and backrest, upholstery in rich black leather, and trim with a striking wood-grain pattern.
The chair comes with a matching ottoman, turning the set into something close to a chaise longue. The mere sight of the pairing inspires an almost irresistible urge to sink into it with a mug of hot tea and a good book.
9. DUOECHO Portable Speakers — kickstarter.com
Affordable home audio can look stylish too. A prime example is the DUOECHO speaker set — one of the Kickstarter projects that raised several times more than its original funding target.
The design is inspired by the traditional cross-section of a bamboo stalk — the very shape given to handmade pipes for shishi-odoshi, the bird-scaring devices found in Japanese gardens.
On a desk, the device looks sharp. The colour palette is restrained: the body is finished in silver metal, while the stand and speaker grilles are black.
Most importantly, there are no cables. Audio sources connect via Bluetooth, and the device is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery that charges via a MicroUSB–USB cable. The battery indicator, along with the company's understated logo, is located on the rear of the unit.
DUOECHO is minimal not only in use but also in transport. When the two speakers are placed together, they form an almost perfect cylinder that will slip easily into any bag — men's or women's alike. The two halves lock securely to each other thanks to magnets built into the body.
10. Gryphon Wi-Fi Router — kickstarter.com
We'll close the roundup with a device that is usually hidden away because of its ungainly design. A standard Wi-Fi router does look rather like some kind of insect, one that ends up on display only out of necessity or sheer oversight. The Gryphon is designed to change that.
Unlike its counterparts, this device looks something like an empty flower vase or an elegantly crumpled carton of milk. Mistaking it for one or the other is, in fact, not all that difficult.
The router's body is a white rectangular cuboid whose upper section is slightly rotated around its vertical axis. The side faces follow suit, resulting in a highly distinctive device that will find a place in any interior style.
The body carries nothing but a discreet Gryphon wordmark. All device management is handled through a mobile app.
The hardware is tailored for safe family internet use. The app lets you set parental-control policies, block specific websites, and even cut off internet access with a few taps on the screen.
