Good design is everywhere these days. Great design—the objects, places and ideas that fuse functionality and aesthetics and then push the boundaries a step further to capture the imagination—is more elusive. Take a look at the standouts.

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Timorous Beasties

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Timorous Beasties

"We're fascinated by the underbelly of society," says Paul Simmons, half of this Scottish design duo. For the Beasties, flora means spiky thistles, fauna is portrayed with bug eyes and tendrils, and toile (shown right) takes on urban tableaux with welfare housing and muggers. Up next are carpets and a shop in London.

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