Gone are the days of bulky and unsightly air filter and humidifier designs. In their place are slimmed down, sculptural devices that seek to improve our quality of life within the home and work environments.

Island air purifier by Mathieu Lehanneur for Airmineral: The Island air purifier by Mathieu Lehanneur for Airmineral enhances the quality of indoor air by filtrating seawater to diffuse 97 essential minerals. The minerals are absorbed by our respiratory system and the benefits are said to be similar to those felt after taking a walk by the sea – increased hydration and improvement of the immune system. airmineral.com

ZÅŒN personal air purifier by Humanscale: Humanscale's new ZÅŒN personal air purifier promises to surround the user in a bubble of air that's free of pollutants, dust and biological contaminants while boasting silent, breeze-free and ozone-free operation. www.humanscale.com

Arobo humidifier by Nendo for C’est La Vie: Research has shown that the most efficient shape for water circulation is the sphere, so Japanese designers Nendo created a spherical air humidifier called Arobo. A centrifugal force is created by water revolving in Arobo’s lower tank that draws the water into an upper chamber where a fan vaporizes the water into the air. www.nendo.jp

Sense by Claesson Koivisto Rune: Sense is a motion-activated purifier designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Blueair. It’s made from recyclable glass and steel and features motion-sensitve controls. Every time the user swipes their hand above the tempered glass, the purifier turns on and off. www.blueair.com

Chikuno Cube by Umeno Design: Satoshi Umeno’s charcoal air purifier takes a more traditional approach to air purifying. The air is filtered as it passes through the honeycomb structure of the Chikuno Cube, which is made from ultra fine bamboo charcoal. The charcoal cube is created through a carefully controlled burning process where they are slowly heated in an oxygen-starved kiln. www.umenodesign.com