I need to buy a new phone. Not a new, 3G cell phone that doubles as a personal media device but a good, old-fashioned landline. Problem is, they're all pretty ugly.

First, let's dispense with the obvious: I have a landline and plan on keeping it. The audio quality is still clearer than a cell but the real reason is for convenience and safety. I don't keep my cell phone in my pocket; only men do that (with a few exceptions of course). So when it rings at home, it's buried in a bag somewhere and either inaudible or out of reach. Also, I live in a home bigger than a shoebox and I need several handsets, one for the kitchen, living room, office and the bedroom.

There must be a phone next to the bed—that's the safety part—and it needs to be a corded phone. In a power failure, it will be the only one that works and not need charging.

There are precious few attractive options. Concept phones abound, like the elegant, egg shaped models from Chauhan Studio (above). But if they get made at all, these lovelies will only work in Europe. The next best option is from Philips, which had quite a few attractive new models on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Not exactly the Milan Furniture Fair but….