Mies van der Rohe...

 He coined the phrase, "Less is more," and when you look at his designs you can see exactly what Mies van der Rohe meant.  The above Farnsworth house was built in the 20's.  It was ahead of it's time and was considered to be the new example of modernist style.  It was built for Edith Farnsworth, a doctor in the Chicago area.  She had some property and asked Mies van der Rohe if he knew anyone that could build a house for her.  Mies said he would do it himself.  The house was built for one person as a weekend house.  It was entirely glass and steel, made to view and use the surroundings as art.

I find his creations inspiring because of the simplicity.  The sleek lines and simple concepts.  You only need what you need and nothing more.