A little or a lot…
March 29, 2013
Oomph has got you covered. As long as the gray days are still upon us, no matter that it’s Spring, it might be time to take matters into our own hands. Enter Oomph… refreshingly clean and modern takes on traditional furniture shapes finished with a jolt of Oomph color. Play it safe with White Dove, Dorian Gray or Foothills… or knock your socks off with Fireworks, Eros Pink or Knockout Orange to start… then combine it with a complimentary or contrasting top of lizard , linen , raffia or shagreen. OK, now select from the dizzying selection of styles. My favorites might be the Harbor Island coffee table ( a classic modern panel style) in White Dove with Raffia and the Tini I ( a light touch of a Martini table ) in Foothills with the brown lizard or shagreen top. I didn’t say it was going to be easy with so many options, but you are sure to come up with the equivalent of throwing open the windows and letting a fresh breeze in.
Just Imagine
March 26, 2013
‘Imagine one day the hateful world around you collapses. And it is your attitude, words, and actions that put an end to it.’ ai weiwei
Could it be that simple? It’s worth a try.
Hippity hoppity…
March 23, 2013
Easter’s on its way. Now’s the time to gather some sweet treats while the store shelves are packed with your childhood favorites…malted milk eggs ( the original sweet & salty), jelly beans and ( they better only be yellow and shaped like chicks) Peeps… and start getting your list together for Easter brunch, lunch or dinner. Simple glass cylinder bowls filled with sprouted wheat grass will make modern and cost-effective centerpieces with the addition of cracked egg shells and a few pastel jelly beans and a leather handled galvanized bucket would be the perfect Easter Basket if not otherwise put to use keeping wine chilled. Shake up your usual deviled egg recipe with a touch of cornichon or capers and consider a simple dessert of spring berries and Italian Almond Cookies. That was easy. You have a look, the ” befores and afters”…all you need to do now is decide on the main course. 
Leather handled galvanized bucket byCasamidy@ CASAMIDY.COM photo of bucket by casamidy.
On such a winters day.
March 20, 2013
From the view that inspired this blanket to the last of the hundreds of woven-in ends…California Dreamin II is done. Once I got started ( with a nudge from my friend C ) I was off to the races…completing this huge piece of textile in a record time considering I was in no rush. Then, once again,” life” happened…the Winter Holidays…a surprising joy easing sadness and loss. Not until well after the start of this New Year was I able to sneak in a bit of time here or there to take care of the finishing details. Just in time to say farewell to the last day of Winter and ready to ward off a Spring chill. 
https://simplequietmodern.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/and-the-skies-are-gray/
The color of wood…
March 17, 2013
is as an important consideration as any of the other color decisions you might be required to make when working on a design project. Yet, for some reason, many treat ” wood” as a neutral, giving it little if any consideration in the overall plan. This very simply could be the reason so many are disenchanted with their environments once completed. And, the biggest mistake is making the wrong decision on the hardwood floor…the first and most important decision. Because there is so much of it, if the color is “off ” then it is “off ” in every room that floor color anchors. Even at a glance, the samples below clearly state their tonalities…Gray, Black Brown, Orange, Dark Rust, Blush, Sand. By looking at them in terms of color it’s easier to see how each of the wood colors will react with paint, fabric choices and casegood finish selections. It’s simple really…no harder than pulling an outfit together which you manage to do every day. Right?
Oomph Furniture Driftwood Finish http://www.oomphonline.com/backgammon-table-wooden.html
I ♥ Fattoush
March 13, 2013
Really, you’d think I was Lebanese or something. It’s the Sumac… the Middle Eastern spice… that gives Fattoush its distinctive character. I eat it all year round but it just tastes better when the weather is still cold, like a quick Mediterranean vacation. The assortment of crunchy vegetables, herbs, crisp pita and simple dressing is just what’s needed to lift your spirits on a gray March day. Not a minute too soon, I think it’s time for lunch.
As you spring forward…
March 10, 2013
you loose an hour of sleep. To make up for that loss you’d be totally justified investing in new bedding to take you through the Spring and Summer months. It is no secret that linen is my simplequietmodern fiber of choice so these thick, rumpled natural linen sheets and cases from Fog Linen should do nicely…ensuring plenty of sweet dreams and restful nights.
http://www.shop-foglinen.com/product/linen-pillow-cases-natural
If you were lucky enough to call this bedroom yours, you’d be able to take full advantage of that additional hour each day. Perfect.
http://www.archdaily.com/336289/residence-in-keisen-masao-yahagi-architects/
By the bunch
March 7, 2013
Even though it’s been said that the giving of a bunch of Daffodils will ensure happiness and good fortune, it’s a pretty fair bet that they will ensure a sweet smile or a big hug. Not bad for a $2 investment. Yet another reason to welcome March.
A little on the side
March 5, 2013
Occasionally there arises a need for, um….an occasional table. Something that is sized perfectly to place beside a chair or sofa, with just enough room to accommodate a cocktail, a cup of coffee or a book. A table that can be placed in a variety of places depending on the need while still feeling at home in each spot, as if it were its permanent home. With its 18″ height and near 16″ diameter, this classic by Warren Platner could be the perfect choice. The sculptural steel rod frame with its varied available surface options has been gracing the most sophisticated interiors since 1966. Deciding if this piece is right for you is the easy part. Pairing the nickel or bronze finished base with any of the wood, marble or glass tops…well, that might take a while. The good news is there is simply no bad choice.
http://hivemodern.com/pages/product2485/knoll-warren-platner-bronze-side-table
Slowly awakening
March 2, 2013
Once I’ve made it through January and February I can breathe a little easier. There may still be a bit of Winter to deal with, but once March rolls in we can see the promise of Spring…like the light at the end of Winter’s long dark tunnel. Even before we get into the forcing of flowery branches we have the option of bringing indoors the earliest signs of the earth waking back up. Bits of moss and lichen seem the first to emerge as the snow melts off, bright spears of dogwood follow, reminding us that yes, things will be green again. And, their appeal could not be more simplequietmodern. If you are lucky enough to gather them locally, great. If not, Terrain offers both of these branch selections, harvested from the Pacific Northwest, by post.
http://www.shopterrain.com/stems-branches/
simplequietmodern 