Jump-Start
December 27, 2013
This week could be a great time to jump-start the new year and prepare yourself for a little jolt of fresh color. Radiant Orchid is Pantone’s selection for color of the year for 2014. Yes, Orchid is the new Emerald…radiating joy, love and health while encouraging creativity and originality (according to the Pantone release) with its fuchsia, purple and pink undertones.. That’s a lot to expect from a single color isn’t it? So, why not start with small doses…a flowering plant or cut flowers injecting new life in a completely neutral interior or maybe an orchid square in the pocket of a charcoal suit.
Deck The Halls
December 7, 2013
It’s now or never. With less than three weeks until Christmas now’s the time to get the place festivized. A simplequietmodern formula of selecting fewer elements and concentrating their application will provide the most effective outcome with the least amount of stress. First pick a foliage…say fir, magnolia or boxwood and add a secondary material…like winterberry, cones or moss and you are on your way. If you are going to be entertaining, the simple addition of some fresh blooms or flowering bulbs to your “base” will punch things up. Remember…keep it simple, keep it quiet, keep it modern.
From the top:
A simple Fir wreath from Trader Joes is a fragrant welcome for under 10 bucks.
The best deal around could be this three to four foot Frazier fir…with a stand AND a galvanized container. I think I’d use the stand as an anchor and place the tree in a large glass cylinder with some natural river rocks and repurpose the bucket for chilling something sparkling. http://www.shopterrain.com/holiday-preview/tabletop-fraser-fir/productOptionIDs/ac1a6025-a441-4932-8c10-4160e950e55b
Bright soft mounds of preserved reindeer moss could fill low bowls or baskets for an interesting bit color. http://www.shopterrain.com/new-arrivals-garden-plants/preserved-reindeer-moss-bright/productOptionIDs/df8906bb-f3d4-4414-b906-24d41d95e04c
Cones, cones and more cones. If you had the foresight to be gathering these along the way, their rich brown texture would be a freebee.
Even the most traditional door could use a modern application like this simple boxwood wreath hung with a length of jute cord as spotted on Habitually Chic. http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/
White tulips at Christmas have become my signature , but a couple of stems of long-lasting white Cymbidium orchids will take you from Christmas Eve to New Years Eve.
Winterberry by the armful…now, that’s a statement.
A modern spin on a simple white Amaryllis could be this new entry in bright Chartreuse. I think I’d like these best combined with bowls of brown cones and the brown sueded finish of cut magnolia. http://www.shopterrain.com/holiday-preview/potted-amaryllis-kit-lemon/productOptionIDs/bd0459cc-8958-45c4-b120-330bd8a8856a
These arrangements spotted in Chanel illustrate perfectly a simplequietmodern combination of simplicity and textural contrast. These driftwood-like boxes filled with the mossy Dianthus, Cedar and a bit of glossy Camellia foliage will last through a month of holiday festivities. Photo by Habitually Chic
You might see your glass…
November 26, 2013
half empty. I run into people daily who whine and complain about all of the gifts in their lives that, seriously, they have no reason to have but for the grace of God. Their glass is never quite full enough. Well, on this Thanksgiving it might do them well, particularly when there are so many with so little, to be thankful that they have a glass…and, that there is something in it. If you woke up this morning and took a breath…give thanks. If you have been blessed with wealth or excellent health, give thanks. If you have simply experienced beauty or kindness in the most unexpected place, give thanks.
Jackpot!
October 21, 2013
Jaxon and I took a drive in the country instead of lunch today, heading for the spot where I annually gather a bag full of Osage oranges. An October ritual that provides me with my fix of chartreuse and my natural spider repellant. Upon arrival at our destination I found only one…but it was a beauty. So back to the office we go, pleased that our pleasant road trip was not a total loss. Then, less then a mile from where we started our little adventure I saw another on the gravel shoulder… I pulled over. When I bent to pick it up I spotted, nestled in the soft grasses of a ditch, over two dozen more, glowing from beneath the fading Rhoadsidiana. A great haul, a nice little midday break and some time with my bud…it seemed like old times.
“Consider the Daffodil…
October 18, 2013
…and while you’re doing that I’ll be over here looking through your stuff”* Seriously, if you want to see Daffodils in your world come Spring, the time to plant them is now. And to keep it simplequietmodern, forget the neat clusters in beds and borders and toss the bulbs by the handful across your lawn and plant them where they randomly fall. There they will naturalize into welcome drifts of the best yellow ever officially proclaiming the end of Winter.
*Jack Handy
Maybe an Indian Summer
September 21, 2013
An Indian Summer would be nice, now that we’re moving into Fall and this past Summer was…well…odd. Looking back at the gray rainy days and looking forward with hopes for some bright, crisp, dry days ahead. A drive in the country, maybe some baking, switching out the summer T-shirts for a cozy sweater and raking leaves instead of weeding all mark the official end of summer and the beginning of the harvest as the earth takes a big stretch, a yawn and prepares for another long rest. A great time to take a little look back and a glance forward.
top to bottom:
The view from inside most of this last summer.
Not new in white, but sometimes they make the right modern statement, especially in this large flattened shape.
A fall color tour or an impromptu picnic would not be complete without this Woolrich Allegheny Throw. How great is that orange stitching? http://needsupply.com/mens/allegheny-throw-in-oxford.html
A nest of simplequietmodern bowls to help whip up or serve some Autumn inspired eats. http://www.crateandbarrel.com/best-and-buys/best-and-buys-entertaining/5-piece-roscoe-bowl-set/f52751
The last of summers peaches in a simple comforting crostada…I guess apples are next.
A little Merino wool, silk and linen in charcoal worked up into a quick ribbed cap gives the seasons knit projects a kick-start.
A little local color…it’s actually been changing here since the middle of August,
Roasted red grapes, red onion and farro…the start of what is now my new favorite Autumn salad.
The seasons colors and textures captured in a gorgeous hank of handspun yarn by my friend C http://cauchycomplete.wordpress.com/
A bit of Sedum cut for simple long lasting indoor display.
Back to school…
September 3, 2013
back to work or just getting back to it. It’s September. Get up early…when everything is just quieter and the earliest morning sun seems to shed a new type of light on everything…and sneak off to your favorite corner to size up the coming season. A sort of meditation on your upcoming projects and projects still waiting to spring off the starting blocks. Whether they be an interior focus, some gardening attention, the tackling of a new skill set or honing an existing one, each can benefit from a few uninterrupted moments of relaxation and free thought. Before the activities and responsibilities of the day take over, pick your spot , take a deep cleansing breath and see what new inspiration surfaces. And don’t forget, we still have 3 weeks of Summer to enjoy before the chill of Fall is actually upon us.
Maybe Next Year
August 25, 2013
Getting the lawn crew on board might be the biggest challenge. The mowing of meandering paths of turf through “islands” of meadow might be just the ticket to 1) freshen up a stale yard 2) invite nature back in to your home environment 3) reduce emissions from petroleum fueled power equipment. It’s just a thought, but it seems much more modern than acres of turf that has been fertilized, weed killed, edged and plucked to within an inch of its natural life. A paradigm shift like this would do everyone a world of good on so many levels, from a tiny urban plot to sprawling suburban acres. I’m loving it.
http://www.danpearsonstudio.com/#/selected-works/private/oxfordshire/
A watched pot…
July 26, 2013
as they say…never boils. The same could be said of trying too hard to get your spent orchid plants to rebloom. It’s simple really…a couple of ice cubes every week to ten days, some good air circulation, decent light and a cooler night-time temperature. Then go away and leave them alone. In a few months, almost like a little surprise, you’ll notice a shoot, then some buds…and finally the gorgeous blooms that will again last for weeks. I’d say that was a pretty good return on your investment for very little effort.
Gimme Shelter
July 14, 2013
And, a little deck to get my vitamin D on and I’m good to go. A simple Monopoly game shaped structure…it can’t get any simpler than that…just enough of a terraced deck and a view stretching out over a gently waving meadow. Take a deep breath and leave the weeks ” crazies” behind. It’s another summer weekend get-a-way. Still, I’m not a fan of the steeply pitched roof, it’s the comforting shape and the warmth of the dark gray wood exterior that draws me in. The interior here is intentionally spartan, fully wrapped in OSB that provides a great natural finish that draws from the grassy exterior views…and simply appointed,making it adaptable as guest cottage, gathering place or studio. Too bad it’s located in the UK…I was just about to start loading the car.
http://www.archdaily.com/300745/stealth-barn-carl-turner-architects/
simplequietmodern 