April Showers…
April 1, 2013
bring May flowers and the simplequietmodern choice for accommodating a stem or two is a selection from the new Heath vase collection. The modern shapes and inspired glazes will add a distinctive mid-century note to any interior setting. Use them singly or en masse…matching glazes or mixed complementary shades…on their own or combine them with other pieces in the Heath line. And, while I don’t generally approve of vases sitting around empty, there is no arguing their sculptural appeal…filled or not.
These images are from Heath…more on this group can be found here: http://www.heathceramics.com/decorate.html?category=41
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.
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.
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/
Cupid Cooks
February 9, 2013
OK, here’s the plan. After a quick trip for a well priced Brut Rose’, start with Gougere, always the perfect accompaniment to a dry sparkling wine. Follow with a dinner of roast cornish game hen, orzo with peas and mint and finish with an Afogatto of coffee ice cream topped with espresso and some toasted almonds ( or, as shown here,with a shard of Brulee Almond Brittle) for dessert. The Gougere can be made the weekend prior and frozen until needed. Roast the game hens while you’re making the orzo over a glass or two of wine. Now, how simple was that? A mid-week celebration that took no more time than a regular weeknight dinner.
https://simplequietmodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/inas-gougere.jpg
The Homies 2013
February 4, 2013
Apartment Therapy’s 5th Annual Homies…and simplequietmodern has been nominated in the category of “Best Home Design And Inspiration Blog”. It’s pretty exciting. The voting will continue until February 8, 2013. For those of you that follow and have voted…a big Thank You. If you’d like to cast you vote now, please do and feel free to share sqm with your friends and associates. There’s always something new here, and as I like to say…simplequietmodern… read it, learn it, live it
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/best-home-design-inspiration-blog-the-homies-2013-183531#nominate
Bowled Over
January 22, 2013
I was recently put to the task of finding for a client something made of wood for the center of their Saarinen dining table. In keeping with the classic mid-century aesthetic of the home I immediately thought of a Dansk bowl or tray of some type because of the classic modern lines that Dansk produced in wood…particulary in the 60’s and 70’s. I thought I knew exactly what I was going to find until I stumbled upon this piece…I had never seen it before. In this beautiful pale finish it would complement the pale wood veneered walls of the dining area as well as the Calacatta marble top on the table, with its pale tan and gray variegation. The softly sculpted sloping shoulder on the thick wall of the bowl created an object that was elevated far above “salad bowl” status while mimicking the shape of the George Nelson Bubble Lamp hanging above it. Even though it was designed and produced to serve up a mean Caesar, I love the way it looks empty.That was simple.
It all starts here …
January 10, 2013
with the simple basics. Tablet or pad? Stylus or pen? With all of the available and new technology the best things for getting the job done are still the tried and true…the Project pad, the Sharpie, the Uniball fine point. I’d be lost without them (ask my friends and associates, without my tools I can get kinda cranky). Things for me run more efficiently when I’m using tools that I like and that do the best job for me. From an early punch list, beginning sketches, plan developement to checking off completed tasks nothing beats these three for getting things done, and there is nothing to plug in and recharge. So I’m starting off this New Year as always…with my new box of Sharpies, Uniballs and a pack of Tops project pads. OK, now I’m happy. Let’s get to work. 
May your days be merry and bright…
December 24, 2012
and may all your Christmases be*….well, all that you wish them to be.
Merry Christmas.
*Irving Berlin
Midwinter
December 21, 2012
Odd name for the Winter solstice which is actually the first day of the season. Call it what you will, it is absolutely my most favorite of days. It marks the shortest day of the year in terms of daylight but signals the slow, steady increase in daylight hours as we move into spring. Sure, it might not seem like a big thing to you but trust me, if you live anywhere near the midwest, you will immediately notice that the sky has not gone to pitch at 4:45 in the afternoon. There is a feeling of hope…yes, that spring is just one season away. So, celebrate with me if you care to, with anything ( hell, everything ) that reminds you of spring… and relish every extra minute of daylight.
simplequietmodern 
