Boing!
March 21, 2016
It’s official…it’s Spring! While the threat of a Nor’easter is still possible and a chill remains in the air there is no looking back. It’s time to grab hold of some Spring and not let go until June. I’m not sure where I’m going to start but I’ve squirreled away some inspiration to help get me started . How ’bout you?
Top to bottom:
A fresh bottle of Simple Green and stack of clean cloths…on your mark, get set…clean.
A handful of parrot tulips will not only freshen things up, they might trigger reading The Tulip by Anna Pavord.
Now is the perfect time to add a new tool to your gardening arsenal. Maybe this hand rake to get into those tight spots. http://www.shopterrain.com/new-arrivals-garden-plants/sneeboer-hand-leaf-debris-rake
Asparagus…grilled as a side or maybe in a risotto.
Simple bowls of forced rye grass and undyed eggs…the simplequietmodern way to decorate for this weekends Easter brunch.
photos: gp
Let the sun shine…let the sun shine in
March 10, 2016
From Falling Water to the factories of the Rust Belt, steel framed windows have both let light in and expanded our views for decades. Large paned or small, modern technology is allowing us to capture the look once again, in new construction or vintage renovation projects. The narrow sight lines, energy efficiency, UV protection and custom finishes provide the perfect window solution for your modern ranch or to inject a more modern note to a residence that has more traditional roots.
Photos: http://www.portellairondoors.com/portfolio_steel.php and
http://www.gardenista.com/posts/hardscaping-101-steel-frame-factory-style-windows-doors-pros-and-cons
Life in Black and White
February 15, 2016
When these February mornings look like a black and white photograph, some color is in order. A little pink will warm things up…particularly if that pink is expressed in tulips. Simply arrange in hand, tie up with a piece of jute cord and lean in a simple glass cylinder vase, simplequietmodern style.
Photos: gp
It Couldn’t Hurt
January 31, 2016
If your hands have taken a beating digging out from last weeks storm or you’re already getting the garden prepped for Spring I’ve got the perfect little DIY project for you. This soothing hand salve of beeswax and olive oil, personalized with your choice of beneficial essential oils, will help put the heal on with just a few ingredients.
I put the simplequietmodern spin on this recipe found on Food 52. For three 2 oz. jars I started with 1 cup general use olive oil, 1 oz. organic yellow beeswax and 21 drops total of peppermint, eucalyptus and wintergreen essential oils (equal amounts of each). Melt the beeswax into the olive oil in a double boiler until combined. Stir in the essential oils. Dip a cold spoon into the mixture to test the consistency. Pour into small lidded jars. That’s it…done. And, you’ll have enough to give away.
My choice of essential oils not only smells great, but adds additional comfort to sore hands and joints if you work your hands hard like I do.
http://food52.com/blog/15239-the-diy-gift-that-dry-winter-hands-will-thank-you-for
photos: gp
Winter Garden
January 17, 2016
There is no better time than now to rethink the Winter garden. Keep the plan simple…implement it in the Spring…let it take root through the Summer and wait for the rewards come Fall and Winter. You might be inspired by the gardens of Dutch designer Piet Oudolf, with great drifts of native perennials and grasses, their varied color,texture and structure framed by clipped hedge rows or a distant borrowed vista. Maybe a simpler plan is more to your taste with the selection of a few species planted together in a sort of modern meadow. Simpler still, the work of San Franciscan landscape architect Scott Lewis might lead you to bold stokes of a single variety, neatly framed and punctuated with a mature specimen. The best part of this exercise is your reduced carbon footprint, time freed up this summer to spend doing anything but weeding and deadheading and a simplequietmodern new view through every window from October to the following March.
http://www.gardenista.com/posts/10-garden-ideas-to-steal-from-superstar-dutch-designer-piet-oudolf
Cheers!
January 3, 2016
Four years, 415 posts and hundreds of photos… it’s time to celebrate as we move into year five of simplequietmodern. Reviewing the last year you have surprised me yet again by digging into the archives and making some of the earliest posts the ones you favored most in 2015. So cheers to you my readers, followers and friends. Thank you for taking the time to stop by, get inspired, leave a comment and inspire me.
From classic mid-century modern furniture and architecture, sophisticated applications of humble materials like concrete and ply, brilliant projects featuring recycled pallets and paper to something good to eat with only a few simple ingredients and minimal effort…just a small sampling of what has kept my interest and yours this past year.
Setting the Tone
December 1, 2015
Your entry should set the tone of the holiday the moment guests arrive. A lush wreath of Magnolia can hint at the simple treatments ahead of natural evergreen boughs and cones. A vintage inspired wreath of shiny glass balls can play nicely with a collection of ornaments in shades of 60’s pink. If a little matte gold is what you’re craving, this wired garland of pressed metal leaves will take on a Calder-like playfulness when coiled loosely into a circle. I can see any of these options working for me, each taking on a quite different character against the Chartreuse paint color of my front door. I’m leaning toward…
Wreath photos: Terrain http://www.shopterrain.com/holiday-wreaths/?cm_sp=Top-Nav-_-Holiday-_-Holiday-Decor-Wreaths other photos:gp
Happily Ever After
November 28, 2015
The perfect accessory to her choice of gown and a simple exchange of ” I do’s ” witnessed by family in an intimate setting, lakeside, in the Georgia countryside. Southern Magnolia, Pepperberry, Tallowberry, Silverbell Eucalyptus buds, Bittersweet vine and Privet…grouped, gathered and hand tied…stems bound in burlap and charcoal satin. Perfect. Then carefully boxed and flown from North to South with a big hug for the big day…today. Ready everyone? Here comes the bride.
Photo: gp
Simply put…
November 26, 2015
If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.* And, if there was a better day than another to take that for a spin, today would be that day. Happy Thanksgiving.
*Meister Eckhart
Switching it up
November 19, 2015
While I will usually go for a simple Thanksgiving table decorated with Bosc pears, nuts in their shells and oak leaves , I’m thinking I might just switch things up a bit. Heath Ceramics dinnerware in basalt and linen, blown Polo roses and a tangle of Tallowberry will keep it simplequietmodern with a chalky neutral palette. Now that that’s taken care of let’s see if I can simplify dinner without any sacrifices.
Photos:gp
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