Sweet and Simple
June 22, 2015
Pound cake. Does it get any better? Well, maybe it does…like this version using brown sugar found on Food 52. Add some berries to complement it’s moist texture and caramelized flavor and you’ve got dessert covered. Sorry, Sara Lee.
The recipe found here, http://food52.com/recipes/36103-brown-sugar-pound-cake ,was adapted from one found right on the package of Domino Sugar. While it calls for dark brown sugar, I also made this using light brown sugar and found the result to be even better. You might want to make two , one to snack on during the day and one for later.
Into the Woods
June 17, 2015
Or, maybe the edge of a lake. With a little planning , and these plans, you’re almost there. While it might be too late for a summer get-a-way this season, you can always start scouting locations for next years weekend destination. The “Trapper” model, by Form and Forest, is just 738 square feet of simplequietmodern vacation perfection.
Renderings: http://www.formandforest.com/default.aspx
“Sitting quietly,
March 19, 2015
doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.” *
*Lao Tzu
photo:gp
PS
March 12, 2015
Crack the cover and you’re almost there. Close your eyes for a second and feel the hot desert air. Palm Springs…get-a-way to the rich and famous for decades documented in this reissue of Palm Springs Modern:Houses in the California Desert. Explore the best examples of midcentury design at its most glamourous from the 1940’s to the 60’s. This could be the best spring break ever at $40.
http://www.rizzoliusa.com/book.php?isbn=9780847844104
The Perfect Rx
February 27, 2015
Nothing puts me on the road to Winter recovery like the first of March. And, with the first of March comes that perfect shot in the arm…the Daffodil. Simple joy and happiness found anywhere and everywhere by the generous handful for a couple of bucks. Is there anything quite like their gentle fragrance and burst of color when Winter is still trying to dig its heals in with bone chilling cold?
photos: gp
All you need is love
February 8, 2015
Valentines Day on the 14th will have you seeing red all week. Not such a bad thing considering most of the country is up to their eyeballs in white.
A few of my simplequietmodern favorites that just happen to work their magic beautifully in red.
top to bottom:
A pair of Heath budvases in red suede and ruby. photo:http://www.heathceramics.com/
Classic: Florence Knoll 1954 three seat sofa…still the best. photo:Hive http://hivemodern.com/pages/product1164/knoll-florence-knoll-sofa
Always simple quiet and modern…the Elsa Peretti redlacquer “donut” bangle for Tiffany & Co. photo: http://www.tiffany.com
Luxurious handspun wool, “Cast Away” in Strawberry Sparkle from Knit Collage Yarn. Thick and thin saturated color with a thread of metallic for a mid-60’s vibe. A blanket for the arm of that FK sofa perhaps? photo: http://www.nobleknits.com/knit-collage-cast-away-yarn/
Making a statement since its introduction in 1961, Cato from Knoll Textiles. Wool and rayon never looked sexier than it does here in Fire Red. photo:http://www.knoll.com/knolltextileproductdetail/Cato
“Firecracker” jatropha curcas. What can I say? Not your garden variety Valentine offering. photo:gp
One, two, four or more…the Executive Side Chair with metal legs designed by Eero Saarinen in 1957. Produced by Knoll in the USA. photo: http://hivemodern.com/pages/product1265/knoll-eero-saarinen-executive-side-chair-metal/
Another five easy pieces, and…
January 19, 2015
it’s not your mother’s dining room. With the holidays behind us and life moving back to ” business as usual” it’s clear that the new dining room is put to great use every day, not just Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, more comfortable with an eclectic mix of personality rather than the stuffy suite of mahogany stained boredom. It’s this simple: 1) a dining table, 2) a chair selection, 3) a long bench 4) a buffet height storage cabinet 5) a statement sized piece of art. It’s all in the quiet mix of old and new…polished and raw… that give this room it’s simplequietmodern edge. With enough seating for a group or room for one to spread out that special project, your end result is sure to earn its keep every day of the year.
Top to bottom:
The Joseph Paul D’urso “Supper” table for Donghia Furniture ( discontinued ) is the key player in this dining space, complemented beautifully by the vintage modern sideboard and Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs. The simple plank bench provides additional seating for four. photo:http://blueberrymodern.tumblr.com/
An alternative chair selection could be this ch47 chair, also by Wegner, designed in 1965. Photo:
http://hivemodern.com/pages/product493/carl-hansen-hans-wegner-ch47-chair
It doesn’t get more dramatic than the grand scale of this Lisa Spindler photograph. Photo: gp
When the real thing is hard to find, there are plenty of mid-century inspired quality pieces available, like this Atlantico sideboard. Available in classic modern woods and finishes, it has plenty of space to store dishes, serving pieces and linens as well as home office supplies. Photo: http://hivemodern.com/pages/product1397/de-la-espada-atlantico-006-sideboard
50 years apart
January 11, 2015
From the colorful velvet by Wolf Bauer, produced by Knoll Textiles in 1966, to the Alexander McQueen inspired sprayed and scrunched velvet in the Knoll Luxe Collection, it’s clear that great design inspiration can come from anywhere. The streets, fashion and art always play a part. The Bauer pattern might remind you of a tissue paper collage you attempted as a child. The McQueen inspired textile was extracted right from the runway…where robotic arms sprayed the garment while on the moving model. Genius on both levels. And, both can make a statement and hold their own whether keeping it neutral or popping up the brights.
An anchoring “palate cleanser” of neutral texture like Knoll Textiles North Island (shown in Wind) http://www.knoll.com/knolltextileproductdetail/North+Island ,complement both the vintage and the new patterns perfectly.
Mc Queen inspired Arezzo ( shown in Squid Ink ): photos: Knoll http://www.knoll.com/knolltextileproductdetail/Arezzo
Wolf Bauer velvet photo: gp
Black and White…
January 2, 2015
or bright, bright, bright? Whatever palette your simplequietmodern style is anchored in you could easily add a splash of bold winter checks with one of these. Architect and designer Alexander Girard designed these blankets in 1956 as part of a complete style and brand overhaul for Braniff Airlines. Those were the days when modern air travel was not only convenient, but stylish. Reissued by Herman Miller and made by Pendleton in virgin wool and cotton, they’re ready to add that lost panache to your next jaunt…whether a cross-country flight or weekend road trip.
http://hivemodern.com/pages/product8085/alexander-girard-throw-herman-miller
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