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
A stretch…a yawn…
March 4, 2015
a slow awakening. Sloughing off Winter to greet Spring all scrubbed and polished. Feeling like that first lungful of air that just smells like the earth is waking up too.
My simplequietmodern morning essentials; a Nuetrogena Original Formula Clear Cleansing Bar and Trader Joe’s Savon de France Oatmeal Exfoliant Ginger Almond soap…a fresh loofa and a natural nail brush. A perfectly simple bath environment for that total spa experience couldn’t hurt either.
top 2 photos: gp; bath photo via http://remash.tumblr.com/
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
Three Bags Full
February 23, 2015
Not wool, but newsprint yarn spun during last winters onslaught to ward off cabin madness. Now what? A starting swatch alone provided great textural interest…the addition of sisal twine added more. Then some manipulated copies brought things back to the original two-dimensional roots of the original newsprint sheet. Adjustment to scale might be next. Go big or go home? Yeah, that sounds right.
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/
Phil or no Phil…
February 1, 2015
shadow or no shadow…the official first day of Spring is still the 20th of March. Mother Nature has her own schedule and if past Winters have taught us anything, there is no point in forcing the issue. You can, however use the next six weeks to get a jump on any new design plan , changes or additions you’ve been contemplating for your yard and garden. To soften Winters grip right now, arm yourself with a pair of pruners, head out and gather up an armful of Forsythia or Quince branches to force into bloom indoors.
photos:gp
There’s no time like now,
January 27, 2015
to zero in on a new pair of sunglasses. Or, more accurately, eye protection. Could they get any more simplequietmodern that this? Handsome wood frames in ebonized cherry…black polarized lenses offering 100% UV protection…made to order…and, made in the USA. San Francisco based Capital Eyewear has covered all the important bases here with Alex.
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
simplequietmodern 