New Year…New Inspiration
January 7, 2016
It can come from anywhere. Take OSB…Oriented Strand Board. An engineered wood particle board formed by adding adhesives to layers of wood flakes and then compressing them. Used in construction in an unsung supporting role for years, OSB’s good looks provide a modern, natural feel when used front and center as a flooring or wall treatment alternative. And, it’s more cost-effective than plywood, so it might be worth considering on your next project. You might just save enough to pick up a little treat like this vintage 1969 Eames Executive Chair.
top photo: gp , bottom photo via http://plastolux.tumblr.com/
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.
Candlelight the Night
December 20, 2015
The Winter Solstice…Dec 21 2015. Take advantage of the longest night of the year to relax in the glow of candlelight. Even a simple supper can take on a magical quality when lit with a single flame. Tomorrow? More magic. A little more light each day until Spring.
A modern sixties inspired clear “dot” vase + one clear votive cup and candle. That’s it.
photos: gp
Deconstructing the Tree
December 18, 2015
This year, a vase full of white pine boughs, another of frosted cones and a pile of lights. Separate elements, yet still giving you the modern equivalent of a fully decorated tree. A few minutes to set up…a few to take down when the festivities are over. That simplifies things doesn’t it?
Photos: gp
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
Serving It Up
November 8, 2015
Turkey, Vegducken or pie….they have to go somewhere. Picture presenting your Thanksgiving feast here, on this Paul McCobb walnut and brass credenza. Designed as part of his Irwin Collection for the Calvin Group in the mid 50’s, this stunner was born to be put into holiday service now through the first of the year providing a simplequietmodern stage for everything from a full buffet, coffee and dessert or stirring up a few Manhattans. 
photo: Plastolux
Fallen Back?
November 1, 2015
Now what? Dark as night before you’ve even started your journey home at the end of the day and you still have to take your best bud out for a walk when you get there. You can make short work of slicing through the night with the award winning M Lamp and its warm, dimmable LED light. Back inside you’ll find endless uses for it as well.
Photo: http://shop.juniper-design.com/m-lamp
Put it in neutral
October 25, 2015
I’ve owned a pair of vintage Womb chairs in a sunflower yellow with black frames and then a single in royal purple with a chrome frame, each a nod to the time in which they were produced…first the fifties, then the seventies. The first pair was acquired during an impromptu stop at a Beverly Hills yard sale and the latter from a similar unplanned stop in the mid-west. Now I’m feeling the urge to buy back my simplequietmodern favorites that have been long gone to new homes. Lucky for me this classic is still in production. And, bonus, Knoll has re-issued the Saarinen Womb settee. Hmmmm, what to do. In any case, the textile selection for me is a no brainer….the classic wool boucle is always my first choice. And, as if it could get any simpler… the color is aptly named “Neutral”. Hard to make a mistake here, especially when combined with the black frame. That settled, it’s on to choosing a chair and ottoman, a chair and settee. a pair of chairs or the settee alone. Good to know that there are no bad choices here.
photos:http://www.knoll.com/shop
Like It or Not
October 20, 2015
Well, I’m ” falling” into it without a fight. Fall that is. It’s been so much like Summer I had forgotten all about the change in seasons until today. Like someone flipping a switch the sky has grayed, the breeze has cooled and leaves have gone all red and golden. There is simplequietmodern Autumn inspiration around every turn.
Photos: gp
Aristotle was right,
October 4, 2015
sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Take the Wald HI-LO by LA’s Feltmark. Combine a plug, a socket, a rod, a bulb. Then, make it dimmable. simplequietmodern lighting genius just in time as the days start growing shorter.
Photo: http://feltmark.com/collections/waldhilo
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