A summer breeze…
June 26, 2015
a great view and a tall cool one. The only thing missing is a place to relax and take it all in. That’s exactly what Thomas Lee thought when he set out “planking” together what would come to be an icon of Summer while weekending in the Adirondacks in 1905. Many incarnations of this classic design have evolved over the last one hundred plus years, but none compare tho the elegant simplicity of the original. The Westport Chair…inviting you to kick off those flip-flops and sit a spell.
photos via Gardenista and Remodelista.
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
Size Matters
June 14, 2015
What do you get when you combine artist Lars Zech, a felled tree, a chainsaw and total immersion into the process? This bleached oak bowl of epic proportion.
Oak 40″ diameter
For more of this artists work:http://www.larszech.com/10.0.htmlphoto via:http://www.marchsf.com/store/lars-zech-bowl-sculptures/dp/5490
Too short, too tall…
June 8, 2015
or, just right. From the “drink” stool with it’s 9″ seat and 22″ height to the “dining stool” with it’s 15″ seat and 18″ height, you are sure to find one that is just perfect for you. Based on the three legged milking stool, and executed using classic woodworking techniques in oxidized walnut, these Shaker inspired pieces by Jonah Meyer of Sawkille Co. are surely the definition of simplequietfarmhousemodern.
photos: http://www.sawkille.com/
Whip It, Fold It, Freeze it
May 24, 2015
Really, it’s that simple. If you can whip cream you can make meringue. And, if you can fold them both together with some sugar and ground pistachios you are only a freeze away from something amazing…Pistachio Semifreddo, an Italian frozen dessert that is like homemade ice cream only better because there is no ice cream maker needed. A quick round-up of your ingredients and 20 minutes this afternoon will have you serving this up at tomorrows barbecue. So, get crackin’ and hand me a spoon…I’m goin in.
Who’s been keepin’ this 2007 Gourmet recipe, found here at Epicurious, a secret? I scattered an additional handful of whole shelled pistachios over the top for a little extra crunch and texture. Other than that there was no reason to gild the lily. photos:gp
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pistachio-semifreddo-236953
Early Holiday…Late Start
May 17, 2015
It seems early this year…the Memorial Day weekend. Particularly when I have yet to knock a dent in my Spring punch list of gardening projects. Really, it’s a “to-do” list as I have no changes planned, only a review to see who had the strength to survive, who lost the fight and a little annual manicure and mulch. Hopefully the extra day will help me put things in good order as we unofficially kick off Summer.
Top to bottom:
Before anything else, honor the fallen by displaying the flag.
It looks like that boxwood hedge could use a crisp edge.
This gift of water hyacinth will grace my interior until they take up Summer residence outdoors.
The varied colors and textures of the Blue Dune Grass, Lysimachia ” Goldilocks” and large lobed non- blooming Lambsear compliment the Pines and Birch on site perfectly. Photos: gp
I’d like to add this black Mondo Grass to some large modern concrete saucers at the entry, but the jury is still out on whether or not they can really handle the harsh zone 5 winters. Photo: Better Homes and Gardens
Worth the Wait
May 4, 2015
April showers bring May flowers…indeed. Looking like some sweet floral confection, these pink Parrot Tulips prove that Spring is definitely worth the wait.
photos:gp
Just Right
April 12, 2015
If Marcella Hazan’s smothered cabbage soup could sustain us through the Winter, then this adaptation of her peas and rice is sure to be a hit this Spring. Five ingredients, minimal prep and 25 minutes is all you need to serve up the perfect April lunch.
This simple recipe for Aristotelian Rice and Peas can be found here at Food 52 http://food52.com/recipes/25942-aristotelian-rice-and-peas-or-the-whole-is-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts
In like a Lion…
April 9, 2015
out like a punch in the face. As if another brutal Winter and fourteen weeks in a sling with a fractured wrist and elbow weren’t quite enough fun for one season…Bam!… a two-week bout with some new strain of Spring virus. I might be delirious or just have cabin fever…or, it might be that I just can’t seem to get warm that has me dreaming of the desert. Any desert, the hotter and drier the better. Ahhh…I can almost feel the sunlight baking the chill right out of me.
top to bottom:
A simple branch parched by the sun and sanded smooth by blowing sands. photo: gp
A T shirt and linen pants. What else do you need to loll around on a 100 degree day?http://madebymuku.blogspot.com/
Ocotillo, or Devil’s walking stick. I’ll have to wait for my get-a-way in the desert to put it’s sculptural qualities to good use.http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/trans-p/nature/images/ocotillo.html
Georgia O’Keefe knew simplequietmodern when she saw it in her Abiquiu home and studio early in the last century. Not hard to get inspired here I’m sure. http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/abiquiu-home–studio.html
simplequietmodern 