Now that it’s Fall…
October 5, 2014
what’s inspiring you?
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The scale of this burlap weave gives some indication of how tiny this found nest actually is. What might you discover on a walk around your yard or neighborhood? And, if you have an idea as to what small bird called this home, let me know.
The local farm stands are loaded with the seasons bounty. Skip the crowds at the cider mill and pick up an armload of beets, take ’em home and roast ’em up or turn them into a soup for the week ahead.
A chill in the air calls for wool…maybe a cap…maybe in hand dyed Autumn reds.
Starting to collect and recycle packaging materials now will save you from picking up a few tacky rolls of gift wrap closer to the holidays. I’m thinking this expanded kraft paper is going to be the perfect addition to my classic crisp white tissue. It’s looking pretty modern to me.
This Lingham stone always seems to move to a more visible location in the Fall so that I can better enjoy it’s unique natural colorations. A quick spin and edit of your interior accessories will have everything looking new as you start to spend more time inside.
A Coffee Break rose, left to dry to a new kind of beautiful, will continue to add interest throughout the Fall, into Thanksgiving…possibly even Christmas. Start by enjoying then drying them now and they’ll be ready to put into service again when the time comes.
all photos: gp
No chickens were harmed…
October 1, 2014
in the making of this dish. More and more I find myself looking for a way not to handle raw chicken but it’s kind of hard to make Chicken Paprikash without it. For this meal the solution was easy…substitute Baby Portobellos and you’ve got, well, Mushroom Paprikash. Easy, easy, easy to make with only a few ingredients and, you could easily have this on the table in 30 minutes. Make some on the next chilly evening and it’ll be like a big hug from a Hungarian grandma. You will never miss the bird.
Gettin’ Cozy
September 28, 2014
Now that Fall has arrived we find ourselves moving back inside and scoping out our cozy corner…that perfect spot to hang out, warm up or just relax with a book for the next few months. Bernhardt Designs Code sofa , by Jang Won Yoon, could be just that spot. Modern, tight seat and back upholstery surrounded by a fully upholstered privacy wall create an envirnment that is nearly a room within a room. That’s one way to manipulate that open floorplan. This three seater, a couple of chairs and a coffee table or large ottoman will give you a place that you’ll either never want to leave or, you’ll be so pleased with, you’ll be inviting friends over to show them what you’ve been up to.
These Bernhardt Design Apel ottomans, by Jessica Pell are a perfect complement. Now, all of your simplequietmodern basics are covered and ready for the addition of your personality pieces… from American traditional to Mid Century Modern…and everything in between.
They said…
September 22, 2014
it wouldn’t last. It’s been two weeks now and this vase of Rhoadsidiana is still going strong…looking good from every angle. Clearly the secret to long lasting flowers is an impeccably clean container and a fresh cut to every stem. You might try this yourself during your next walk. Gather an assortment of seasonal grasses, twigs, pods or berries and create a pleasing arrangement right there in your hand. Secure it all by tying it together with a piece of twine, trim all of the stems to the appropriate length and drop immediately into your chosen vessel. There you have it…a little simplequietmodern seasonal DIY to gently segue into Fall.
Creative block…
September 19, 2014
to color block. It could be the simplequietmodern solution to the earlier challenge. A richly textured, richly colored new wool blanket split asymmetrically in two. Let’s see what develops.
What Happened?
September 15, 2014
What’s with the cold snap? It was finally starting to feel like Summer. Mother Nature’s way of getting you to think about whats coming I suppose. That said, I could manage with some similar incarnation of this Armani offering as my Fall/Winter “uniform”. Giorgio Armani…does it get much better?
Photo:http://imgmodels.tumblr.com/post/93114844388/ben-hill-for-giorgio-armani-f-w-2014-lookbook
Brand Spankin’ New
September 10, 2014
And, they were something. The rest of the story we know too well. Remember this place and all of the people there, in Shanksville and the Pentagon with a moment of silence, a kind word, a random act of beauty. At the very least, raise the flag…never forget.
These 1970 photos by Andrea DiCastro from http://www.stardustmoderndesign.com/2012/11/new-york-city.html#!/2012/11/new-york-city.html
It ain’t pie…
September 7, 2014
but it’s close…it’s Crostata. A little late summer fruit and a single crust and you can have this rustic dessert complete…start to finish… within an hour. To keep it extra simple use a prepared crust to hold the nectarines or peaches, baking it in a pie dish instead of a flat baking tray. I’m not generally a fan of pie a la mode but my arm could be twisted here if there was some ginger ice cream involved.
The Ina Garten recipe found here: http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=171&S=0 ,will have you making these in any and all combinations of summer fruits and berries.
Illuminating
September 4, 2014
I was trying hard to warm up to the LED as a lightsource but it was a slow go. The initial offerings had color so bad that the CFL seemed tolerable by contrast. Remember the white miniature LED Christmas lights of a few years back? How blue were they? The thought of illuminating your interior with that option drove many to gather the last of the incandescents left on the shelves. Finally, we are not only finding LEDs with the warm white light we are used to, we are seeing amazing new designs in lighting and fixtures like never before. One of my favorites is THIN, designed by Peter Bristol and Juniper Design. As task lighting, Thin comes pretty close to simplequietmodern perfection with its minimal profile, full articulation and integrated dimmer. Now that it’s time to get “back to school”, this might just make hunkering down with that pile of homework something to look forward to.
Photos via: http://www.juniper-design.com/products/thin
Over? Not yet
August 31, 2014
The afternoon shadows may be longer and more pronounced, but summer my friends is not over yet. While Labor Day may mark the “unofficial” end of summer I’m taking full advantage until Fall steps in on September 24…and, that’s a month away. Whether your’re staying in town or getting away for the long weekend, I recommend you do the same.
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We should all be so lucky to have a summertime courtyard space like the Brody house in LA photo via:http://midcenturia.tumblr.com/
What more is there to say? Local farmstand produce…get some, support your local farmers. photo: gp
Large body or small, being near the water on a holiday weekend just makes it more special. From a tiny cabin view -photo gp- to a broader shoreline view -photo via http://remash.tumblr.com/, try to get yourself some.
If you haven’t yet made this salad with your local summer corn you are missing something special. http://food52.com/recipes/17913-charred-corn-and-avocado-salad-with-lime-chili-and-tomato
A simplequietmodern nap could be good. Photo via: http://www.improvisedlife.com/
While I always prefer white, an armload of locally grown color will brighten things up should the clouds roll in. And, what could compliment those peaches better than these dahlias and celosia? iPhone snap: gp
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