The new BLT
October 6, 2012
Bacon Arugula & Tomato…what could be wrong with that? It’s simple, it has bacon and it has Arugula! The best possible ingredients are key. Take advantage of the abundance of heirloom tomatoes that are showing up on your desk or doorstep, treat yourself to some Whole Foods thick sliced bacon from the meat counter and switch out the lettuce for a handful of organic baby Arugula. Stack it up on a nice chunk of Ciabatta, add a touch of mayo and a pinch of coarse salt and ground pepper and you are done, done and done. A glass of Prosecco… ( or even cider) and well, you’ve got the perfect Sunday lunch… or a great reward for raking the yard.
Back to basics
October 3, 2012
From the earliest beatniks to Andy Warhol and James Bond….nothing worked a guy’s wardrobe like a basic black turtleneck. As things cool down we start thinking about layering pieces that can keep us comfortable from a simple crisp chill in the air to full throttle COLD. Layered under a suit, paired with a pair of dress slacks or topping off your most favored pair of jeans this stylish workhorse is always a great choice…chic, modern and even with jeans, never under dressed. While the luxury of a cashmere turtleneck is hard to beat, I find it too hot to wear indoors most days. My choice is always fine gauge Merino wool. It’s refined polished appearance and weight will keep you looking simplequietmodern until the warmest days next spring. Keep your pairings tonal…in black, dark charcoal and darkest navy, and you can’t miss being the best turned-out guy in the room.
It’s not orange,
September 30, 2012
but it still says Fall to me. For years I have opted for a Hubbard squash as a fall season decorative object. They are large in scale so you can easily get by with one and make a statement, and, they are interesting…really… the color, the texture, the matte finish… they present themselves more like an elegant clay sculpture than vegetation. You can’t go wrong with them grouped with your planted containers at the front door or set in the middle of your dining room table with the addition of some fruit, like these chartreuse Gingergold apples. A beautiful way to usher in Autumn…the fact that it will also end up as dinner, well, that’s just added value.
And,there was light…
September 27, 2012
and another light and another..and yes…another. While I can appreciate the trend of multiple pendants over a kitchen work surface I have to wonder how these trends continue. Sure, the repetition can be pleasing to the eye,but fixtures that are hung this low over your prep area are only workable if your kitchen posts a warning, ” Must be under 5 feet tall to work at this counter”. I love most everything about this kitchen; the simplicity, the material and finish selections, the 1955 Arne Jacobsen stools in warm tan belting leather and the restraint in accessories. At 6’4″ I would, however, have to make a change and replace the assembled drops with something like my simplequietmodern staple; the white porcelain socket. Add the bulb of your choice and you will have provided adequate illumination of quiet style without the obvious obstruction. What a great space to pull up a stool, pour yourself a cup and check some e-mail…or….do I smell pie?
http://charmingtrinity.com/2012/08/page/2/
http://hivemodern.com/pages/product1634/fritz-hansen-series-7-stool
Halfway Home
September 24, 2012
Ninety thousand stitches in…ninety thousand more to go. As my friend C reminded me, this project is a marathon, not a sprint. No fatigue, no cramping…no wall in site. 
Summer, looking back
September 21, 2012
OK, now it’s official…the solstice is upon us and we are moving into Fall. I tried to stretch this summer out as long as I could , so that I could enjoy more simple pleasures and not forget some special simple moments. As I look back I am grateful for each juicy bite, each bright ray, each conversation, each quiet walk, each project…each gentle nudge and nuzzle. I will welcome Fall differently now…more simply, more quietly. Let’s see what it brings.
It’s simple. It’s soup.
September 18, 2012
Like my “Five Easy Pieces” formula for designing a room…these five simple ingredients will keep you warm and satisfied at mealtime during the cooler months ahead. I wanted to incorpoate my favorite superfood, Arugula, into a simple hot dish that could be made on the quick…like soup. After scouting several recipes, editing,tweaking and adjusting.., my Potato White Bean and Arugula soup is the result. In less than an hour you can turn this out and feed a group with minimal effort using 5 items you most likely have on hand; chicken stock, white beans, potatoes, garlic and arugula. Ok, you might need to run out for the greens, but they go in last, so you have the opportunity to pick up a great loaf of bread and some figs for dessert to round out your meal while the soup is simmering. After a bowl of this you’ll be wondering why you don’t make soup more often.
This soup could only be better served up in this simplequietmodern soup plate from the Chez Pannise collection produced by Heath Ceramics….don’t you think?
http://www.heathceramics.com/cook-dine.html?heath_collection=226
Pan con Tomate
September 14, 2012
With the summer tomatoes better than ever now, it’s a perfect time to enjoy this classic from the north of Spain. Start with a great slice of bread and grill it or toast it up. Then, simply rub the rough surface with a clove of garlic followed by a good rub of the cut side of a ripe tomato. A sprinkle of coarse salt (and a little drizzle of olive oil if you’d like) and you are done and done. Eaten as a snack or as part of a light lunch as they serve it up at Sunday Supper, the key here lies in the ingredients. Use the best rustic bread you can get your hands on and go that extra mile to get a great tomato from a local farmers market or country farm stand. You might even try knocking out a homemade loaf yourself with this recipe from The Fresh Loaf. Any way you get it done…treat yourself and just do it. You’ll find yourself wondering why you never made this before.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/2984/jasons-quick-coccodrillo-ciabatta-bread
http://sunday-suppers.com/midday-meal-asparagus-sformato-fondanta-pan-con-tomate/
WTC
September 11, 2012
The ultimate in simplequietmodern. I loved these two towers. The simplicity, the pairing, the scale. Even as a kid I knew that their presence would shape my design sensibility…and they did. Today in their footprint are the memorial fountains…a different simplequietmodern. Who could ever have known? I remember that morning as if it was yesterday…sunny, clear, crisp. Now, I will never forget all of those lives lost…in NY, PA and DC. Take a moment today to remember them… and this place.
zzzz…zzzz…zzzzzzzz….
September 7, 2012
Good sleeping weather aside, there is nothing like a simple, quiet place to catch some Z’s and refresh yourself in preparation for tomorrow’s adventures. This simplequietmodern bedroom has all that I need. From its calming palette to its simplicity of design, it welcomes you to curl up with a chapter or 2 before nodding off. Again, my “Five Easy Pieces” is all that is needed to make this plan work for you; 1) the headboard 2) the lighting 3) mattress and simple linens 4) night table and 5) a blanket, coverlet or quilt. Any of these elements can be adjusted to more perfectly suit your individual style as long as you keep in mind the part each plays in the overall design. Replacing the Moroccan table with a more organic slice of tree trunk or changing out the quilt with something solid or a pattern more suited to your taste can be done ,when approached carefully, without compromising the original design statement as illustrated here. The table is still round, playing up the low angularity of the headboard, and the hand-knit blanket adds a complimentary texture while it injects a jolt of color to the deeper neutrals. Get started now and by the time Fall officially arrives you’ll be ready to…well..call it a ….zzzzzzzz.
simplequietmodern 