Happy Accident
February 20, 2016
Meeting a friend for coffee the other day left me with a few minutes to kill, which led me to poking around my phone…checking the weather, deleting emails, listening to voice mails. That accomplished I found myself opening notes ( which I have never used ) and finding a drawing app ( which I didn’t know was there). Hmmmm. While I’m never without a fine tip Uniball or Sharpie I am sometimes at a loss for something to doodle on when inspiration strikes. Good to know I can stop reaching for that stack of napkins.
photos/doodles: gp
Dog Days
July 10, 2014
The dog days are upon us and there is nothing like this kind of simplequietmodern reward after a productive day working in the yard…or, maybe just rinsing off a full day of Summer fun. Can it be that a bit of sun, a gentle breeze, some water and a bar of soap can be transformative? I think it can.
shower photo via:http://remash.tumblr.com/
Add in a bar of Neutrogena Original Formula Transparent and Trader Joe’s Ginger Almond Oatmeal Exfoliant and you’re covered head-to-toe.
Pitch Perfect
September 15, 2013
What’s simplequietmodern and has perfect pitch? It’s gotta be Hans Wegner’s c44 . Designed in 1951, this icon of mid-century modern Danish design is still in production today. The solid wood construction and woven paper seat have an almost Shaker appeal and simplicity, yet it’s the pitch of the back and seat that invite you to sit a while. Available in over two dozen finish and seat combinations it might be hard to decide which will work best in your space. And, to confuse the issue even more, there is an available seat and back cushion with seemingly endless textile options. My mind is made up. I’ll have a pair in white oil on oak with the natural cord seat…hold the upholstery.
http://hivemodern.com/pages/product203/carl-hansen-hans-wegner-ch44
A little or a lot…
March 29, 2013
Oomph has got you covered. As long as the gray days are still upon us, no matter that it’s Spring, it might be time to take matters into our own hands. Enter Oomph… refreshingly clean and modern takes on traditional furniture shapes finished with a jolt of Oomph color. Play it safe with White Dove, Dorian Gray or Foothills… or knock your socks off with Fireworks, Eros Pink or Knockout Orange to start… then combine it with a complimentary or contrasting top of lizard , linen , raffia or shagreen. OK, now select from the dizzying selection of styles. My favorites might be the Harbor Island coffee table ( a classic modern panel style) in White Dove with Raffia and the Tini I ( a light touch of a Martini table ) in Foothills with the brown lizard or shagreen top. I didn’t say it was going to be easy with so many options, but you are sure to come up with the equivalent of throwing open the windows and letting a fresh breeze in.
Totally floored
February 20, 2013
When looking for a suitable flooring material during a home renovation many years ago I was hard pressed for an appropriate material that fit all of the criteria I had set. Yes, it’s always much easier to specify when working for someone else. It was hard to find an individual at the time who was able to refinish the concrete floors, laminates were not a direction I cared to go and standard hardwoods seemed like a yawn. I also wanted something that was as cost effective as possible…even to the point of becoming one of the installers to keep costs low and make sure things were handled correctly. Then a friend reminded me of a material that I had put to successful use years earlier in my home in L.A….plywood. I guess there was no reason to reinvent the wheel or mess with prior success…so, plywood it was…simplequietmodern.
A stronger more graphic result was achieved more recently with a mosaic of “humble” materials…ply, particle board and MDF… in this Warsaw cafe and bike repair shop. Now that’s a statement.
http://www.designboom.com/design/relaks-cafe-cafe-and-bicycle-storerepair-shop/
Commitment issues?
October 9, 2012
No need…even if the seasonal forecast is eye-popping. When planning a living space keep it simple by choosing pieces you love and working the “givens” in such a way as to amplify their appeal. This floor for instance…classic walnut herringbone. Old, worn, patinaed…a perfect backdrop for the classic Eames shell chairs around a simple planked table lit with another mid-century classic, the PH4/3 designed in 1966 by Poul Henningsen. Important here is the selection of finishes…pale, clean, neutral…whites and mixed tonal woods…just waiting to be punctuated with a selection from the Pantone Fashion colors for Fall 2012. Add any one shade for a time…in the form of accessory. A bowl of gold ornaments and large brown pinecones, some lavender glassware…maybe a hot pink runner or napkins…all can add the fashion spark temporarily and cost-effectively…freeing you from any expensive long-term color commitment. When I see this pink it brings to mind the words of fashion icon Diana Vreelend. ” I love this pink. It’s the navy blue of India.” Which of these ten colors will you be adding…and how?
http://hivemodern.com/pages/product3603/herman-miller-eames-dsw
http://www.youaretheriver.com/
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.
It’s not art…
June 23, 2012
it’s a T.V. Come on people…enough already. What’s with hanging the flat panel television over the fireplace? It’s not a painting. It’s ill-placed for comfortable viewing. So what’s the draw? Unless you like sitting in the first row at the movie theatre I can’t imagine you sitting on your sofa, grabbing your remote and focusing your sights on a picture centered 7o” off the floor. 
Exhibit A…ouch! ( Let’s leave it at the television placement for now.) A better idea is to leave the area above your mantle empty and save yourself a few trips to the chiropractor.
http://misscheekychic.blogspot.com/2011/10/age-old-decorating-question-fireplace.html
96 degrees?
June 20, 2012
Boy, that’s H O T. Sounds like perfect weather for a simple solution…an outdoor shower. What could be more refreshing on a hot summer day than that? More cost-effective and less complicated than a pool, yet plenty of people have those. So, am I the only one who really sees the value in a relaxing shower, in the fresh air…outside? After an afternoon in the yard planting, after a workout or just a long day at work…strip down, go outside, adjust the temperature and….Ahhhhhhhhhhh.
simplequietmodern 