While everyone’s outside…
June 14, 2013
this summer you might take advantage of the lightened flow of traffic and get some things done inside… things that are more easily accomplished with a little extra elbow room and a minimum of interruptions. Hanging wall coverings is just one of those things. When you tell folks you’re wallpapering they won’t believe their eyes when they experience the simplequietmodern statement of this collection by NLXL. Designed by Piet Boon, this amazing collection of concrete wallpaper is almost better than the real thing. Being able to install the subtle and sophisticated tones and textures of poured concrete at a fraction of the cost ? Sign me up.
This is only a test
June 11, 2013
And, as it happens, I’ve always done pretty well with tests. So, let’s see what happens this time, after some brief study…a quick round-up of materials and tools. Stay tuned.
3500 yards
May 24, 2013
That’s a lot of yarn…a lot of knitting. Before the heat of summer rolls in it might be a good time to re-start the sweater I had begun to think about last Summer for last Winter. My intentions were good but, you know, life happens and some things just need to be put on hold. A birthday gift of the materials required for this project is just what was needed to get things kick-started. On your mark…get set…
On such a winters day.
March 20, 2013
From the view that inspired this blanket to the last of the hundreds of woven-in ends…California Dreamin II is done. Once I got started ( with a nudge from my friend C ) I was off to the races…completing this huge piece of textile in a record time considering I was in no rush. Then, once again,” life” happened…the Winter Holidays…a surprising joy easing sadness and loss. Not until well after the start of this New Year was I able to sneak in a bit of time here or there to take care of the finishing details. Just in time to say farewell to the last day of Winter and ready to ward off a Spring chill. 
https://simplequietmodern.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/and-the-skies-are-gray/
Cupid Cooks
February 9, 2013
OK, here’s the plan. After a quick trip for a well priced Brut Rose’, start with Gougere, always the perfect accompaniment to a dry sparkling wine. Follow with a dinner of roast cornish game hen, orzo with peas and mint and finish with an Afogatto of coffee ice cream topped with espresso and some toasted almonds ( or, as shown here,with a shard of Brulee Almond Brittle) for dessert. The Gougere can be made the weekend prior and frozen until needed. Roast the game hens while you’re making the orzo over a glass or two of wine. Now, how simple was that? A mid-week celebration that took no more time than a regular weeknight dinner.
https://simplequietmodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/inas-gougere.jpg
Forecast…COLD
January 13, 2013
Time to throw another blanket on. My modern interpretation of the classic Hudson Bay Blanket should warm things up nicely, like only a wool blanket can. Simple garter rows in Berroco Vintage Chunky and some size ten sticks make for a thick knit, heavy enough to protect from any draft or chill. Pair it up with some flannel sheets and a vintage quilt and you may not want to crawl out from under it until spring…which I hear in Montana, where this was sent, comes rather late.
Double Duty
November 17, 2012
Thanksgiving dinner. The plates are barely cleared and the Christmas decorations are already being hung. That said, my suggestion for an effectively decorated Thanksgiving table are well thought out to provide not only the right look but shift into double duty in the following few days. Here I’ve started with a study in brown and white. Shapley Bosc pears with their rusty sueded skins… an assortment of walnuts, hazelnuts and brazil nuts providing their varied shades and texture and oak leaves and pinecones scavenged in the yard round out a simplequietmodern fall story. Perfect whether you’re dining in the afternoon or later into the evening with the addition of some candlelight… a couple of handfuls for a table of four or a couple of arm loads to deck out a larger table for 12 or more…this look is very accommodating. Then as the weekend progresses, the nuts are for snacking when set around in bowls with a conveniently placed nutcracker and the pears can be poached or roasted and served up with gingerbread for an additional sweet treat…while you’re… umm…setting up the tree?
On Deck
October 27, 2012
OK…it’s getting cooler, downright chilly some days. I don’t relish the thought of pulling out a winter coat…at least not yet. My favorite fall/winter garment of all time was a Jean-Paul Castelbajac ribbed cashmere sweater layered under a Merino knit vest with a channel quilted woven front. Both pieces were a tonal combination of winter white ( which was a look I had adopted for many winters before I crossed over to the dark side). There was nothing like it…lighter than a coat and warmer than warm…and I wore it …and wore it ….and I wore it. Now I think it might be time to resurrect some incarnation of that sweater for the cooler months ahead. But, darker this time. I was inspired by the this Rick Owens piece that brought to mind my earlier favorite so I set to researching an appropriate fiber, testing a swatch for gauge, weight and texture…and consulted my panel of experts. I think it’s a go… as soon as California Dreamin II is off the sticks.
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. 
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 
