Then and Now

October 7, 2018

Continuing the celebration of Florence Knoll’s 100th year, let’s focus on some new additions to her 1954 Lounge Group. What she originally considered a “fill in” piece, the Florence Knoll Bench has been impressively resized, elevating it to a “statement” piece. Whether you select the small, medium or large, and put it to use as a bench, ottoman or coffee table, the clean geometric profile of this modern classic is available in a dizzying selection of approve Knoll textiles and leathers. Wow!

Photos: https://www.knoll.com

 

Don’t Fight It

May 4, 2017

Like so many May flowers, sale signs are popping up everywhere now that it’s Spring. Yard sales, garage sales, rummage sales….you name it. My advice? Follow your gut. If  you have an inclination to stop…stop. You might just come across a find like this early Florence Knoll table. The base is solid stainless bar stock and the top, walnut. While the surface had a large chunk taken out of the edge, for an initial investment of under $20 it was worth having a new top fabricated. That’s right, under $20. Boom.

photo: gp

 

Dining Out

April 11, 2017

Outside, out of the house, on the patio, in the yard…any which way but indoors. Two great modern classics from Knoll’s iconic 1966 Group of outdoor furniture by Charles Schultz, ready to be set for dinner. I’m torn between the 60″x 60″ square and the 90″ x 38″ rectangle. Both will easily accomodate 8, the later even up to 10 guests. The original white finish is now joined by a striking black, either being a great place to start, especially when taking advantage of the Knoll Outdoor Furniture Sale which starts on April 13th.

 

Photos: https://www.knoll.com/product/1966-dining-table-60×60

 

 

 

Modern Milestone

March 25, 2017

What a fitting tribute. In celebration of Florence Knoll’s 100th Year, Knoll  has reissued several classic pieces by one of my favorite icons of mid-century furniture design. The simplicity of her designs had me hooked from the start. I’ve collected so many vintage Florence Knoll pieces that friends would joke that I owned more Florence Knoll than Florence herself. One piece that eluded me was this small table originally released in 1948. A simple round top on steel hairpin legs… a design that set into motion a wave of knockoffs that continues to this day…The Hairpin Stacking Table.

 

Photos: Knoll

https://www.knoll.com/product/florence-knoll-hairpin-stacking-table

 

It’s always good to follow ones intuition. While this particular stop was not planned, it couldn’t have produced a better result…this vintage Eero Saarinen executive lounge chair with walnut legs designed for Knoll in 1957.

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Photos:gp

 

 

 

 

All you need is love

February 8, 2015

Valentines Day on the 14th will have you seeing red all week. Not such a bad thing considering most of the country is up to their eyeballs in white.

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A few of my simplequietmodern favorites that just happen to work their magic beautifully in red.

top to bottom:

A pair of Heath budvases in red suede and ruby. photo:http://www.heathceramics.com/

Classic: Florence Knoll  1954 three seat sofa…still the best. photo:Hive http://hivemodern.com/pages/product1164/knoll-florence-knoll-sofa

Always simple quiet and modern…the Elsa Peretti redlacquer “donut” bangle for Tiffany & Co. photo: http://www.tiffany.com

Luxurious handspun wool, “Cast Away” in Strawberry Sparkle from Knit Collage Yarn. Thick and thin saturated color with a thread of metallic for a mid-60’s vibe. A blanket for the arm of that FK sofa perhaps? photo: http://www.nobleknits.com/knit-collage-cast-away-yarn/

Making a statement since its introduction in 1961, Cato from Knoll Textiles. Wool and rayon never looked sexier than it does here in Fire Red. photo:http://www.knoll.com/knolltextileproductdetail/Cato

“Firecracker” jatropha curcas. What can I say? Not your garden variety Valentine offering. photo:gp

One, two, four or more…the Executive Side Chair with metal legs designed by Eero Saarinen in 1957. Produced by Knoll in the USA. photo: http://hivemodern.com/pages/product1265/knoll-eero-saarinen-executive-side-chair-metal/