Have a Seat
February 18, 2018
As we continue to celebrate Florence Knoll let’s take a look at a piece that she simply referred to as a ” fill in”. The influence of her mentor, Mies van der Rohe, is evident in its spare geometric profile. Still Florence made it her own, blending it seamlessly into the rest of her furniture collection. Originally designed in 1954 the Florence Knoll Bench is available in a 2 or 3 seat version upholstered in leather or any of the approved Knoll Textiles. Suitable for any situation where a little extra place to sit is needed… in an entry, at the foot of the bed, even as a cocktail table alternative… this bench was designed to ” fill in” beautifully.
Photos: https://www.knoll.com/product/florence-knoll-bench
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
Put it in neutral
October 25, 2015
I’ve owned a pair of vintage Womb chairs in a sunflower yellow with black frames and then a single in royal purple with a chrome frame, each a nod to the time in which they were produced…first the fifties, then the seventies. The first pair was acquired during an impromptu stop at a Beverly Hills yard sale and the latter from a similar unplanned stop in the mid-west. Now I’m feeling the urge to buy back my simplequietmodern favorites that have been long gone to new homes. Lucky for me this classic is still in production. And, bonus, Knoll has re-issued the Saarinen Womb settee. Hmmmm, what to do. In any case, the textile selection for me is a no brainer….the classic wool boucle is always my first choice. And, as if it could get any simpler… the color is aptly named “Neutral”. Hard to make a mistake here, especially when combined with the black frame. That settled, it’s on to choosing a chair and ottoman, a chair and settee. a pair of chairs or the settee alone. Good to know that there are no bad choices here.
photos:http://www.knoll.com/shop
case study: Van Keppel Green
August 3, 2014
From the Case Study houses of southern California then to your own backyard today, nothing will have you relaxing in simplequietmodern style like these iconic pieces by mid-century modernists Hendrik Van Keppel and Taylor Green. Faithfully reproduced to the original 1939 specs in UV powder coat over stainless steel and wrapped in marine cord…the Case Study #22 Chaise and Lounge chair and ottoman.
http://hivemodern.com/pages/products.php?sid=3995 all photos: Hive Modern
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
Bowled Over
January 22, 2013
I was recently put to the task of finding for a client something made of wood for the center of their Saarinen dining table. In keeping with the classic mid-century aesthetic of the home I immediately thought of a Dansk bowl or tray of some type because of the classic modern lines that Dansk produced in wood…particulary in the 60’s and 70’s. I thought I knew exactly what I was going to find until I stumbled upon this piece…I had never seen it before. In this beautiful pale finish it would complement the pale wood veneered walls of the dining area as well as the Calacatta marble top on the table, with its pale tan and gray variegation. The softly sculpted sloping shoulder on the thick wall of the bowl created an object that was elevated far above “salad bowl” status while mimicking the shape of the George Nelson Bubble Lamp hanging above it. Even though it was designed and produced to serve up a mean Caesar, I love the way it looks empty.That was simple.
On your mark…
August 9, 2012
get set….Whoa! Is it me or do both of these chairs look like they’re going somewhere while standing still? Produced decades apart, they share a similar design sensibility. The early Windsor style chair seems to proudly display the same rakish lines and simplicity as the Verner Panton design of 1960. It’s poised as if getting ready to sprint to catch up with the middle of the twentieth century from its early twentieth century origin. In a modern interior the Panton chair strikes a classic profile to be sure,but the introduction of a piece like this one-of-a-kind Windsor into a room full of modern classics presents all in a new light. We are encouraged to compare and contrast the shape , finish and patina of the old with the newer and see it as art, like sculpure…with a purpose, a function… even if that function is to simply and quietly please the eye. 
http://xenoscollection.com/index/home/ 
It could happen
June 2, 2012
But, it hasn’t…yet. I’ve had one of these simple fixtures on my wish list for at least 2 decades ( yikes ), when you might be lucky enough to find a vintage piece in an auction catalog to drool over. The works of Serge Mouille~French Mid Century Modern master of lighting design ~ seem to be holding their own in their new state of reissue. I have the perfect spot for either a 3 arm pendant, a pair of double arm sconces or a single arm floor lamp…black or white , either would be stunning. Good things come to those who wait, don’t they?
http://www.sergemouilleusa.com/Serge-Mouille-Two-Straight-Arm-Rotating-Sconce.php
simplequietmodern 