She Must Have Known
December 12, 2018
Decades before the arrival of the flat panel TV, Florence Knoll had designed the 116 credenza…simple case, sliding panel doors, leather pulls, interior drawer and shelves set on iron legs. As you would expect over the last 70 years it’s minimal style genius was put to great use in living rooms, dining rooms and offices alike. Today, I can’t help thinking that Florence must have had a premonition that the 116 would be a great perch for today’s flat screen. And, it would if you were able to get your hands on one. Hey Santa, a little help please? I’ve got just the spot.
Photo: Plastolux
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Less is …
January 25, 2016
more difficult than it looks. The classic quote ” Less is more” is often attributed to modernist architect Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe who knew a little something about materials, the qualities of distillation of design and the elimination of all unnecessary and confusing detail. The residence here, by i29 Interior Architects, illustrates these principles beautifully while incorporating and elevating one of my favorite materials, plywood.
photos via http://plastolux.com/?s=plywood+in+a+modern+home
New Year…New Inspiration
January 7, 2016
It can come from anywhere. Take OSB…Oriented Strand Board. An engineered wood particle board formed by adding adhesives to layers of wood flakes and then compressing them. Used in construction in an unsung supporting role for years, OSB’s good looks provide a modern, natural feel when used front and center as a flooring or wall treatment alternative. And, it’s more cost-effective than plywood, so it might be worth considering on your next project. You might just save enough to pick up a little treat like this vintage 1969 Eames Executive Chair.
top photo: gp , bottom photo via http://plastolux.tumblr.com/
Serving It Up
November 8, 2015
Turkey, Vegducken or pie….they have to go somewhere. Picture presenting your Thanksgiving feast here, on this Paul McCobb walnut and brass credenza. Designed as part of his Irwin Collection for the Calvin Group in the mid 50’s, this stunner was born to be put into holiday service now through the first of the year providing a simplequietmodern stage for everything from a full buffet, coffee and dessert or stirring up a few Manhattans. 
photo: Plastolux
Crossing The Line
July 19, 2015
On many levels. As I wrote in an earlier post, if black fences make chic neighbors…what does an ugly fence make? You decide. Picture it. Finally, a gorgeous summer day and you’re seconds away from your idyllic wooded yard at the end of a long one…gentle breeze, birds singing…a hint of pine in the air and the gentle tumbling of the river. As you turn that last corner… B A M! I nearly drove into the ditch. Drunken fence posts. Everywhere. WHITE PVC fence posts. It was like a punch in the face. Could it get any worse? You’ll see. Apparently nothing sets off a quiet natural setting of mature Austrian Pines, White Pines and Birch like a boatload of white plastic. My neighbors must have been binge watching the DIY network with a case of beer when they came up with this plan. And, the myopic installer must have been nursing a hangover himself while drilling the post holes, clearly crossing the property line and coming dangerously close to the gas main. As is often the case we are asked to ” suck it up” or file a lawsuit. Lovely. You mind your own business and live a simplequietmodern life and now you‘re sh*t outta luck? In one fell swoop some douche changes the entire complexion of a neighborhood…the aesthetics, the property values… and everyone else is supposed to roll over. Yeah….that’s not gonna happen. All that comes to mind is E-I-E-I-O ! In the meantime I need to focus on something else. Something simple, something quiet, something modern. That’s better…the Dresner House.
Top three iPhone snaps: gp Photos of the Dresner House via Plastolux
