I was reminded this morning of the strength of silence. It was Teddy Roosevelt who said “speak softly and carry a big stick” (he borrowed the concept from an African proverb) and I wonder what the equivalent of the “soft word” might be in the world of design and decoration?

Might it be the zero-lot-lined-faux-finished-plastic column clad McMansions that torture the neighborhoods near our offices (and, if my travels teach me anything, of neighborhoods around the country)?

Could it be the poorly scaled (there is a difference between boldly and poorly scaled) furniture littering the display windows and showrooms of far too many of today’s furniture purveyors?

Or will the “soft word” be found in yet another “reality” television show where a premium is placed on the speed and drama with which a project comes skidding to a conclusion, giving little consideration to the integrity of the product.

I suggest to you today (with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek) that the answer to these questions is NO. There is nothing soft, quiet or subtle to be found in these illustrations. Rather just noise and pretense; bad taste and poor design.

I saw a fisherman’s cottage in a village on Cape Cod this morning. It was simple and pleasant. Most of all it was appropriate to the setting and to the needs of it’s inhabitants. It whispered its intentions and did not disappoint. It completely captured my attention as surely as if it had hit me over the head with a great big stick.

I will be riding my bike to that cottage later today, with my sketch pad, and I can already taste the silence.