Our Manifesto

At UnQuiet, We Believe That:

Snobbery is a mask for insecurity. Pretension has no place here. 

The true mark of confidence is authenticity. To be real—and vocal about one’s real preferences, regardless of price or pedigree—requires a strong sense of self-worth.

Same goes for kindness and generosity. Those with confidence to spare are more likely to share.

Earnest is the new cool.

And cool is the opposite of cold.

The aim of entertaining and decorating should be to put guests at ease, not impress or intimidate them. 

Domestic pursuits are too often demeaned as “women’s work.” Feathering the nest, growing and preparing food, raising children, fostering a sense of community—these basic building blocks of civilization are far more essential to human survival than, say, investment banking or fantasy football. 

Still, it’s best not to take the sofa or Saturday-night dinner party too seriously. Humor is key for any endeavor. Ditto curiosity and empathy.

UnQuiet founder Sarah Gray Miller was, quite literally, born to do this. The unplanned love child of a couple studying decorative arts at the Winterthur Museum, Sarah Gray started talking at the age of 6 months and hasn’t shut up since. Reared amid the decaying glamour of Natchez, Mississippi, she headed north to attend Vassar College and went on to serve as the editor-in-chief of Saveur, Modern Farmer, Country Living, O at Home, InStyle Home, InStyle Weddings, and Budget Living. Sarah Gray has appeared on Good Morning America and Today, and been profiled in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. Her work has received numerous National Magazine Awards and nominations, and been named Media Industry News’s “Reinvention of the Year” (Country Living) and Advertising Age’s “Launch of the Year” (Budget Living). After purchasing her first Greene County home in 2007, Sarah Gray pledged lifelong loyalty to the Hudson River’s Left Bank.

Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, Windsor McKenna spent several years in magazine art departments across Manhattan, including Esquire, InStyle and People, until eventually settling down in Austin, TX where she designs merchandise, printed materials and digital concerns for UnQuiet and many other small businesses. An avid waterskier, she also happens to be Sarah Gray’s cousin.