When One Door Closes...

another one opens!

My VERO doll house from Germany has finally arrived at my door, just as I mailed out my vintage Brumberger Tudor, which sold on eBay -- the guilt of the VERO was somewhat alleviated and justified by the selling of the Brumberger :)

Acquiring this VERO house entailed a nail-biting bidding process, then a more hellish payment process (wiring funds, trying to locate seller's bank in Germany, etc.), and then what seemed like a endless shipping process. And, perhaps the most expensive package to ship that I have ever received.

Alas, it is here, and quite dirty! After I made myself a nice cappuccino...

I proceeded to carefully unpack it down in my work room in the basement. Here are some pictures of how I "birthed" it from its box, little by little:

Now some shots of what I found:

It looks like the blue and yellow flooring is original to the house. I don't mind them, but they are not in the best shape. One of the downstairs rooms looks like it is filled with ancient frescoes, I swear -- layers of paper and then a cobalt paint. I have started stripping some of the paper and have cleaned the ceilings, which were filthy. The windows on the top corner of the house is actually very thick plastic and it is ripped in places. Not quite sure how to replace it altogether or fix those tears. Any ideas? It's such a nice part of the house.

I set up a quick scene, too. As cool as the wall storage panel in my work room is, it is visible in the background. So, I put up an "awning" of some Marimekko fabric to create more of an outdoor space and hide it a bit. There is likely a large window missing from this part of the house.

Lots more work to do here...!

Credits: Couch is vintage VERO; boomerang table, chairs, and two small consoles are vintage German; coffee table is Ryan's Room; Barcelona chair is Reac; wall painting is original to the house (or at least to this house); ball clock handmade by Pubdoll; lamp and wastebasket are AG Minis; plant near Barcelona chair is vintage TOMY; plant on patio, small frog sculpture, bowl and fruit, and potted plant on coffee table are Re-ment; tea service is vintage MAR Toys; rug is by The House That Jacq Built; fabric "awning" is Marimekko fabric. Accessories are MAR Toys and from France.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with two exceptions. The frog scuplture and potted plant on patio are from the Room series, #3 and are a bit small for 1:12, but work.

WorkMom

Yes, it is a little workroom for a Mom's hobby :) Inspiration for this type of scene is always present! I decided to use this room off the main living area in the K House, which I have adopted as the default garage. I am trying to use all the rooms in the house, so now I have officially done this!

I must acknowledge the amazing custom work of Susan Karatjas of SDK Miniatures, as seen in the wonderful 1/144 white modern couch and chair. Her attention to detail is amazing. I also bought a 1/144 room box and shelving unit, but need to put them together (with large amounts of time for tiny, tiny work)! Susan is just one of the many reasons to go to the Philadelphia Miniatura this weekend, and I am going to try to get there.

I found the N scale yellow house on eBay -- it is by Bachmann and is made for railroad scenes. I was looking for a while for a modern structure (I love vintage ones too), and think this looks pretty neat.

Credits: Figures and clear chair are Bozart; N scale house is by Bachmann; 1/144 white couch and chair are by SDK Miniatures; curved couch and dollhouse table are vintage Fairline; tub stool is vintage Lundby; shelving unit is made of two vintage Fisher Price beds; blue wall covering is scrapbook paper from Target; dog is from my daughter's collection; pillows are handmade by Tarkus; green and orange stools are Lil' Bratz; accessories are Re-ment, Elf Miniatures, and Mighty World.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in the scene with the exception of a few things. The two pink filing boxes are from Beauty Storage #10 "Pretty Placement," and are good for 1:12. The flowered three drawer box is from I Love Kyoto #7 "Candy Treasure Box," and is good for 1:12. The little stool on the bottom shelf is from Dogs Enjoy Life, #8, and is too small for 1:12, but can be re-purposed.