Marx...really???

In a lot of ways, my newest house purchase does not make sense. But in other ways it does. When I first got back into miniatures in 2008, I was completely taken with modern, but also was curious about the history of houses, especially American ones, leading up to the more modern styles. Houses produced by Louis Marx and Company, which manufactured its first metal dolls house in 1949, kept coming up, and I enjoyed looking at the colorful lithos and different structural incarnations--split levels, ranches, colonials. Marx even produced a (now very hard-to-find) skyscraper!

Skyscraper photos courtesy of Barbigirl's website

So, Marx metal houses in many ways were an important avenue into the hobby, but I never purchased a house...until now. While I enjoyed looking at the Marx houses, none of them really appealed to me as an acquisition, until recently, when I came across a 1953 "L" Ranch, a 1/2" scale single level house with great 50s detailing. This house differs from the other Marx houses, in that the children's room style is original to this house. Many Marx houses have similar room designs, but this room was never reproduced in another house. The house originally came with a weather vane and an antenna, but neither of mine survived.

You can see more about this house and other Marx houses at Barbigirl's website.

I have worked with two dimensional settings before, in my 1949 fold away dollhouse and my"instant" doll house from the 1960s, so I decided to give it another try here. I used 1:24 and 1:16 furnishings, and they work for the most part.

Note the neat shelving insert between the kitchen and living room.

Some TOMY kitchen items fit right in!

A Petite Princess chair and ottoman face the fireplace with its funky accents, and an occasional table sits by the window.

Next to the door, a side table is home to a phone...and a cigarette.

A vintage Lundby bed worked here...

The bath has a vintage Strombecker bath and sink, and are paired with a modern Kaleidoscope House toilet!

A Barton side chair and Fisher Price bed in the children's room.

Does anyone play with Marx, too??!

Credits: Sink and stove unit are vintage TOMY; living room chair/ottoman and table are vintage Petite Princess and plant is vintage TOMY; side table by door is vintage Barton; bathroom sink and tub are vintage Strombecker, and toilet is Bozart; bed and stool are vintage Lundby, and basket is Re-ment; child's chair is vintage Barton and bed is vintage Fisher Price. Accessories are AG Minis, IKEA, Petite Princess, and random dolls house store finds.

Fall in the Large VERO

The trees in their fall glory and a full moon inspired me pull together a quick autumnal scene in my large VERO. When I last worked in the house, I shared its new wallpapers, but upstairs. So, downstairs we go into a kitchen/living area.

See those lovely glass pieces? These were custom made by artisan and teacher Nancy Tobey. Aren't they stunning??? Nancy wrote to me about how she was inspired to create work in 1:12 or smaller scale for her new Keystone dolls house, and wanted to share with me some of her first pieces. These are truly gems...you may be on to something, Nancy.

By the way, if you are like me and are always on the lookout for nice retro or modern wallpapers, please check out this new resource, Doll House Retro Mania, run by Madeleine. Justin A., whose house you project you may have seen on Modern Mini Houses, clued me into Madeleine's treasures (thanks, Justin!). She has a wealth of designs, for both 1:12 and 1:16 scale, and also offers flooring, rugs, and wall art. Here's some of my favorite wallpapers:

And here's some great 50s flooring!

Sign me up!!!

Credits: Living room: couch (VERO), chair (VERO), clock, bookcase, lamp, sideboard, and leaves in vase are all vintage German; boomerang table is by Paris Renfroe; glass vases by Nancy Tobey. Kitchen: table is vintage Bodo Hennig; lucite chairs are eBay finds; MCM shelf is by Paris Renfroe; copper pot and small side table are Re-ment; logs are from Michaels; cat and hanging lamp are Playmobil; cat dish is a dolls house store find; rug is by Peppercorn Minis; flower vase is vintage German; glass piece on table is by Nancy Tobey. Accessories are Re-ment, AG Minis, Manor House Miniatures, Barbie by Jonathan Adler, and random doll house store finds.

Re-ment: I have written about the Re-ment in this scene with some exceptions. The apples in the glass bowl are from Grandma's European Dinners #1, and are slightly large for 1:12. The copper pot and canned jam on the bottom shelf are also from Grandma's European Dinners, but from # 7. The copper pot is large for 1:12, and the jam is good for 1:12. The blue jug on the top shelf is from Megahouse Pop 'n Kitchen #4, and is a bit large for 1:12. The two blue sugar and flour canisters are from Kawaii Kitchen #7, and are a bit large for 1:12. The blue biscuit package on the top shelf is from Black Cat Italian Restaurant #8, and is good for 1:12. The blue fish-shaped dish on the second shelf is also from Black Cat Italian Restaurant, but from #4 and is good for 1:12.