Mini Modern and Call Small: Gone Fishing

It's not too often this mini community of modern collectors can "synch" up our houses and do a joint post, but Mini Modern and I thought it would be fun to do one, sight unseen, of our own takes on the Fish Condo from the SFMOMA store. Cool idea, right? Totally her idea, by the way...she's got tons of 'em :) This joint post is also apropos because Mini Modern and I met up when I was in SF and had a fun chat in the lobby of the actual SFMOMA -- a very nice birthday treat for me! She is as nice and clever as you think she is, and very funny. It was a pleasure!

I like the concept of using the Fish Condo since it is not intended as a doll house or modern setting, and as I found, it offers many possibilities. The tank actually comes with a glass insert that I decided not to use this time around, but will try to in the future. I have two, so was playing around with the configurations, which led me to devise this as a guest "shack" in the Hamptons. I jokingly say "shack," because the Hamptons is a very chic and popular location for summer homes out on the southern fork of the eastern end of Long Island, NY. The beaches are lovely, and the real estate prime. Some houses look like this:

Photos courtesy of Chictip

My condo might be the guest house to a pad such as that! I photographed this by one of the windows in our living room, to help with the outdoor beachy vibe, but it ended up raining, so the sun took a dive.

It was fun setting this up, and now I cannot wait to head over to Mini Modern's blog for a look at her condo setup! Enjoy!

Credits: Couch is vintage Bodo Hennig; orange chair is Reac; coffee table is Bozart; console is by Paris Renfroe; stools are from Manor House Miniatures; both lights are by AG Minis (I flipped the blue table lamp up on the ceiling); "rugs" are cardboard covered with two different Marimekko fabrics; marble bust is from my husband's collection; front outdoor plant is vintage TOMY; smaller plant in the back is Playmobil; statue is vintage Petite Princess; dog is from a game called Lucky Puppy Math; textured wall covering is a place mat by Chilewich; orange dot wall covering is scrapbook paper. Accessories are Japanese erasers, Re-ment, Manor House Miniatures, and our local toy store.

Ceiling for Floor

I continue to be amazed by the quality of the AG Minis line, and it is a shame it was discontinued. I have a fair amount of the furniture and accessories, but do not own any of the room boxes. I don't think I will anytime soon, but I did come across two of the flooring/ceiling pieces on eBay and they arrived last week.

This scene features one of the pieces on the floor; it was meant as a pressed-tin-looking ceiling for the loft room, but I like the effect for the floor. Of course, the shape of the piece was a challenge, since it is customized for the room boxes, which taper in toward the back. I cut out scrapbook paper sheets for the sides and then covered the walls in another brown metallic paper I had lying around. I like how the flooring picks up on the legs of the sofa and coffee table.

Here's a picture of the whole VERO house, still a work in progress. I hope to attack the room on the lower left next, which I will make a bathroom. I have given up on scraping off all the layers of paper and heavy paint, and hope to paper it over. I also bought some balsa wood to create the balcony on the second floor and have a few flower boxes for the front window.

On that sofa...it is a wonderful creation by Annina and I love it -- thanks!!!

The textured ottoman is piece I cut from a natural sponge from the SFMOMA store (on clearance!). I had seen Modern MC use a few in her blog a while ago and loved their organic look. I should have bought more...

I used the Chilewich placemat again for screening in the back -- it is very handy indeed.

Credits: Couch handmade by Annina; chairs and plant are vintage German; lamp is vintage Strombecker; nesting coffee tables are by Paris Renfroe; postcard (featuring paper cut artwork by Nikki McClure), sponge "ottoman," and screen in back are from the SFMOMA store; silver flooring is AG Minis; scrapbook paper from the Paper Source was used on the floor and walls. Accessories are Re-ment and AG Minis.

Re-ment: I accumulated a lot of Re-ment on my west coast trip, but have not yet sorted it all away, so I am too overwhelmed by the choices to use it right now! But, one coffee cup was at the top of the pile, so I threw it into the scene. It is the cup on the table, and it is from Pretty Placement #2, and is good for 1:12.

The Great (Small) Experiment

I journeyed to the west coast for a friend's wedding and have now returned. We saw lots of friends, relaxed a ton (the kids stayed with my Mom), and I had some mini fun. I went to the Re-ment Fan Club meeting in LA (see Robin's report here), and received many wonderful free goodies, and purchased a bunch with some birthday present money :)

Once we were in San Francisco, I made my way to SFMOMA and found some treasures in the store there. One find was a place mat that has a great metallic sheen and a modern lattice-like design. I knew I could put it to good use somehow...

So, an experiment in the K House:

And one in the Citadel:

I really felt inspired to use it in the Citadel, since I received some very creative responses to my post about what to do with the unwallpapered double-height wall. Some folks suggested that I "animate" it with texture. I like the effect.

Another great effect is created by the use of my great new Arc lamp, made with precision and care by minimodernistas. It is delicate and bold at the same time -- I love it!

By the way....my next purchase might just be this phenomenal fish "condo" with room box potential from the SFMOMA store. I did not see it while I was there, but thanks to online commerce, I can get it shipped!

photo courtesy of the SFMOMA store website

I wanted to extend a big "thanks!" to all of my followers, and to the many new people who found me after the New York Times article. I really appreciate your support!

Coming up next...a MoMA playhouse giveaway! Some of my blogger friends have already shared their reviews and giveaways, so you'll have another opportunity to get your hands on one! Stay tuned...

Credits: K House: Amazing Arc lamp by minimodernistas; white sectional couch and coffee table base by Bozart; marble table top is a soap dish from TJ Maxx; base of marble table is a console by Paris Renfroe; chairs at table are from Manor House Miniatures; clear Bertoia chair coffee table top is a coaster from SFMOMA; plant is an aquarium plant from a rummage sale. Citadel (repeats from K House scene excluded): rug by Peppercorn Minis; plant is from Lolly's; plant pot is by Manor House Miniatures; small-scale house is by Tomytec; two gold drum table chairs are vintage Petite Princess; yellow and green chairs and table base for house are vintage VERO; bowl on table by Gigi Studio.