Tissue Box House of Three

In my quest for sleek modernity in mini form, I gravitate to "home-grown" creations that showcase repurposing of everyday items. In the past, I've done this with the FISH HOTEL by Umbra, with an IKEA vegetable bin, and with my tissue box covers from Crate & Barrel. I decided to come back to the tissue box covers to attempt a new configuration. They actually were in an exhibit at Grounds for Sculpture here in my home state of New Jersey for a few months, where four of the rectangular boxes formed into a square "house." I cleaned off the gobs of tacky wax from the installation and started fresh with three.

Due to mess and other storage constraints, I often challenge myself to working with "minis within reach." This means I have to use whatever I can grab easily, so the items could be leftover from another scene, or new purchases that I have just opened, or things currently on view in other doll houses. It's limiting, but also liberating, because it frees up your mind to go with things that you normally might not have chosen and to make them work.

So...here is my take on a small modernist abode with three tissue box covers, working with minis within reach:

I like the effect overall, but of course the internal space is small and not overly realistic as a living space. Did you notice that I hid a bath upstairs? Nice and secluded spot for a dip!

Did you also notice those cool books in the credenza and black and white file folders in the shelving unit? These were handmade by Margaret, who won my inaugural ***FREE ALERT*** on the Call of the Small Facebook page. Thanks so much for these unnecessary, but very appreciated, treats, which were joined by other books and office supplies! Anna-Maria was the winner of the July giveaway...a modern rocking chair is soon to be on its way to Australia! Stay tuned for the August giveaway!

Credits: Chairs are Reac; egg table and white shelving unit are Re-ment; credenza is by MitchyMoo Miniatures; mini dollhouse is vintage TOMY; stairs are from my TOMY Sylvanian; globe lamp is by minimodernistas; tub is a condiment bowl from Crate & Barrel; blue stool is vintage German; pink flooring and blue flowered shade are adhesive ribbons from the Paper Source; other shade is a place mat by Chilewich; books in credenza are handmade by Margaret B; green vase was from a swap with the Shopping Sherpa; planter on roof is the sink from the Villa Sibi; "grass" on roof is a paint sample from Lowes. Accessories are AG Minis, Ryan's Room, Manor House Miniatures, Delph Miniatures, ELF Miniatures, and doll house store finds.

The time it took me: 44 minutes

A Giveaway and a Getaway

A quick post to highlight my monthly ***FREE ALERT*** giveaways on the Call of the Small Facebook page -- the July one ends on Saturday, July 30, at 7 p.m. EST and yes, it is an opportunity to get a piece from my collection! Last month, I gave away a set of traditional furniture, and encouraged my Facebook fans to come up with a creative use for the pieces. I chose Margaret as the winner, with her neat inspiration board approach -- congrats again!

This month, I am giving away a rocking chair in the style of Thonet, as seen above: the chrome gives it a very modern vibe, no? If you are on Facebook, "like" my page, and just leave a comment for a chance to win! I'll choose the winner using the Random Integer Generator, and as of right now, chances for winning are pretty good -- less than ten of you have commented!

And, if you're not on Facebook, no worries. I am planning a giveaway on the blog for the near future (perhaps when I crack 500 followers!).

An endnote: a trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond never disappoints if you've got your mini goggles on and your stack of 20% off or $5 off coupons. We went to replace our kitchen sink mat and came out with a bag of stuff completely unrelated to it, including this funky curved guest towel holder:

Room divider? Crazy ceiling accent? How about an outdoor trellis wall for a private outdoor getaway space? Here's the result in my Villa Sibi patio area:

I think I can feel the breeze! :)

Credits: Trellis is a towel holder from Bed, Bath and Beyond ($7.99 with $5 off coupon); table is vintage Brio; stools are stereo speakers; bench is by MitchyMoo Miniatures; plant is vintage German. Accessories are vintage German, Ryan's Room, and random eBay finds.

The time it took me: 11 minutes

Slice

I love when I see potential for a scene in a space rarely utilized in one of my dolls houses. My Villa Sibi, designed by Wolfgang Sirch and Christopher Bitzer ("Sibi!") is one of the few houses that inhabits our main living space. It was my first house, and the impetus for what is now my passion for collecting modern miniatures.

Did you know there is a pool attached to the Villa Sibi? It is a very neat, narrow rectangular box with two sets of sliding doors -- one set is white opaque, the other dark clear. As I walked by the house last night, I thought this little slice of real estate would make for a nice airy sitting room, much like you would find in modern floor plans, where it opens up directly to the outside.

So, I removed the white opaque panels, and in went my (new) vintage Lundby leather couch and chair (1:16 works best in this space) along with a vintage Swedish desk...a quick scene was born!

By the way, there has been a Villa Sibi up on eBay for quite some time now, for $499 BIN. This is certainly not cheap, but it is less than what they normally go for. I myself found mine on Craigslist for less than this amount, so it's always worth scouring online listings for a buy. It is a great house.

My love for the Villa Sibi has extended to Flickr, where I created a group for pictures of the house. If you are on Flickr, please join to add your own photos, or just to lurk!

Credits: Chair and couch are vintage Lundby; desk is vintage Swedish; wall art is a card from my buddy D; side table is a cork crafting item from Michaels; magazine holder is from a vintage chrome set of furniture; watering can is Bodo Hennig; Mini Cooper was a gift from my husband. Accessories are Re-ment, AG Minis, Mighty World, Lilu Shop on Etsy, ELF Miniatures, and random dolls house store finds.

The time it took me: 23 minutes

Citadel Muck-About

I would not be surprised if you are confused by this room (what is it supposed to be, exactly??). I was very confused getting there, so it's not just you!

I had wanted to show you some progress in my Betsy McCall House, but no dice, and I instead decided to do a "quick" overhaul of this upstairs room in my Citadel. Not so quick as it turns out.

I was convinced I had to change the wallpapers that had been tacked up from the last scene I did in this room, almost exactly one year ago to the date (that's actually pretty spooky). I love the papers, but wanted to use a particular sheet of scrapbook paper for the floor that in no way matched and I got super stubborn about using it. I kept trying to match wallpapers, and cut and sized at least three different kinds and nothing worked. After a lot of back-and-forth, I decided to use the lovely geometric flowered paper on the back wall only and then a place mat for the floor. This worked much better. I then brought back the original two papers (yup) for the other two walls and proceeded to kick myself for taking them off in the first place.

By this point I was completely exhausted and puzzled about what to put in the room. I put in an old fashioned sink first and liked how nice it looked against the wall. Not wanting to do a kitchen, I decided to do a modern, clean, "muck-about" room, one in which you could tidy, eat, or read. My littlest son has "muck-about" Fridays at his preschool, where the kids basically do whatever they want in the playground. Mud and dirt are pretty popular, but they couldn't be happier. (By the way, I admit some inspiration for "muck about" from my adventure cleaning bubble gum out of the nooks and crannies of my dryer this weekend after a load of laundry emerged suspiciously streaked in pink!)

How do you muck about in your dollhouse??

Speaking of mucky, I acquired a Princess Patti kitchen sink unit as part of my Besty McCall house purchase, and it was in a pretty dirty state. I was really happy to get it, especially with its original set of dishes. I gently cleaned it up, but then saw that a lot of the gold paint had worn off and tarnished in places.

I recalled a gold poster paint Sharpie from a kid's project and set to work refinishing my Princess Patti kitchen sink. What do you think?

I also wanted to share another little treasure from my McCall purchase, which is actually in pristine condition: an unusual wooden Japanese tea set in a box, labeled "Shirokiya," which I discovered is a department store in Hawaii that also sold items in the mainland. Anyone ever see anything like this?

Credits: Sink is a dollhouse store find; wooden planter/receptacle is Manor House Miniatures, filled with a cut piece of natural sponge from the SFMOMA store; mat is a window shade sample from Lowes; Expedit shelving is by ELF Miniatures; console is PRD Miniatures; zigzag chairs are Reac; chair and table are Hall's Lifetime Toys; lamp is vintage German; magazine holder is Re-ment; topiary is AG Minis; flooring is a place mat from Bed, Bath, and Beyond; wallpaper is from the Paper Source; cork behind console was bought at a tag sale. Accessories are Re-ment, Nancy Tobey, AG Minis, vintage German eBay finds, ELF Miniatures, Chrysonbon, Manor House Miniatures, and random dollhouse store finds.

The time it took me: 2 hours (all that sizing and cutting of unused wallpaper! Blech!)

Betsy McCall House

Thanks to this network of modern miniature lovers, a Betsy McCall dolls house has made it into my collection. The McCall house was sold via plans in the mid 1950s, and cost 60 cents at the time. It is named for the McCall Corporation, founded in the early part of the twentieth century for namesake Scottish tailor James McCall. The company published many influential magazines, including Popular Mechanics and Redbook, and produced popular sewing patterns.

I am sure that the dolls house appealed to many little girls (and probably some boys too) because it resembled the popular split level houses of the day, and it could be entirely customized. The structure is simple, with plentiful windows and lovely mid century lines, and certainly holds appeal for THIS girl ;) My house came from Laurie of Long Island, New York, and I picked it up last week on our way out to a family reunion. This is not the first time the kids have had to share our minivan with a guest:

It's good the house is so sturdy!!

Laurie owned the house as a girl growing up in the 1960s and used it to hold her many lovely miniatures. The house was built by Laurie's neighbor, and she filled it with minis from her travels and with pieces from Petite Princess, Dol Toi, Renwal, and Plasco. I found Laurie and her house via a recent post on Megan's blog, Modern Mini Houses, where I also read about the McCall house and its history last year. That particular post demonstrates the fun process of discovering origins and sharing information in this generous community; at least four collectors provided input that led to the definitive identification.

Laurie's house is actually a mirror image of the plans, with the exception of the car port, which is still on the left. In addition to purchasing the house from Laurie, I also purchased all of her miniatures, which included the original plans and cut guides, and even an order form!

And now the house itself...

The drawer exists, I took it out to take the photos. Laurie used it to store her miniatures.

You can see how her neighbor flipped the orientation; Laurie is not sure why, but I don't think it has an adverse affect. In terms of the exterior, Laurie told me that she decided to do the front of the house in the manner of many of the houses in her neighborhood, which had similar grey stonework and pale blue paint. She did not take her decorating further into the interior, with the exception of papering some of the rooms. and putting down some flooring. In both cases, all the materials were 1:1 scale repurposed for her house.

I love the punch of red on the door, chimney, and in the car port.

What's next now that I have fully explored the nooks and crannies? Well, the house needs a good cleaning, and is a blank slate for wallpaper and flooring. I want to honor Laurie's ownership by maintaining the grey stone, although I think I will put more stone further up to the top of the small window on the right hand side (Laurie gave me the extra stones she had). I also think that I will paint over the blue on the exterior with a dove grey, to pick up on the stonework. I like the red of the door and the white window and roof trim. Not sure about what to use for the roof material yet. I do love the fish wallpaper in that one room, and think I will paper it with a similar one I have from the Paper Source. And what of the large opening on the back of the house, on the ground floor...sliding doors? Another wall of windows? I will likely put a planter out front, under the large window by the door.

Any other ideas? Please share! You can post a comment here, email me at call-small(at)call-small(dot)com, or post on my Facebook page.

I know I will take some inspiration from Melissa Johnson's renovation of her McCall house -- Megan posted on it here. Seeing what Melissa did reminds me that I have a l o n g way to go until mine is complete!

By the way, I am selling some of the miniatures from Laurie's collection on eBay now. Have a look!

Chromed

The Villa Sibi is the setting for some chrome this week. Check out at this vintage set I bought recently, which includes a table and six chairs, a shelving unit, an arc lamp, a mirrored planter, coffee table, and stereo and speakers, all in 1:12 scale. Most everything is metal and the tables and shelving units have plexi inserts; the chairs are covered in leather. I don't have any pieces like this (with the exception of the arc lamp), so I was excited to win it on eBay. The set may also help solve a little mystery...I have two of the same arc lamps, and always wondered about their maker and if they were part of a set. Seeing them all together provides a bit of a clue...anyone know anything about this set?

Even though the Sibi has a post 90s minimalist aesthetic, the 80s chrome works I think!

I tried to fashion a clustered pendant light out of holiday decorations bought at a yard sale. Not entirely successful, but I enjoyed the detour!

Some real cluster lamps...

Lamps by Kathleen Hills

British-made ceramic cluster lamp on lightingstyles.co.uk

Then some cheap (.25!) decorations...

Credits: Chrome shelving unit, table, arc lamp, chairs, plexi magazine holder, stereo, speakers, and mirrored planter are all part of a vintage set; rug is handmade by The Shopping Sherpa; couch is minimodernistas; Barcelona chair is Reac; long planter is vintage TOMY; stereo table consists of two AG Minis tables; zebra print wall art is scrapbook paper; peacock wallpaper is from the Paper Source; pendant light is made (badly) by me out of holiday decorations. Accessories are Re-ment, AG Minis, Lilu Shop on Etsy, random eBay finds, and beads.

The time it took me: 48 minutes

Rooms-in-Miniature: Out of the Box

I took another dip into 1:24 scale, but I had a *really* good reason: a boxed Rooms-in-Miniature set, manufactured by Miner Industries of Japan in the mid-1960s!

You might remember my post from a few months ago on my boxed set of the Miner furniture, which featured dining room, bedroom, and living room pieces.While my set included likely every piece of furniture sold, it did not come with any of the accessories, paneling, or room box that I saw in a 1964 ad from a Sears catalogue. Alas, I found one (yes, also on eBay), and it was actually one of three room sets being offered. I could only afford to bid on one, the living room set, although it was a tough choice. My bid was successful, and I awaited my prize.

A small detour: Tiffany, the seller, is a former Design Within Reach proprietor and mid century modern fan. She knew the boxed sets were special when she was helping a friend with an estate sale. These particular boxes are all marked with Montgomery Ward price tags (marked down to $1.97!!!). Like me, Tiffany could not really find out much about Miner, and may ask her local miniature museum in Denver. I know if she finds out more, she will let us know! You also may enjoy a blog posting about the sets, here. Some familiar names are mentioned. :) Thanks, Tiffany!

Once my set arrived, I had a ball opening all the packaging and photographing everything (you've been forewarned; lots of photos coming).

Here's the timeline of the big unveiling, all through pictures and captions:

Yes, marked down to less than $2.00!

I loved the way everything was tucked snugly in its place

Many of the loose items were in their original tissue

The side chair, while lovely, is yellowed from age on the back cushion.

Not quite sure what this piece is for...perhaps a plain shelf for the wall brackets?

Like the chair, these tables have seen better days...likely warped from age and temperature changes.

I realize that this is a very simple structure, but the directions were so clear and easy.

It looked to me as if all the pieces made it; a few had come loose.

The paneling is reversible!

I chose the wood paneling, which slides easily into the tracks of the bottom.

On goes the top track and the struts for hanging!

Green carpeting goes in...

Time for the hanging pegs to go on the tracks

Done!

Now onto some decorating! The flowers had mostly disintegrated, but I used some intact ones anyway. The painting did not make it in this time around.

The hanging lamp has a special bracket with a longer peg.

Two sheets of acetate are for the ceiling and front and make for a nice way to display your setup!

Happy decorating!

A note about my posts: I do try very hard to post at least twice a week, but this does not always happen. I aim to communicate daily via the Call of the Small page on Facebook and on my Twitter feed, so join in and tune in, and feel free to email me at call-small(at)call-small(dot)com with interesting news and links about our fun modern mini world!

Credits: All pieces and box are from the living room Rooms-in-Miniature set from Miner Industries of Japan. I am always curious to learn more about these pieces or the company, so do let me know if you can shed any further light on this.

The time it took me: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

TOMY Smaller Home Kitchen

Even though the TOMY Smaller Home and Garden house is 1:16 scale, the kitchen somehow feels bigger than my 1:1 scale one. I felt like I had so much space to fill, in what is the last room to furnish in this house (for the first time at least). I posted on the upstairs and living room, and have been meaning to get to the expansive kitchen for a while.

I do love the design of this space and the 70s vibe. I decided to put a work space in the nook under the stairs, and dedicated the other half as kitchen. While I always try to evoke the reality of living spaces in my scenes, this one is a departure...there is no refrigerator, nor a pantry, the orange shelving in between the sink and stove is actually two Bodo Hennig chairs from a nursery set (you can see it here in its intended state), and the light fixture above the sink is a vintage German table lamp that I dismantled. Oh well...these are miniatures after all, folks!

Sunshine yellow has really been an inspirational color for me lately, so you'll see those pops of color around. Perhaps the lack of a refrigerator makes this a summer kitchen, perfect for those lazy afternoons.

Credits: Table is Princess Patti, from the Petite Princess line; chairs are Reac; sink unit and plant are vintage TOMY; oven unit and abstract painting are vintage Lundby; orange counter is made of two vintage Bodo Hennig chairs on their sides; microwave is Miele by Theo Klein; garbage can and desk lamp are AG Minis; desk is from the Villa Sibi; wall board and file boxes are handmade by The Shopping Sherpa; laptop is by Lilu Shop on Etsy; vase is a bead from The Place to Bead; stool is vintage German; cat is Playmobil. Accessories are Re-ment, Mighty World, AG Minis, and many different doll house store finds.

The time it took me: 1 hour, 5 minutes

New News on brinca dada's Dylan

All photos courtesy of brinca dada

There's news to be had on the Dylan, the latest creation from brinca dada. Earlier this year I blogged about the Dylan here and here, and it was exciting to see this inventive follow-up to the Emerson, the wildly successful modern 1:16 scale house that launched the company. While founder and CEO Doug Rollins admits that there were production issues with the Emerson, they are committed to continuing their efforts to create products that are "beautiful and fun." (By the way, check out the brinca dada website for a sale on the Emerson now.)

Doug shared some details on the Dylan and was kind enough to satisfy my intense curiosity with some new renderings of the house and furniture. The house, which Doug says is inspired by the work of minimalist masters Paul Rudolph and Tadao Ando, looks very similar to the prototype I saw at the Gift Fair, but the main difference is that it is now not collapsible. Doug said that it came down to a safety issue so they decided to launch it as a fixed structure. Constructed in 1:16 scale and made of MDF and other woods, the Dylan features lead-free and non-toxic paints, and includes four rooms on two levels. The house will be available on the brinca dada website (and in select stores) in mid-July for $149, which is at the lower end of the range Doug shared at the Gift Fair in February. And yes, brinca dada will ship the house internationally!

Care for a peek inside?

There will be a set of 26 pieces of modern furniture, made of foamboard, for a very reasonable $14.99. While in my opinion there are some similarities to the MoMA Modern Play House pieces, the Dylan set shows more sophisticated profiles with just the right pops of color.

I personally really like the design. It's boxy, but I think the open panes give it an airiness and sense of fun. Remember, this is a toy for kids too, not just us rabid modern mini fans! I see many possibilities for modern scenes and setups, and while I am disappointed that the design no longer supports a collapsible functionality, it's not a deal-breaker for me. Heck, only one of my houses is truly collapsible (my Large VERO) and I never take advantage of this feature.

Share your own feedback on the renderings, and let me know if you have other queries. I know Doug would be more than happy to provide the answers if he can, and I look forward to seeing the house in person at the NY International Gift Fair in August.

On the Bennett, the next brinca dada offering waiting in the wings, it is still in production and Doug hopes to share more on it soon. There's also some plans in the works for the Emerson. I know we'll all stay tuned...

Checkered

The floor of the upper room in my Large VERO house has always charmed me...it is a black and brown checkered linoleum and has such a strong vintage vibe. This room is intended as a bath, and I actually spent months scraping and re-wallpapering it (you can see the before and after in this post). The green cascading stripe design is from a roll of vintage 1:1 scale papers and they do work well. You might not be able to see it in this scene, but there is also a green tile on one of the walls. I tend to hide most of it in scenes because there are tears and holes, so that's how I ended up using my Brio Mobilia desk set.

The lovely vintage German lamp was purchased from my blogging buddy Amy of Amy's Miniatures and Smalls. I've had it for some time, and this is the first time I have used it. The base consists of two stacked oval pieces of wood and the curved neck of the lamp swivels so that the shade can be positioned as needed.

The yellow and gold vase is actually a bead from a local store, The Place to Bead.

It was labeled "vintage German," and I just loved the shape and color. This helped guide the yellow and blue color scheme in the desk area. See that blue package of vanilla wafer cookies by Re-ment? I just bought a 1:1 bag for some hungry little folk in my house. I would do a "big and small" photo, but I don't think I can equal the talent in the Re-ment Addicts Group on Flickr -- check out their big and small photos here. And here is Fishmo's take on the big and small wafers -- genius!

Photo by Fishmo

Brings a big smile to my face!

A postscript: the reality of making scenes...and not cleaning up!

Credits: Couch is VERO; lamp is vintage German; desk set is Brio Mobilia; chair is Reac; stone elephant sculpture was purchased at an estate sale for $2.50; plant is from Lolly's; pillow is by minimodernistas. Accessories are Re-ment, handmade by The Shopping Sherpa, beads from The Place to Bead, AG Minis, Mighty World, Three Blind Mice dollhouse show, Petite Princess, and Bandai.

The time it took me: 50 minutes

FLOW

This scene is not as I had planned.

I originally set out to use the cute, retro bird paper as a backdrop for a kitchen. Laziness and the late hour prevented me from going downstairs to retrieve some TOMY kitchen items, so I started to play around with these white Re-ment shelving units and a bag of Bead for Life beads I purchased recently. Somehow, a new setup emerged, inspired by the types of hip storefronts that occupy the streets of the east village and NoHo in Manhattan. When I lived near the lower east side in the early 1990s, the area had not yet turned a corner on trendy, and was pretty gritty. As time passed, new apartments and condos cropped up, and soon cute stores followed in these tiny, tiny spaces, which managed to look completely cool and airy, with clothing, jewelry, housewares, and other items.

So, here's my sliver of east village/NoHo life, probably a pottery and bric-a-brac store. You'll see that I named it "FLOW." These vintage alphabet blocks were purchased at an outdoor antiques mart, but were incomplete; my intent was to call it "FLOAT," but alas, no "T" was to be found. There was a "W," though!

By the way, thanks for joining me on Facebook, and liking the Call of the Small page! I just reached 100 likes -- thanks!

Credits: White shelving units are Re-ment; globe lamp by minimodernistas; all vases are Bead for Life beads, made of paper by hardworking, entrepreneurial women in Uganda; vespa is from Jazams, my awesome local toy store; 1:24 scale midcentury chair and boomerang table by Paul MacAlister; vintage alphabet blocks are from an antique mart near Lambertville, NJ; mini origami are made by my son and sit in a top from an AMAC box; pine cone planter made by me; wallpaper is scrapbook paper from Michaels; chair is Bozart; rug under chair is cut from a Chilewich placemat. Accessories are AG Minis, Re-ment, Manor House Miniatures, and handmade by me.

The time it took me: 1 hour, 25 minutes (the beads kept falling down, victims of my clumsy mitts!)

Sidebar

The small side room in my Lundby Stockholm can be a challenge to furnish and I tend to want to try to use larger scale pieces just to see if I can do it! In the past, I've used the room as a bedroom, bathroom, garage, laundry room, and spa, and this time decided to do a (mini) wet bar.

I used a 1:10 scale table with a dramatic pedestal and a vintage Lundby sink (thanks, Julie!). I paired the sink with a table that was roughly the same height and covered the front with a window shade sample from Lowes (pick up these freebies when you see them; they WILL come in handy!). I was wanting to add a vintage lamp that I got in a joint-purchase with Lemon Cadet, but decided to pull off the shade and flip it upside down for a mod wine chiller.

Thoughts on this? Would you come for a drink? ;)

Credits: Tables are vintage German; sink unit and chairs are vintage Lundby; lights are Re-ment ashtrays flipped; vase and magazines are handmade by The Shopping Sherpa; wine chiller is a vintage lamp shade. Accessories are Mighty World, Bozart, and random dollhouse store finds.

The time it took me: 55 minutes

Peacock Bloom

Peacock feathers have bloomed in my Villa Sibi, a lovely backdrop for some modern miniatures by Carol, also known as Pinch of Pepper, who blogs at MitchyMoo Miniatures. Have you seen her great tutorials?? There is one on wiring your own chic LED lights and how to fashion a simple, yet ingenious S chair, and she recently posted on modern wallpapers. Welcome, Mitchy Moo! Keep it up!

I had the fun task of trying out some of Carol's creations: LED lights; a credenza; and a coffee table. It is clear that Carol is talented and is a nimble operator when it comes to the very tiny parts of the lights, and the smooth, precise edges of the credenza.

I rarely use electrified lights, but Carol makes it pretty easy. See the lovely African boxwood column lamp? It's a cool, versatile piece, like modern sculpture. The coffee table reminds me of vintage Bodo Hennig. Made of solid zebrano, it is a sturdy complement to my Paul MacAlister sofas and holds its own against the (yes) zebra print carpet.

This is how it all lights up! I really should use electrical tape, but this did the trick for the photos

The credenza is fun, with its single sliding door in accent purple; the wood is magnolia.

The other light did not make it into this scene--it is an industrial-looking black hanging fixture...would look great in a "tough" modern space. Hope to use it soon!!

I am really impressed with Carol's work, and I have encouraged her to please keep up her involvement with modern minis. At this time, she cannot devote herself to creating and selling modern minis, BUT she is adding new content to her blog all the time and welcomes your suggestions for tutorials, projects, etc! To see more pictures of Carol's work, check out her Flickr stream.

Thanks, Carol!

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Credits: Couches by Paul MacAlister; coffee table, lamp, and credenza by MitchyMoo Miniatures; light base is an AMAC box; shelving unit is a dollhouse store find; rug is scrapbook paper from Michaels; peacock wallpaper is from the Paper Source;  plant and wastebasket are AG Minis; vase on table is a bead made of recycled paper, purchased as part of a Bead for Life sale at a friend's house -- Bead for Life is a great organization that provides "sustainable opportunities for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty." These enterprising women create the beads by hand and fashion them into jewelry. They are beautiful!! Accessories are AG Minis, Re-ment, Playmobil, Manor House Miniatures, ELF Miniatures, and Crailsheimer.

The time it took me: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Seeing Stripes

I've seen some chic interiors as of late with bold stripes on the wall, either painted on or papered. They add visual interest and an elegant boldness, and the possibilities are pretty endless. Apartment Therapy did a roundup post of some striped interiors last year that demonstrates the range; a few pictures from the story:

Both images from Apartment Therapy

Lovely, right? What do you think of the stripe approach? A while ago, I did up my Lundby Stockholm with origami stripes:

I again attempted my own striped interior in the upper level of my A-Frame, this time with some lovely 1:1 scale, violet raw silk wallpaper from my sister-in-law. This paper is currently on the walls in one room of their apartment, and there is some interesting pedigree here. The room was used for a Vogue Living photo shoot featuring actress Rachel Weisz back in 2008, before they owned the place.

I realize that it looks quite different here...! I was not even sure this was going to work, but I liked the contrast of the somewhat gritty house and the more delicate textured paper. For the window, I used a Chilewich place mat for some coverage.

When I review the scene I realize that the space reminds me of our summer cabin growing up, now long sold, which had a tiny nook of a attic space. I loved going up there to read and daydream while looking out the window. Perhaps I am longing for summer??!

Credits: Bed and chair are vintage German; table is LISA of Denmark; night table is Concord Miniarures; footstool and flowered pillow are by minimodernistas; striped pillows and book are by The Shopping Sherpa; light is Lil' Bratz; coverlet is AG Minis; planter is Manor House Miniatures; flooring is scrapbook paper; window covering is a Chilewich place mat. Accessories are from the Tiny Doll House Shop, Tynies, and random finds.

The time it took me: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Back to the Drawing Board

Anyone affected by all the Blogger problems these past few days? My blog certainly was, and I apologize for the fact that the post I put up on the evening of Wednesday, May 11, disappeared, as did the comments I received! What a bummer! According to Blogger, some data corruption during scheduled maintenance wreaked havoc on the service from Wednesday evening forward, and many, many folks were affected. Supposedly all is fixed now, but my post is still GONE. This has taught me to copy the text of all my posts when complete so that I have a backup.

Perhaps that post, which was a scene in the bath of my Citadel, was just not meant to be...so, instead of recreating it, I have gone back to the drawing board to start fresh with a scene in my Kaleidoscope House. I was itching to use a sleek new 1:12 scale Maisto bike that I purchased on eBay (it's all Otterine's fault!!), and it is indeed a beauty, really lovely and realistic.

And for $7.50, not too shabby!

The flooring is one of my favorite Chilewich place mats, and for the first time I decided to use the entire thing. Normally, I cut pieces out, but the K House great room can handle it, I think!

The island is completely hacked: a Bodo Hennig kitchen cabinet on its side with two Crate & Barrel coasters. What do you think? I rarely use dolls, but I decided to use one to verify that the scale of the hack worked.

Another small hack is the fireplace covering, which is a small picture frame we got at a friend's wedding over a decade ago (sorry, D & N!). I cut off the back, affixed it over the opening, and put in a Lundby plant to soften the hard lines. Ever get creative with your modern fireplaces? Mini Modern recently created one from a miniature canvas, and I loved when Modern Mini Houses papered her Kaleidoscope House one.

The lovely green vase above the fireplace and awesome design mags on the tulip table are extra tidbits from my swap with The Shopping Sherpa -- I received them last week, to my surprise. Don't you love those packages???

Credits: Tulip table, chairs, lamp, and bottom of island are Bodo Hennig; top of island is a set of two coasters from Crate & Barrel; chair is Reac; cabinet is vintage German; kitchen unit is Bozart; BMW bike is Maisto; flooring is a Chilewich place mat; fireplace covering is a picture frame; plant is vintage Lundby; magazines and green vase are from The Shopping Sherpa. Accessories are Re-ment, beads, and dollhouse store finds.

The time it took me: 55 minutes.

14 Minutes

I thought it would be interesting to time how long it took me to do a scene in one of my houses. I often mention in my posts that I do a "quick scene," and I know what that means to me but then I thought it might not mean the same to you. I consider 14 minutes in the realm of "quick." I have spent much longer on other scenes, or I start a scene one day and finish it on another.

My scenes tend to be motivated by color, so if I were to dissect this scene it would go as follows:

* Motivation: My eight-year-old son has been VERY into origami lately, and experiments with all sorts of shapes and papers. The rocket ship is a form that he has perfected, and he amazes us with all the precise folds he has memorized; he can do it with his eyes closed! He made me a super mini one, in a lovely shade of electric blue, and I really wanted to use it.

* Choose house: I chose my VERO, which is still in rehab, mainly out of guilt since I still have not gotten around to wallpapering half the house.

* Choose room: Easy. I chose the lovely sitting room with two walls of windows.

* Choose a few key pieces: My new Paul MacAlister daybed, mostly because it is a new purchase and I wanted to try it out. One of my favorite credenzas, by VERO, and a beloved Barcelona Reac chair.

* The rest falls into place: The blue origami rocket ship emboldens me to use similarly colored pillows (handmade by The Shopping Sherpa for our swap) with the more somber plaid of the daybed, something I would not have thought to do. Add one of my favorite lamps, the three sphere wonder by minimodernistas, a coffee table, side table, and rug. After putting in a plant and a few small accessories, I restrain myself from adding anything further.

* Fidget slightly with placement. Shift a pillow slightly, move the coffee cup, push the vase back on the credenza, adjust the rain boots, turn the minimodernistas lamp.

* Photograph. Take 27 photographs, and use a little over a third for the post. I never Photoshop my photos, but I do use the straightener tool to even things out if I've done the angle wrong. I sometimes crop, but not often.

* Start writing this and plug in the photos.

Check out my son's handiwork!

OK, having done this I am now quite curious how you go about your scenes. Share if you're inspired!

Credits: Daybed is by Paul MacAlister; chair is Reac; credenza is VERO; side table is an artisan piece from Fridas Fancy dollhouse store; coffee table, rug, and lamp by minimodernistas; books and large blue pillows by The Shopping Sherpa; small blue pillows are Re-ment; planter is from Manor House Miniatures. Accessories are Re-ment, beads, made by my awesome kid, ELF Miniatures, and Barbie by Jonathan Adler.

Tidy

Ever sigh with relief and revel in proud accomplishment when you tidy up your work and creative space? I know a lot of my blogger and collector friends find this a necessary, albeit challenging step in being able to continue to set up scenes and play with their collections.

In my case, I have accumulated a great deal of fabric and paper and I couldn't use them effectively because I couldn't FIND them! They were buried under each other and entwined in a mess of pattern and texture (and not in a good way). Also, because this mess had propagated throughout my work surfaces, I had no place to craft, cut, etc., and had to migrate to our dining room table, an impractical solution.

With the excuse of my birthday being a few days away, I decided to kick my childish habits and get organized in a smart way. I reused an old kitchen table and covered it in a durable, silver ironing board cover material for a multi-use surface. I actually wanted to find some neat oilcloth, but the Marimekko ones were a bit too pricey (for now). After cleaning up some clutter in our laundry room, I decided to fit my table in and have that be my fabric/work space:

Artwork by my daughter inspires me

    

Given this is in our laundry room, I am trying to convince myself that the environment is industrial chic, but I think I need to try a bit harder.

With my work table set up, I then organized all my scrapbook papers, longer sheets of more delicate papers, and wallpaper rolls in my work room, home to my houses in "rehab": the Citadel and my VERO.

I felt much more organized, and decided to turn my attention to a soap dish that I recently purchased at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $5.99:

I definitely saw potential for a room divider (I got two) or a headboard. I chose to pursue the latter, but not before I looked at the plastic card and saw a mate for one of the two Lundby tabletops I received from Julie of Vintage Lundby (check out her blog -- it's filled with Lundby inspiration, and she is an incredible resource on all things Lundby):

 

(My other vintage Lundby tabletop now lives in Australia with The Shopping Sherpa, as it was one of the parts of our swap; you can see it in the Day Seven picture here.) All I needed was a little glue for the tabletop to work as a canvas, and I put it aside for an evening to set.

My last burst of craftiness was the large pendant lamp in this tidy little scene in the Citadel. It is made from the top of a discarded lava lamp given to one of my kids three years ago and never used. The gooey, yucky lamp matter in the bottle went out, but I decided to keep the top. I poked a hole in the top and strung some leftover wire through. I'd prefer it if it were a bit smaller, but decided to forge ahead.

I'm pooped!

Credits: Bed consists of a soap dish for a headboard and another marble one for the hidden base, in addition to a dollhouse mattress; coverlet, matching pillows, and green filing box on desk are handmade by The Shopping Sherpa; red pillow is minimodernistas; pendant light is made of a lava lamp top and steel wire; side tables are planters from a dollhouse store turned upside down; artwork is a vintage Lundby tabletop with a graphic from the soap dish packaging; plant and purse are AG Minis; desk is by ELF Miniatures; chair is Reac; shoes are Barbie; garbage pail is Re-ment; lamp is vintage German; cowhide rug is handmade by Oese. Accessories are Re-ment, ELF Miniatures, beads, handmade by me, and dollhouse store and eBay finds.

Scaled Smaller

When I started collecting, I was pretty rigid on scale. I thought, "I will only collect 1:12!" That quickly changed once I discovered smaller vintage gems from TOMY, Lundby, Brio, Jean of West Germany, and other manufacturers. Furnishings were first, and houses next, and my collection expanded across scales, from 1:10 down to 1:24.

If you haven't noticed, I like to use my stuff, and I try to alternate where I use them. Of course there is never enough space in my houses to show everything, but it is nice to bring things out of their boxes and give them some "face time."

In addition to welcoming the 1:24 scale Japanese Room-in-Miniature set into my collection, I recently acquired a Paul MacAlister patio set, also 1/2" scale--you can read a round-up of the smaller-scaled MacAlisters on Megan's blog, Modern Mini Houses, here and here--and even some new Playmobil (MUCH more affordable). I gave some new pieces a whirl in my diminutive TOMY Sylvanian; a kid's room most immediately came to mind...

Wondering about that building on the table, made with those teeny tiny LEGO-like blocks? Well, a recent trip to my local toy store, Jazams, resulted in a new find: NanoBlocks. I bought the giraffe set and my eight year old put it together for me, but not without some struggles and block-dropping. I used some of the extra blocks for my mock-architectural creation. Here's the finished giraffe, just under four inches high:

In case you were interested in a closer look at some of the MacAlister patio pieces, here you go:

As with the 1:12 MacAlisters, the quality is pretty great. I was able to acquire a 1:24 chair and also snagged a 1:12 daybed in the last of the MacAlister eBay auctions, and I will try to share them soon.

By the way, thanks for sharing your love with me on Facebook. I launched a Call of the Small page last month, and I appreciate my new "likes!" The page is an easy way to keep connected in between my posts, especially when I see something great and mini and want to share it right away. Thanks for tuning in!

UPDATE, 4/28/11: Beth Lemon asked for a visual aid to help see the smaller scale better, and I am happy to oblige! See the Reac egg chair swallow the room and the MacAlister chair!!

Credits: Table and chairs, side table and low long table are all handcrafted by Paul MacAlister; chair is Barton; stroller and cat are Playmobil; light is a floor lamp by Re-ment, flipped; rug, pillow, and wall art are by The Shopping Sherpa; keyboard is Nodamegakki; record player is a Japanese magnet. Accessories are AG Minis, Re-ment, NanoBlocks, and dollhouse store finds.

Toy and Miniature Museum in Kansas City

Acrylic and nut turnings by Marais Amshoff at the Toy & Miniature Museum in Kansas City

We just got back from Kansas City, and had a great time visiting with my brother and his family. We all had a ball on our little excursions around town, and our kids had some phenomenal moments with their two sweet cousins and some extended family (including the family dogs).

One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to the Toy & Miniature Museum of Kansas City. Jamie Berry, the Director, graciously allowed me and my brother in early for a tour and the opportunity to take photos and learn more about this truly amazing collection from her dedicated and enthusiastic staff. This place is a gem, and I have a feeling that many folks do not even know the treasures that exist in this museum, which is situated in a lovely house on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus. Founded in 1982 by two collectors, the Mary Harris Francis and Barbara Marshall, the museum is a testament to their love of collecting, and also highlights the talent of today's miniature artisans, as many of the works on display are custom pieces that date from the last 50 years. The collection is displayed in 33,000 square feet of gallery space and is installed in some thematic groupings, but is mainly laid out for maximum enjoyment, meandering, and of course, long, open-mouthed gazing.

I was in awe of the works and houses...I could not believe the quality and level of craftsmanship. Fair warning: my photos are not that great and they do not do the museum nor the collections justice! Many of the dramatically-lit displays are recessed in the walls behind plexi, so this does not make for great beauty shots. Please go visit the museum yourself if you can; it is definitely worth a few hours (or more) of your time.

I share some photos here, and created a Flickr album with many more -- check it out.

While there were not a lot of modern or midcentury miniatures on display, there were many things that caught my eye:

Some Vitra chairs near the front entrance

Guitars!

Lovely modern seating

One of my favorite rooms - a Deco delight!

Look at the gorgeous bath off the living area

An Art Nouveau-style vanity to die for...

A Macintosh chair and custom vases

Fifties kitchen furnishings

A violin in the making by Ken Manning

A dramatic "how-to" by miniaturist Bob Robertson

Working clock and tea set by Frank Matter:

Rows and rows of wood turnings and vessel creations in glass, ebony, and other materials:

A Frank Lloyd Wright interior, modeled on an actual private residence

Smaller scale wonders:

And a lovely silhouette picture

This does not even scratch the surface of the museum, which, you may have noticed, has "Toy" in its name. If I haven't tempted you to go already, upstairs from the miniatures one of the world's largest collection of marbles awaits, as well as an extensive selection of vintage and more contemporary toys and special exhibits, from Barbie to Star Wars:

Should you go to the museum in the future, please share your impressions. I hope to get back there myself soon!

Well, Hello, Mr. MacAlister!

A number of lovely, one-of-a-kind, midcentury modern 1:12 scale furniture pieces by acclaimed designer Paul MacAlister--one of the first to bring "how to" interior design to the masses via his landmark Chicago TV show--were on eBay over the past month, along with some 1:24 sets. Bidding was passionate and fierce, and prices were high, with some sets exceeding $250!

While it was disappointing to have so many sets slip through my fingers and out of my reach, it was interesting to see this level of activity on these pieces, and of course it was great to have a look at this amazing treasure trove of modern miniature design history. The intense interest in MacAlister and his work is certainly a testament to the modern side of the hobby, and makes me wonder that there are a fair amount of mini-lovin' folks out there (beyond the ones I know and love!) who dig this aesthetic. Megan of Modern Mini Houses did a few posts on all of the activity, along with a wonderful archive of photos -- check out her blog out for more information and detail. Also, Glenna of BJD maker DollStories managed to get her hands on a number of sets, and just started a new blog to showcase all the loveliness called Lumimini. Have a look!

I was quite fortunate to get my own set, pictured above, as well as one additional piece that has not arrived yet. I mentioned earlier that there were some 1:24 sets as well, put up by another eBay seller, and I did manage to get one of those. The prices did not go as high there, likely due to the smaller scale. I hope to share these other pieces soon!

First, some detail shots of my new furniture set, an orange painted wood sectional couch set and coffee table. While the couch pieces do not have the appearance of wood, they are indeed just that, and skillfully painted with flecks to appear as fabric. I was surprised at the fine spikiness of the legs, very cool and sleek.

The craftsmanship overall is very fine, especially the coffee table, which is made of dark walnut. Truly stunning.

You will see that each of the couches is labeled "A1, A2, A3," I assume for proper configuration.

I wanted to give my new MacAlisters a test drive in my midcentury modern bungalow. While the house is in very good condition, it did not come with one of the walls that separates the kitchen from the bedroom. I had some foam core lying around, and was inspired to use some new wallpaper received in my swap with The Shopping Sherpa. It's a lovely minimal textured stripe, and worked quite well!

 

If there are others who are also proud owners of any MacAlister sets, PLEASE SHARE THEM!

Credits: Sectional couch and coffee table by Paul MacAlister; rug is a fabric sample; pillows are by Annina; lamp is vintage Lundby; artwork is vintage German; moss pot (I added the moss) and newspapers are from Manor House Miniatures; moss pot stand is an AMAC box; brass pot on table is an eBay find.