Another ebay auction I've kicked myself for missing is a miniature lamp reminiscent of Castiglioni's Arco lamp. I guess . . . I didn't know how much I wanted it until it was gone? Ha!
I realize that I'm actually now taking design cues from my parents. The house that we lived in from when I was 2 until 9 years old was the model home for the neighborhood, complete with full on 70's decor. In the living room, there was an upholstered wall panel, brown with yellow and white daisies - and a matching couch! When we moved, we left the wall panel (it was built in) and the couch (who could separate the set?). What did make the move to the new home was a repro Arco lamp. When I was young, I would even shimmy up the post and dangle from the overhanging arc.
Anyway, trip down memory lane completed, after some futile internet and ebay searches, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I had to get a bit creative with sourcing components. The hardest part was to find something that would work as the globe light portion. I looked for dollouse bowls, bead caps . . . and then one day while I was measuring some spices, it hit me: measuring spoons. Turns out, it is quite hard to find an online review for cheap measuring spoons that reads: "These measuring spoons suck and snapped right off the handle after I had them for two weeks" instead of "These measuring spoons are super sturdy and are a great purchase for the price!" On a recent trip to Target, I looked at cheap measuring spoons and ended up, in fact, with a melon baller.
Melon baller and memo clips, in their prior lives. Bonus: the melon baller had a hole pre-punched in the top, and I don't end up with multiple extra 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon measures in my kitchen.
For the arc portion, after fussing around for way too long online trying to figure out wire gauges, I eyeballed a metal frame purse handle on my most recent trip to Lee's Art Shop and purchased it on a hunch.
The result:
Total cost, roughly $6 (the ebay auction went for over $15, plus shipping, I believe). Not too bad. I would have preferred a marble base like the original, and mine has a tendency to tip over on a whim unless affixed with sticky tac. I might have to work a little more on the weighting. Overall, though, I'm pretty pleased.
Awesome job, I searched for an Arco lamp, too, after seeing it in The Modern Dollshouse book.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, it is fast becoming a favorite!
Wow! That is so cool!
ReplyDeleteHi Tarkus!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! The dollhouses and blogging actually bring together a number of my interests quite nicely: interior design, architecture, modern art, arts & crafts, photography, writing . . . I'm glad and flattered that you enjoy it.
I actually bought a used copy of Dollhouse Style by Kath Delmany because I spotted an arco style lamp in there in a screen shot. Alas - it actually wasn't much help in providing instructions and materials.
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Hey AF4564!
ReplyDeleteThanks! As I'm sure you know, we modern miniaturists have to get a bit inventive. I've been following your dollhouse project with interest, and it's looking terrific!
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Thats brilliant: I hope you've submitted it to a dolls house mag!
ReplyDeleteHiya Shopping Sherpa -
ReplyDeleteThanks! I actually wouldn't even know how to go about doing that . . . =)
or even what magazine . . .
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Wow thanks so much for this blog! I also missed out on the ebay auction you're talking about and had spent some time stretching my head on how to turn it into a DIY project. Now I will need to find a 'metal frame purse handle' =)
ReplyDeleteHaha, you're right about miniaturists having to be creative. I can come up with furniture ideas for my dollhouse, the problem is, I don't know how to make it, lol. Oh, and I'm glad you like, my dollhouse. And tarkus is right, this blog is also becoming one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteHi vwong -
ReplyDeleteIt definitely crossed my mind whether one of us was lucky enough to win the lamp!
You can get a metal frame purse handle here (actually where I lifted the picture from - I was too lazy to take a picture of mine!):
http://www.createforless.com/Darice+Purse+Frame+Silver+5.5x+3.75/pid84123.aspx?SI=0ba932d7-f757-4a12-af22-2a727a9b91c2
Also, the exact one I used, in case there is variance in sizes between manufacturers was:
http://www.nicolecrafts.com/asp/product/product.asp?id=2641
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Tks Altera for your info.
ReplyDeleteI will have to check out my local Michaels stores to see if I can find the handle (I live in Canada).
About that lamp in the ebay auction, I was too wondering whose blog/flickr pics it will show up on =)
Amazing, Altera -- love it! You might want to start a little side biz! :)
ReplyDeleteI've got the mellon-baller and the memo clip (still in search of the metal handle) ... my million dollar question is: How in the word did you manage to remove the baller from the handle and the memo clip base from the wire part? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi vwong,
ReplyDeleteLOL. It was pretty much good old fashioned elbow grease. The memo clip was easier - one just came apart when I twisted it (doesn't say much for its construction). The second time I did it (with the square base pictured), it was a bit tougher and I had to hold on to the wire portion with a pair of needlenose pliers while twisting.
As for the melon baller - the one I found was cheap quality, and instead of one solid piece of metal (which would probably require a metal cutter). It was welded together at the joint between the handle and spoon portion. Then I just sat in front of the tv and wiggled it back and forth, maybe about 10 minutes? I didn't want to bend/distort the spoon so took my time. When it came off, there was a teeny hole left in the spoon where it had joined to the handle, but it's easily rotated out of pictures or not too visible if you are lazy like I am. . .
I suppose you could conceal the hole with a touch of silver foil or with a soldering iron if you have one of those (I don't).
Good luck! And you should post pictures of your results!
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