Altera's Mini World

Emerson House on Gilt!

2011-01-31T09:03:00.001-08:00

I'm gonna get mine, so get yours! The house and furniture combined are only $310. Shipping is $29.

Brinca Dada on Gilt.com

(you'll need to sign up for a membership - you can use this link if you want to throw me some referral credit - thanks!)

"I'm looking for a dollhouse . . . "

2010-09-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

" . . . because I was thinking about getting one for S____. I know Boogie isn't there yet, but what do you think?" That's how my college roomie started off our conversation today. I actually paused, "Are you being sarcastic?" I thought she was. "I'm OBSESSED with dollhouses."

Anyway, we had a too-brief conversation about her preferences (plastic vs. wood) and I promised to send her a few links to some houses to look at. After I hung up, I gave this question some more thought. What would be the first dollhouse for Boogie?

I had joked with DH that there was an Emerson House with Boogie's name on it. But, honestly, as a first dollhouse for a toddler, I think the parts to be assembled (and potentially disassembled by wee fingers) makes it ill suited for a child that young. Plus, let's face it, *I* want the Emerson house for myself, and although I'm more than willing to share with Boogie, maybe she needs to be a bit older. I would be heart broken the first time she took crayon to the floors.

Back when Boogie was still baking, I also scored one of the fully furnished plan toys Eco Dollhouses. But, it's not too colorful or detailed, and one adult's modern aesthetic might be monochromatic dull for a toddler.

If money were no object (and Husband allowed me to), I would think about the fully kitted HaPe Bamboo Sunshine house:

Or the Momoll RayRay or Ding 3, seeing as how I already own the coordinating furniture.

Or should I crush the my modernist leanings and get something that Boogie would love, like the Calico Critter's Cloverleaf Manor? (Eeek. But the animal dolls are really cute . . . )

In the end, I'm sure I already own more than enough surplus dollhouse goodies that I can share with Boogie. Like the extra Voila and Selecta furniture sets. The Voila dollhouse looks like it could withstand some hard use from one (or more!) kids. I'm curious though, if you were going about buying a first dollhouse for a girl, who is around 2 years old, which house would you get?

Mini Project - Status at Four Months

2010-07-16T18:42:00.001-07:00

At four months, my current mini obsession, aka Boogie, is going down reliably in the early evening and giving momma some much needed personal time. Husband and I are starting to feel "normal" again. I've barely kept a toe in the mini world, although one of those Emerson Houses does have my name written all over it.

In some ways I've felt pangs of longing, as the mini world is passing me by. CallSmall is in the NYT! Mini Modern is back! Huzzah! Nevertheless, as I'm sure most of you could have told me, I wouldn't have changed a single minute of the last four months. Not the sleepless first nights spent terrified "Am I responsible for a little life!?", listening to an infant's surprisingly noisy breathing. Nor the hollering at the top of her wee lungs - who knew such a loud noise could come out of such a small person? I wouldn't even change the numerous dirty diapers. Or all the times, more than I care to admit, that I got pooped on. It's been a crazy ride, every delicious second.

So for now, I just get to watch from afar. Our plans are to find a 1:1 scale home for Boogie. When we finally do, watch out! The dollhouses come out of hock (from storage at my parents' house), the pinky girls come out to play and, most likely, Boogie will go rampaging through it all, Godzilla style.

Meanwhile, I'm just putting one foot in front of the other, trying to do my best on my most important mini project to date.

Some photos from an afternoon photo session, hiding indoors from the beastly heat.

Bennett House

2010-05-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Oooh. Pictures of Brinca Dada's Bennett House are up on their facebook page here.

Bennett House

Now I just can't decide between the Emerson House and the Bennett House. I doubt Dear Husband will be sympathetic towards my arguments that our sweet 9 week old daughter needs two dollhouses in her first year.

In between marathon diaper changing sessions, I've been working through a backlog of old memory cards. I'm real good at taking photos, not so much about processing the RAW files and clearing out old SD cards. *sigh* I came across these two old pictures of Pinky rampaging, Godzilla size, through Muji New York.

Happy Tuesday!

Newborn Nursery

2010-03-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone for the best wishes! We're in the middle of our bundle of joy's first month home. Let me just say that my OB was not kidding when she warned me that the first month could be (would be) "intense."

We live in a state of mild terror of our 9 lb wee one. I kid. Mostly. But, we're also delirious with joy that she's here and we finally get to meet her acquaintance.

While I'm waiting for her to wake up for a midnight feeding, here are some pictures of the design project that's taken up my past couple of months. I almost forgot how to post pictures it's been so long! As Husband and I are both avid fans of scuba diving, a hobby that we've given up for the timing being, we decided that we would do an underwater ocean theme for our daughter.

Uh . . .Credits, in case anyone is interested in the non-mini kind of houseware:
Nursery furniture from Argington. (Don't get me, or Husband, started on how long it took me to decide on the crib. I actually picked the dresser and changing table first, but for some reason resisted getting the matching crib until something like two months later . . . )
Wall hanging from Inhabit.
Wall stickers from Wee Gallery for Blik.
Glider and ottoman from Monte.
Lamp from CB2 (because I couldn't stomach the idea of paying $1000+ for the Sebastian Wrong Spun table lamp, beautiful as it is).
Fishbowl rug from overstock.com.
Origami art folded with my two little pregnancy swollen hands and cobbled together with Ikea frames and craft paper from Michael's and inspired by another wonderful ocean-themed nursery featured on Ohdeedoh.com.

Update: the rabbit on the dresser is actually a clever brush and comb set. The handles of the brush and comb form each of the "ears" of the rabbit, and there's a mirror on the bottom of the base. Hare Brush and Comb set is by Skip Hop. They also have it in a green colorway. Adorable! It's pretty widely available at BabiesRus, BuyBuyBaby, etc.

The Emerson House will make me a LIAR

2010-02-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

With the impending arrival of our new family member, my go-to site for wasting time the past couple of months has been Ohdeedoh. It's been a great resource for decorating our former toy-dollhouse-sneaker-collection-room-turned-nursery.

Imagine my heart palpitations when a post on Brinca Dada's Emerson House popped up. Big open spaces, sliding doors, a design that opens up for easy access and play - oh man! This house surely is going to make a liar out of me (when I promised the Husband that the Plan Toys Eco House would be the last for a good long while).

There will be furniture and accompanying figures for the 3/4" scale house. Retail is expected to be a within reason $299. More details on Brinca Dada and the Emerson House here.

In the meantime, as the belly grows more unwieldly every day, I've been getting my design jollies with the nursery. A few final touches remain (if baby gives me time), and hopefully I'll be able to share some photos.

Photo Credit: Ohdeedoh

Curious absence and a deal on a House

2010-01-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

I know, I dropped of the face of the blogosphere with nary an explanation. At first, it was just the crush of three-ish crazy months of work. I would look longingly at my houses, and even set up a few rooms, but I never had enough time to myself to actually get around to photographing (much less blogging) the new rooms.

And then . . . i got news. The sort that tells you you are going to be really REALLY busy say . . . in like nine months time.

As glee (mingled with trepidation) turned to reality, my better half and I had to admit that our "play" room, filled with my houses and his massive collection of urban vinyl and even MORE massive collection of sneakers, would have to make way for more demanding tenants.

So, I've really been dreading writing this, but over a very long painful weekend, husband and I packed up everything (ok, I salvaged one or two pinky girls for a bookshelf) and sent it to my parents' house, where everything waits until we buy our own home. One that's not an apartment, and has more than two bedrooms and some space for a cat.

I've had so much fun with this blog and the world of modern mini fans out there, and still a bit sad that it came to an abrupt (but not entirely unexpected) temporary end.

Lest you think my mini instincts have completely dissappeared, instead of looking at real suburban houses, I snagged one of the Green Dollhouses by Plan Toys that MiniModern featured. It's currently on sale at the Land of Nod here, for $114 including furniture. If you poke around, you should be able to find a free shipping code somewhere too.

I begged and pleaded with husband, who didn't see the point of buying something we don't have space to set up. I argued that it was an investment. And it was for erm . . well . . for someone ELSE. And well, since he couldn't really stop my mouse clicking, I bought it. It'll go straight aways into storage, but I'm glad I managed to sneak in one last dollhouse purchase. (i swear, husband, honest!) If you've always wanted one of these houses, hurry! There appear to be limited quantities available.

Kaleidoscope Accessories on ebay

2009-06-06T11:00:00.001-07:00

For those of you that recently picked up a Kaleidoscope house (*waves* at callsmall) or have been hunting after that accessories set for the Kaleidoscope house, (you know, the ones with the Adler vases), there are two on ebay right now for a BIN price of $15. I've seen this set go for much much higher so grab yours if you don't have one already.

Here and here.

The same seller also has another going at auction for a current price of $22 (*scratches head*) as well as a whole bunch of other KH furniture.

Update: both are SOLD, but there's another one here.

Update again! Yet another BIN sold - but check the seller's other auctions, there appears to be a never ending supply of adler accessories! Huzzah!

Also - as callsmall brought to my attention, there does seem to be a curious flooding of Bozart KH furniture (and other assorted toys) on ebay at the moment. For those of you still lusting after the Jasper Morrison white sofa, there are two on auction currently, here (with less than a day left) and here.

Frank Lloyd Wright by LEGO!

2009-05-21T06:45:00.001-07:00

I am BEYOND thrilled at these new Architecture sets from Lego. PrairieMod has the full scoop, including the text of the press release from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation here. The Architecture series appears to be limited edition (and distribution) and from a few quick google searches, so far includes the Sears tower, the Empire State Building, the Space Needle and the John Hancock observatory (pictures here from ifitshipitshere blog).

After the initial Lego-induced euphoria wore off, I read a little more and realized that these are tiny little sets, mostly for collecting purposes. This will not be your 20+ hour Taj Mahal assembley (or Millenium Falcon or Death Star, if you prefer). Also, I think the Guggenheim set resembles Moon Base Alpha a little more than the iconic museum. In such a small scale, it's difficult to capture the graceful lines of the gradually expanding levels.

I do wish the Fallingwater set was on a larger scale (Husband is shaking his head vigorously "NO!"). This one on youtube is pretty amazing: Fallingwater on Youtube.

Here's to hoping they continue to expand the line! Meanwhile, Fallingwater shall be mine.

You can purchase the existing landmark sets and the Guggenheim set here at brickstructures.

Images copyright LEGO, Brickstructures and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Update: pubdoll confirmed that the scale of these sets is TINY. (but still rather cute). Check out her Guggenheim here.

Paris in Springtime

2009-05-17T05:20:00.000-07:00

I wish I was taking a trip to Paris, but a new batch of Paris Renfroe minis is a pretty good way to bring some spring fever to the dollhouses. I've had the new sofa, coffee table and mirror for a month or so, but hadn't gotten around to cleaning out my previous setup in the Kaleidoscope House great room. The arrival of some new Megahouse miniatures and the new Reac chairs provided the proper incentive. I really like the new blender and coffee machine/pot.

I'm starting to think I need a new kitchen set, much as I love the Miele appliances, combined here with the ELF stove unit. Maybe it's time to take a look at the ELF kitchens again, or perhaps a PRD kitchen . . .

Of course, the PRD sofa is wonderful...

And one of the new Reac miniatures made it in - the Eames elephant! They come in a matched pair, one natural finish, the other in a slightly metallic orange.

My four year old niece came over to play yesterday, and uncannily made a bee-line for this room, before I had a chance to photograph. She's never had much interest in the Kaleidoscope House previously, preferring the Stockholm instead. It took all of my wheedling skills to refocus her attentions on the Stockholm (I emptied out the downstairs room for her to decorate entirely on her own . . .she really just wanted many chairs to seat the pinky girls). Kitty also gamely contributed to the bait-and-switch effort by allowing herself to be fed treats and petted.

One last shot of another of the new Reac chairs . . . .

Credits:
Sectional sofa, coffee table, and wood-edged mirror are Paris Renfroe Design.
Entertainment unit is Selecta.
Kitchen is Theo Klein Miniworld with a stove/oven unit from ELF Miniatures.
Dining table is By Barb, with Design Interior Collection Chairs from Reac.
Accessories are: Re-ment, Megahouse, Lil' Bratz, Reac Japan, Bertie's Dollhouse Miniatures.
Art is a coaster.

New Reac Chairs

2009-05-16T17:35:00.001-07:00

I just received my order from Hobby Link Japan of the Design Interior Collection Series 6 chairs. Oh man, they are some good looking chairs. My favorite is the chaise.

The detail is amazing - especially when you flip it over. The screws, the mini buckles on the straps. I can't wait to use this in a scene.

PetitPlat Contest

2009-05-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

The incredible PetitPlat is having a contest to celebrate her first anniversary on etsy.

The details are on her blog here, but the nitty gritty is that she's giving away a $35 shopping spree on her etsy store.

An example of her tremendous skills:

And my favorite - mini salmon steaks (as earrings)!

Makes me want salmon tonight . . .

I highly recommend checking out Petitplat's etsy store, if just to marvel at the amazing detail!

Home Sick Home

2009-04-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

I've been sniffling a little bit with general itchiness that I've chalked up to allergies. This morning, however, I woke up and felt measurably worse. I sneezed, Husband took one look and declared that I was unfit for work. Yeah, there's this little thing called swine flu that been making a few headlines. I haven't been to Mexico recently, and I've been nowhere near the geographic region of the suspected outbreak in New York, but I'm still pretty sure people wouldn't take well to my walking around and sneezing on them. I generally get pretty annoyed when someone who is sick comes into work, touching all the door handles and xerox copiers, sharing their viruses.

This is the first bathroom I've put into the Kaleidoscope House. As I mentioned previously, I was holding off so I could use the ELF vanity unit I had been working on. I also put in the duck board from the ELF shower kit. I love the ELF kits and am looking forward to putting together the other vanity unit I have.

I would write more, but I need to lie down and rest my head. *sniffle*

Credits:
Vanity unit by ELF miniatures.
Bathtub is yet another dish from Muji.
Toilet is from DHE. Table from Voila.
Accessories are from Re-ment, MiniSquare, wanju, voila, ELF and DHE.
Art is "Instant" by Lisa Beck.

Drill Baby Drill

2009-04-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty psyched. I started this ELF vanity kit a few months ago, and assembled it mostly over the course of two days, setting up the main body, then installing the doors. Then I got stuck - I didn't have a miniature drill for drilling the faucet and handle holes. A miniature tool kit I purchased from HBS had a pin vise - but the drill bits were far too small. I almost went out and purchased a whole set of drill bits, but common sense prevailed and I sent an email off to ELF Miniatures for some guidance. After some very helpful tips from Elizabeth LePla (thank you again, Elizabeth!), I set off to the hardware store armed with drill bit measurements. Luckily, I took a sidetrip to visit my niece and nephew on the way, and my brother, after asking what I was up to for the day, exclaimed: "Hey - I have a drill bit set, you can borrow mine!"

It's a good thing I did too, since I actually ended up using four different sizes to get the right holes drilled. Also, my fingers got caught in a minor skirmish with some crazy glue near the finish line, but the kit is finally done! I can't wait to use it in a scene - I haven't done a bathroom in the Kaleidoscope House yet - I've been waiting specifically for this vanity unit to be finished.

Overall, I had a great time putting it together. It wasn't too difficult - if you have mild crafting experience, I would say the kit ranks about a 4 or 5 out of 10 on the difficulty scale. I would have taken more "before" and "during" photos, but I . . . forgot. =P

Credits:

Vanity unit kit by ELF miniatures.

Contemporary Ranch by Shershe (and Real Good Toys)

2009-04-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

I was poking around on Flickr last night, uploading some long past due photos, when I came across this incredible dollhouse in Shershe's photostream. The dollhouse is the Contemporary Ranch by Real Good Toys. I've looked at the Contemporary Ranch before, but Shershe's masterpiece is really inspiring me to pick one up for my first attempt at building a dollhouse kit.

The stock photo that Real Good Toys has doesn't do the house justice. The tall ceilings are great, as are the wide doorways. The loft and spiral stairways are wonderful touches as well.

I LOVE the red painted door. What a wonderful pop of color.

There are many many more photos of the whole assembly process on Shershe's photostream - you should check it out. I think next time the HBS April Fool's Day sale rolls around, I'm picking up the Contemporary Ranch.

Photo credits: by Shershe.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-04-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

This is the room I wish I had back when I was a teenager. My room decor went straight from a frilly canopy bed to very adult furniture. Granted, it was pretty stylish 90's formica furniture (LOL), but if it hadn't been for my massive stuffed animal menagerie and Depeche Mode and Erasure concert posters, you might not have known it was a room for a teenage girl.

The Pinky girl who lives in this room is a multi-faceted complex girl who likes to read her Lucky magazine and gossip on the phone with her friends. She can also pull kickflips and ollies with the best of the boys. Instead of posters of Britney and Justin (or is it Taylor Swift and Zac Efron? Kids these days . . . ), she's also just the teensiest wee bit angsty and has a huge dark mural from her favorite artist Deth P. Sun.

Although she has a perfectly good desk, she spends most her time lying on the floor, doing homework or just lounging around (much like I did).

The teensy weensy eraser is my favorite.

Although her mother has a rule against food outside the kitchen (as mine did), she nevertheless sneaks a snack or two up to her room . . . on a daily basis.

Maki, Tohru and Sacchin are caught mid-gossip.

Sakura peeks in, wondering if they are talking about her. As my boss is fond of saying: you should never say bad things about anyone behind their backs, save it for when you can say it to their face.

Credits:

Bed is a designer bed! No kidding, it's a DKNY home soap dish rescued from the sales shelf at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Eero Aarnio ball chair and Panton chair by Design Interior Collection by Reac Japan.

Table is By Barb.

Side tables are craft blocks painted white on a rainy weekend day.

Accessories are Re-ment, wanju, Plan Toys, Megahouse, AG Minis, Mighty World and misc. Ebay finds.

Mini skateboard decks are by Tech Deck.

Art is by Deth P. Sun.

Blame it on the Rain (and an inadvertant ghost story)

2009-04-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

I've had a few setups ready to go, but the weather has not been cooperating. That coupled with the fact that I'm far too lazy to drag a lamp across the room to provide sufficient illumination means . . . no dollhouse photography. I took a few photos over the weekend, but wasn't crazy about how they turned out so kept on meaning to take a few more. Then this morning after I woke up, worked out and showered, I stepped out of our bedroom to realize that the shy sun was peeking around the clouds after three straight days of grey. Yippee!

This is a room I designed originally for blue-eyed Kokoro, but Rui liked the room so much, she came out of her blister packaging to check it out. Now they *both* think that it's their own room and can't figure out why their stuff keeps on being moved around when they are not home.

"Hm. . . Someone's been sleeping in my bed," mused Kokoro, "and resetting my alarm clock!"

"Someone's been eating my Pocky sticks," cried Rui, "and watching Susan Boyle on my laptop!"

"Is somebody there??!!" they both gasped.

Credits:

White sofa is Bozart Kaleidoscope House.
Tiger stripe wood platform bed in its previous life was a rather striking soapdish. Husband at Bed Bath & Beyond: "That's not a soapdish, that's a bed!" Ah, I have him well trained now. . .
Flooring is more of that lovely Lama Li bark paper.
Wall art consists of a Frank Lloyd Wright bookmark and brooch, respectively.
Assorted accessories from Re-ment, AG Minis, Voila, Plan Toys, DHE, etsy and ebay.

City Kitchen

2009-04-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

This kitchen was inspired by the New York Times article that ran last week about how the $200,000 studio apartment is making a comeback in Manhattan. I suspect that with the exception of a very few cities (Tokyo comes to mind), $200,000 for a teeny box little over 200 square feet would be not be considered a bargain. Husband lived in a studio before we got married, although as these things go, it was a rather spacious bachelor pad at 480 square feet. Most studios have kitchens (if any) that are set along one wall of the main living space. Husband never cooked a single meal in his studio - go figure.

Most kitchens in the city are set up galley style - long and narrow, like in the galley of a ship - with counters and appliances set along two opposing walls.

Looking at these photos, I realize that the set up of this kitchen does remind me quite a bit of my own kitchen. Also as these things go, I realize that ours is pretty spacious and light-filled, with a large window overlooking the river on one end.

Truly, the sign of a roomy Manhattan kitchen is if two people can both fit in there and pass each other without turning and scooting sideways.

Rui and Moe usually manage to share the kitchen without bumping elbows too much.

Moe, like me, is pretty grumpy in the morning before she has her first cup of joe.

Credits:
Kitchen set - Lundby.
Accessories - Plan Toys, Bratz, Wanju, Re-ment, Megahouse, DHE, Mighty World, Bertie's Dollhouse miniatures.

Why, hello there!

2009-04-13T06:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a good long while since my last post. Even though I had been on vacation, we were traveling and kept so busy during the day that I really didn't have time for much else other than enforced relaxation. And then when I got back to work and a regular schedule, I ironically had the time to spend with the dollhouses, but Husband and I borrowed The West Wing, the complete series from my brother and we've been obsessed with watching the exploits of Jeb Bartlet in the oval office.

I've been meaning to do a completely new interior in the Stockholm House and finally got around to gutting the previous set up. I was also inspired by the arrival of a new mini sofa - from the super-talented and inspiring *annina* over on flickr. The construction is just incredible (and I'm not surprised from seeing her fantastic scenes on flickr), but I was blown away when I flipped over the cushions and saw that the foam inserts are removable and the seams and hems were stitched. Each cushion kind of resembles one of those pocket kleenex holders that you can tuck into your purse, with an overlapping flap opening in the back. I've been thinking about attempting to construct my own sofa (and staring at the huge roll of foam next to my dining table), but this idea had never crossed my mind. Wow.

The new sofa immediately went into the bottom floor of the Stockholm House.

My favorite french treat: macaroons!

I've also been tinkering around with this bathroom for a while. I'm a bit bored with it *shrug*, so figured I might as well just take some pictures and share before I change it up again. Color me fickle.

Mostly, I wanted to use these super cute bath accessories from MiniSquare. The mini loofah is too adorable.

Credits:
Living Room: Sofa is handmade with care from *annina*. Leather chaise is Paris Renfroe. Coffee table is from MiniSquare. Glass side table is an ebay find. Accessories are Lundby, Re-ment, Megahouse, Bertie's Dollhouse Miniatures, DHE and Bratz.
Oh, the rug is cut from a large sheet of Lama Li "bark" paper that I picked up at Kate's Paperie on Friday. I love their selection of fine paper.

Bathroom: Pieces are Voila and Momoll. Accessories are Bratz, Lundby, Selecta, Re-ment and MiniSquare.

Creative Playthings Dollhouse

2009-03-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

After my naughtiness with the Selecta Casa Bella house, I'm lucky to find this one. Well, sorta. Lucky in the sense that it's not easily available (if at all), so I don't suffer any buying temptation. Unlucky, I suppose, because the lack of availability makes me want it all the more.

Sure there are a number of houses that resemble the construction and shape of this vintage one from Creative Playthings. The Momoll Ray Ray house springs to mind, as does my very own Voila House. I could even use that oft uttered phrase in my home "I could make one myself." Nevertheless, the heart wants what the heart wants.

Dollhouse by Creative Playthings. That's all I got. Maybe someone else out there has more info on this lovely?

Update: Thanks to callsmall for the tip re: the Daddy Types blog and Creative Playthings. A quick seach of Daddy Types revealed this new picture with furnishings.

Selecta Casa Bella (and Selecta has been Auf'd)

2009-03-25T06:56:00.001-07:00

For those of you kicking yourself for not buying the Selecta Casa Bella before it was discontinued, there's one on ebay right now, with a Buy It Now price of $160 and free shipping, open to Best Offers.

I confess, I had a momentary failure of resolve and pitched a lowball offer before I was saved from myself (and dollhouse overcrowding) by a rejected offer. Shame on me.

In related news, if you were eyeing any of the Selecta Ambiente furniture (or their other children's toys), Selecta has apparently ceased distributing in the United States as of December 31, 2008, due to the higher testing requirements imposed by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The CPSIA, although it seems like a well intentioned but reactionary measure, appears to be having the unfortunate result of reducing the ability of quality overseas toy manufacturers and small independent US manfacturers (not to mention etsy sellers) to compete in any meaningful fashion in the US toy market. Full article from Z Recommends here. Retailers will be allowed to sell their remaining stock.

Photo: Selecta Spielzeug

Clearview on Ebay

2009-03-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

Remember the MIAIM Clearview house that Modern MC blogged about? Yep, the gorgeous looking one rocking the vague Miami Vice vibe (in my mind) in a good way? I really wanted one, but the price and overseas shipping put it just a bit out of my price range. Especially after the Kaleidoscope House expenditure. Plus I don't really have the work space to put one together. I still have an almost finished ELF vanity taking up valuable real estate on our dining room table.

MIAIM has placed a Clearview House on ebay. And I believe shipping will be half the regular $250 cost (i.e., $125). My heart bleeds. If only my current budget weren't in the $5 range (due to the much lamented self-imposed spending embargo). This way though, I'm willing to blog about it rather than trying to keep the news to myself like a greedy girl.

Check out the auction, ending Saturday, here!

Pic: MIAIM Miniature Design & Architecture

A Room While I'm AFK

2009-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm clearly not technically away from my keyboard, as I am lugging my laptop around with me. I am, however, on vacation from work (hooray!) and currently in Vermont catching some late season skiing. I started this new KH setup two weekends ago while I was cleaning and dismantling the Voila House, but didn't get a chance to finish until right before we left (while I should have been packing).

I liked the way this kitchen fit in, leaving a good deal of extra floor space for a big Paris Renfroe dining table.

The dining table is actually the fulfillment of another real life design wishlist item. When we moved into our new place, I desperately wanted a new coffee table. Specifically a wood slab one, like from urban hardwoods. We're slowly replacing our respective "bachelor/ette pad" pieces of furniture, but haven't gotten around to the coffee table yet. Our current one is not terrible - a modern glass and mock wood (ie pressboard) piece from some cheap Chinatown place that my dad bought for me before I was gainfully employed.

The pillar sculpture by the fireplace is a small chinese calligraphy chop!

Everyone has these Re-ment mugs, of course. The real question is: "Who doesn't love these mugs?" Not I. *shakes head in vigorous denial*

The wok is from another one of the Re-ments sets I bought off ebay right before the spending embargo.

This toaster oven is slightly off scale, but I loved the set and the red color so much, I had to have it. It's generally okay, so long as I don't set anything next to it that is so glaringly off in size.

We're swinging by Boston to visit some of my college friends on the way home. I have two Pinky girls with me, as they do enjoy a good trip. Husband balked at the thought of packing a dollhouse in our trunk so I could continue to photograph. I jest, this didn't really cross my mind. Although I *did* want to smuggle our cat with us for the trip. I miss her.

Credits:

Kitchen is Theo Klein. Shelving is Sanrio from ebay.
Dining table, coffee table and cowhide rug are Paris Renfroe.
Chairs are from Take a Seat.
Sideboard/tv cabinet is vintage from ebay (part of that big mishmash grab box I got here).
Accessories are Re-ment, Mighty World, megahouse, DHE and Bertie Pittman.
Kitty is one of a kind.

Writer's Block

2009-03-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

It appears that Hana is suffering a bout of writer's block in her quest to write the Great Pinky Novel. I had been thinking that this space in the Kaleidoscope House would be well-suited for a posh walk-in closet or a small office nook, as the Shopping Sherpa did here with a fantastic custom built-in. When my last pre-spending embargo batch of ebay Re-ment arrived, including a fantastic typewriter, I promptly decided to go the office route.

Hana's expression looks so despairing, it cracks me up.

I put this scene together while Husband and I were watching Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer face off on the Daily Show. (Yikes, talk about awkward and painful interviews - I almost felt bad for Cramer at the end of the half hour.)

Yes. Hana is a hard living Pinky, like any cliche struggling writer. I'm sure hitting the Gordon's and the cigarettes really won't help her creativity issues. And she is certainly not being a good role model for the younger Pinkies out there. But, the booze and cancer sticks really made Husband laugh, and I aim to please.

The art, of course, is Futurama (by Matt Groening). I loved that show, and the fantastic witty writing would be an inspiration to any struggling auteur.

My mother used to give me these Chinese pills whenever I had stomach nausea. To this day, I still stock them in my medicine cabinet, even though I suspect that the ingredients might actually be useless (or worse, harmful). In addition, they look exactly like rabbit droppings and smell even worse. While the chinese name for these pills is zhen luyuan, I always called them the "rabbit poo pills." I went crazy when I spotted them in a Re-ment set. Again, I bet poor Hana wouldn't need them if she just laid off the sauce and lucky strikes.

Credits:

Desk is Ryan's Room.

Chair is Reac Japan.

Accessories are Re-ment, Lundby, Petit Princess, Mighty World and random ebay finds.

Wish I Wasn't on a Diet

2009-03-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

I wish I wasn't on a diet. And by diet, I mean a spending diet - my credit card is going through a serious Master Cleanse. It's a necessary, but welcome measure. Aside from the fiscal conservatism to match the times, it was getting a tad embarassing coming home and having the doorman hand over 8 parcels each night, each one no larger than 6 inches. The low point might have been when our super nice doorman Sam joked to Husband: "You've got to unplug her mouse!"

My comeback is, invariably, that I've got to keep spending to stimulate the economy. The road to economic recovery occurs one dollhouse miniature at a time. *Pfffft*

Anyway, this new minimalist kitchen from ELF Miniatures makes me sorely wish I weren't on a self imposed spending embargo:

I have been contemplating an ELF kitchen purchase for a while, but this one makes my fingers unconsciously tap out my Visa card number on the numberpad of my computer. I love the zebrano wood paneling and the streamlined cabinet/hood combination. For those of you who aren't just "looking at the dessert cart" like me, you can score the kitchen here at ELF Miniatures.

Pictures: ELF Miniatures

A Massively Dollhouse Weekend

2009-03-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

First off: many thanks to Oese for her kind commendation!

I started off a massive weekend dollhouse cleaning by finally taking down the Voila House. It was a trial getting it all packed back up in the original box, like putting a puzzle together. I suffered a few cardboard abrasions and more than one sigh was uttered, perhaps. I was a touch sad when it was finally done, even with the Kaleidoscope House taking its place by the wall.

On the other hand, the dismantling of the Voila House disgorged an ENORMOUS amount of dollhouse furniture and accessories:

Um. I didn't post a pan right photo, but the whole windowsill, and the floor beneath it, was lined with miniatures as well. Husband was pretty disgusted/alarmed/resigned with the minis covering the dining table, especially when we had no where to sit down and eat dinner on Saturday night. It took the rest of the weekend, interspersed with putting together a new kitchen in the KH great room, before I had the dining room table cleared off again.

Meanwhile, I also (1) put in a new scene in the bottom floor of the Stockholm House, (2) finished about 50% of an ELF vanity unit (more on that later this week) and (3) did some serious tv watching.

On the dollhouse/television front:

Not sure if anyone is a fan, but as a longtime Joss Whedon, Buffy, Angel and Firefly/Serenity maniac, I felt obliged to give Dollhouse, starring Eliza Dushku a shot. It's been off to a slowish start, and I'm not sure if Dushku has the acting chops to carry the concept, but I watched the most recent episode of Dollhouse, "Grey Hour," on hulu yesterday (Husband "forgot" to set the tivo) and thought it was a marked improvement over the first few episodes.

This Stockholm House scene was created with much input from Husband. His suggestions ranged from the helpful: "I think that table is too big" to the not so much "Why is that on the diagonal? Diagonal is lame."

Husband also asked me why the Pinky girls' lives were so hard that they had to be such boozers. He noted the all day free flowing gin and tonics. Pretty perceptive, that man . . .

Credits:
Kitchen: Lundby sink unit, Mighty World table and Megahouse chairs.
Living room is a Minisquare coffee table, and ebay/etsy finds. I think the tv stand is a Caroline's Home sideboard - it's got nice lines, but looks on the smaller side of even 1/16th scale.
Accessories are from AG Minis, Re-ment, Megahouse, Plan Toys, DHE, Mighty World and ebay.

And lastly for my weekend, while taking apart the Voila House, the evicted Pinky girls had to find a temporary perch. The KH mezzanine balcony was perfect:

The line up, apparently, "creeps out" Husband. Ha!

I Heart Brio

2009-03-09T17:42:00.001-07:00

Going fast on ebay - a number of mint in box Brio sets. My particular favorites are the table and egg chair set, and the pink bedroom set.

It's taking an immense strength of will, but I'm not bidding. Taxes, real estate taxes and a particularly strenuous dollhouse spree last month have me on a credit card diet. *sigh* These are gorgeous though.

Update: the bedroom sold for $75 and the egg chair/table set was bid up to $158.49 without meeting the reserve. Eek.

KH Finds a Home

2009-03-05T04:41:00.000-08:00

I've been swamped at work for last few weeks, leading to a serious backlog on my tivo, missed brunches with my parents and a deficiency of dollhouse-related endeavors. I woke up super early this morning for a dentist's appointment and even after working out and getting ready, had a few moments to spare to take some photographs.

The Kaleidoscope House has finally come off the floor, where Husband was constantly in danger of putting his foot through it, to its nice permanent perch. I especially love the green of the small desk, and there's even a drawer to stash my sticky tac and random high-frequency use Re-ment. (oops! Just realized that I have the white roof section off in this photo . . . *shrug*) In theory, when there isn't a dollhouse on display on top, the desk is supposed to free the dining room table from my laptop and all the work I bring home. The Pinky girls are also slowly moving in and taking in their new surroundings . . . Perhaps Sacchin in trying to call dibs on a certain room.

Speaking of taking it slowly, it took a few tries before I got a feel for the upstairs rooms in the Kaleidoscope House. This room went through several iterations, as a den and bedroom/study, before I settled on this arrangement that I wouldn't mind looking at for a few days.

I think the small room through the yellow door is meant to be a bathroom, but it's miniscule! I can fit a tub and a sink or, alternatively, a toilet and a shower, but some crucial hygeine element is going to go lacking in that teensy space. Instead, I'm contemplating a small home office area. Or perhaps, a dressing room/walk in closet a la MTV's Cribs, mainly because I want a huge walk in closet in real life. I have a pretty good sized (for the city) walk in closet at the moment, but there isn't a week that passes that I don't daydream about kicking Husband out of his closet in our bedroom.

Credits:
Drawer unit - Lundby.
Bed - wood block and KH house rug.
Nightstand - etsy find.
Accessories - Re-ment, wanju, DHE, etsy, Pinky St: and MiniSquare.
Art: Andrea Offerman

Calvin Klein House (or How Did I Miss This?!)

2009-03-03T15:19:00.001-08:00

I'm not quite sure how I missed seeing this during the holiday season, but I sure am kicking myself for doing so. The 5th Avenue Calvin Klein store had this four story "dollhouse" displayed. Designed by Joshua Prince-Ramus of REX Architecture in conjunction with two other firms, it's a four story glory of arylic, steel and spandex(!), complete with a landscaped roof, and features miniatures of the forthcoming 2009 Calvin Klein home furnishings collection. The interiors are what really set my heart palpitating (afterall, it's a cool looking structure, but who wants to live in a house suspended in midair?).

An artist's rendering:

I only wish they had more photos of the interiors and other floors, especially the bedroom. No, no. Who am I kidding - I really wish I had been able to see (and photograph) this house with my own eyes.

Photos from archpaper and interior design.

Paper Houses

2009-02-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

After a somewhat leisurely week last week (boss out on vacation and my matters ground to a halt), work is back with a vengence. I'm getting slammed and late nights and early morning calls mean that I have little time for more than a wistful glance at the houses before I rush to work.

The tatami room from last week got me thinking about a paper model house I spied a while ago. Luckily, I didn't need to retrace my google steps, as I had sent the link to myself. I think you might have to be pretty handy with scissors and a glue stick, but they also look like good fun.

I also really dig the fish store, and the little bins of different fish and assorted seafood. It reminds me of Chinatown.

There are actually a fair number of paper model rooms and settings to download:

There's also a butcher shop, bakery, and cafe. The lot are available here. Caution, the instructions are all in Japanese. I haven't done a google translate on it yet, but I bet a thicker weight paper/cardstock would be preferable.

Kaleidoscope Living Room in the House

2009-02-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

So after months of stalking on ebay (and some judicious saving), I finally scored the Kaleidoscope House Jasper Morrison living room on ebay. I've been longing for a cushy white sectional sofa for a long while. How appropriate that my Kaleidoscope sofa arrived at the same time as my new real life sofa. I was terribly excited and wanted to make sure the first room setting I placed the couch into would be worthy.

What could possibly be more worthy than . . .

. . . a Kaleidoscope House?

Ok, I confess. That was attempting to be a bit of a fake out. The living room is great, but obviously the house itself is bigger news. Many many thanks to the incredible Modern MC for posting the sales listing on her blog.

So, after unpacking the pieces, I realized that there would be no dismantling of the Voila House, since the base of the Kaleidoscope is far too big for the table the Voila House is on. All three dollhouses stay, and our living room has turned into Dollhouse Central.

I don't have any pictures of the exterior as assembled yet, since, well, y'all know what it looks like and frankly, I was too exhausted after setting up the house that I could barely throw any furniture in there much less take pictures. Plus, yesterday evening, the house was directly on the floor (the other choice being our dining room table) and I was working myself into yoga contortions just to get furniture inside.

Putting together the house was a bit of a herculean task, as it was missing the instruction booklet. My parents didn't send me to college for nothing though, and after about two hours, I managed to piece the house together with only intermittent cursing (when I installed the middle vertical panel backwards) and minor injuries (the house suffered a couple of dings in transit and sent a wickedly sharp blue plexi splinter into my index finger - more cursing). I've got a cracked corner panel, which is sad, but maybe one of these days I'll find a replacement on ebay from a beat up house.

After Husband and I were done admiring, I threw a quick living room together in the Kaleidoscope House "great room." Honestly, I put four pieces of furniture in there and then collapsed into bed. I didn't get around to completing the room until this morning. It was inspired by one of the mockups of the Jericho House interiors.

Credits:

Living room and kitchen sets are Bozart.
Eames lounge chair, ottoman and tulip chairs are Reac Japan.
Burl wood coffee table is Paris Renfroe Design Miniatures.
Vases are Bertie's Dollhouse Miniatures.
Side tables are good ole blocks from the art store.
Sideboards are Theo Klein. The shelving is from ebay.
The lucite dining table and console are By Barb.
Chair and art on the balcony are Lundby.
Accessories are Re-ment, Megahouse, Mighty World, DHE, Bertie's Miniatures, Wanju and ebay finds.
The art is "International Maritime" by Bob Knox.
And the Arco lamp is by Altera. heh.

As an added bonus, Moe finally has a place to park her Messerschmitt. It was previously double-parked on our windowsill.

Kawaii desu ne?

2009-02-19T06:19:00.000-08:00

After my adventures in lamp crafting, I decided to take a mini-break. I'm liking the current set up of most of my rooms at the moment, and want to enjoy them for a little while longer. Perhaps more importantly, Lost was on last night, and I don't walk around distracted during that show. Also, I may be taking down the Voila House temporarily since the arrival of the new sofa necessitated a furniture rearrangement. Be sure, it (or something in its place) will be back soon.

On a semi-tangent, I'm on a work embargo today and am going to look for a replacement dollhouse table. The Voila House currently resides on a floor model side table that my father randomly bought for me at Home Depot. It doesn't really fit with the rest of our furinture - it has scroll work along the edges and legs, not to mention that the legs are a bit wobbly. Ideally, I'd like something with storage underneath, and on rolling casters . . . all the better to turn for the best light exposure, yes? What do you guys display your dollhouses on?

Back to the topic at hand, I decided to memorialize one of the first rooms I set up in the Voila House before it gets disassembled. It's not in any modern aesthetic, but I loved the furniture set (and it took such a supreme effort to locate it) that I've kept the room installed the whole time I've had the house up.

What swank home wouldn't be complete without a retreat for some meditation and relaxation? The Pinky girls have their tatami room. My first encounter with a Japanese tatami room was while visiting a Navy friend of Husband's in Japan. His one bedroom apartment in Yokosuka included an entire separate room, spread with tatami mats. He had an inflatable mattress for us set up in the living room, but both Husband and I preferred to sleep right on the super clean floor in the tatami room.

The kotatsu table is a table that has a heater underneath (in real life). The blanket traps the heat inside and warms your feet and legs in the winter as you are seated. This set, which includes the table, cushions, table settings, tatami mats and blankets, and two cabinets (Reina is sitting on one of them in pic below), is from Sylvanian Families. It was a special release in Japan to commemorate the 20th anniversary of SF. Re-ment also recently released a miniature kotatsu table set:

Looks pretty similar, right down to the bowl of tangerines. I purchased it, of course, but haven't opened it yet. I suspect, like the other Re-ment miniatures, that it may be scaled much too large for a 1:18 or 1:12 room setting. Like most other Sylvanian Families/Calico Critters furniture, the SF Japanese room set is closer to 1:18 scale. The SF set also comes with more table accessories, like cups, a teapot, a can of tea and even a bowl of little adorable rice crackers.

Credits:

Japanese room set, including cabinets, tatami mat, blankets, kotatsu table, cushions, table settings, mini-bonsai and wall decor, is Sylvanian Families.

Shelving is from ebay (a search for Japanese dollhouse furniture will usually get you this and similar furniture, like here).

Other accessories are Petit Princess, Re-ment or Megahouse.

Reina and Moe, wearing their yukatas, caught in mid-gossip.

Hm. I could really go for some grilled squid on a stick right now.

DIY - Castiglioni Arco Lamp

2009-02-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

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.

I can't figure out this HTML!

2009-02-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

I spotted this white sofa on ebay long before I realized it was from AG Minis. The seller had it listed without the reversible cushions and for a terrific price (no mention of the AG Mini brand). And . . . I just plain dropped the ball and forgot about it when the auction was ending. Fast forward a month, and I scored the sofa, complete with cushions, as part of a larger AG Minis lot. Alas, when I got it in hand, it was larger than I expected and takes up half an entire room in the Voila House. Instead, I've been meaning to use it as a daybed and finally had a chance in the upstairs room of the Stockholm House.

I put this bedroom/study together last night while watching 24. I'm sure Husband gets annoyed when I can't sit still to watch a tv show, but rather dart back and forth through his field of view, ferrying furniture and Re-ment to the Stockholm House. To top it off, two of my friends rang for a girl-chat conference call midway through, and Husband gave up on finishing 24, retreating to the bedroom to watch Anthony Bourdain instead.

Credits:

Sofa/Daybed is AG Minis.
Leather chaise lounger is Paris Renfroe Design Miniatures. The interlocking table is part of a trio of tables from ebay (which I've mentioned before here).
Desk is from a children's wooden furniture set that my in-laws sent me from Shanghai, sans box. I'm pretty sure it's Wanju.
Accessories are DHE, Lundby, Re-ment, Plan Toys, Voila and ebay finds.
Art is Warhol.

Reina's got the right idea - I wish I was still lounging at home today.

Peeking in at Sacchin telecommuting. I bet she's ebaying - that's what I would do if I telecommuted . . .

"I can't figure out this HTML!" she pouts.

Pinky Pink Party

2009-02-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, Arc had three of her singleton friends over for a Pink themed party, even though she herself forgot to wear pink (red - it's close enough!) On the menu, curried butternut squash soup, Fabio's winning roast chicken from Top Chef and a white chocolate raspberry gateau.

Credits:
Table settings are from Mighty World, Re-ment and ebay.

Valentine's Day Dinner

2009-02-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

For one reason or another, Husband and I have no plans for Valentine's Day. We spent the day going to Target and Trader Joe's but otherwise contemplate nothing more romantic. I'm celebrating Valentine's Day by setting up a new dining room in the Voila House to match the new Cuisine de Léon (and planning to follow that up with a round of Rock Band drumming). Perhaps later I'll set up a dinner for the Pinky girls - although the Paris Renfroe table is a touch too tall for Maki. She looks like a wee toddler next to the table.

Credits:
Dining table by Paris Renfroe.
Sideboard is Selecta.
Chairs are Reac Japan.
Lighting fixtures from Doll House Emporium.
Accessories are Re-ment, Bertie Pittman or other e-bay purchases.
The art is "Home for a Drifting Sailor" by Bob Knox. I first came across Knox's work on our fourth floor conference center at work, of all places, and love his paintings of mid-century architecture and interiors.

Cuisine de Léon (Professional Kitchen)

2009-02-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

When I was setting it up, I didn't know this was going to be a kitchen fit for an assassin. But as I was rifling through my art clippings, I didn't feel like booting up the computer to look for pictures of food for the wall (Husband's suggestion). Instead, I ended up using this great Andrea Offermann print that was inspired by one of my favorite movies, The Professional (released as Léon in France).

Some detail shots:

This counter actually took the longest. After my cleaning up/organizing last weekend, it took about 10 minutes to find the three separate Re-ment sets for this cutting board in my box-o-Re-ment.

A bit off-scale, but I love these oil/vinegar (or soy sauce/rice wine vinegar in my home) containers.

Credits:

Counter, sink, washing machine and microwave are Theo Klein.

The good-looking oven unit is from ELF Miniatures.

Shelf unit is Selecta.

Accessories are from Mighty World, Re-Ment, Lil Bratz and ebay.
"Léon" print by Andrea Offermann available for purchase in real life size at specler.

As I mentioned earlier, the Pinky girls are a bit on the small side for 1:12 scale. Arc is never going to reach that top shelf without a step stool. Um. Just like me in my own home.

Speaking of assassins: the other day when I was re-doing the bedroom in the Stockholm house, I glanced up at the roof terrace and was startled to find an intruder.

It seems Husband has been getting in on the dollhouse action as well. But is this masked man a mere party-crasher or a stealth asssailant?

Bouroullec Self

2009-02-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

How terrific looking is this shelf by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra? I came across it in my ongoing quest for a sideboard, but I suspect Husband will not approve. First, we're looking for a true sideboard, and not open shelving, so we can get our boxed wedding china off of the tops of our kitchen cabinets where it is currently residing. Second, and more importantly from a practical storage standpoint, this shelf would never get used as such, since I would eagerly swoop in with my minis, setting up a Pinky diorama even before the delivery men could leave.

It's true. I have dollhouses on the brain, just about continuously. The Self Shelf with its modular construction and flexible plexi panel arrangement reminds me of the Momoll Play Tower Thing.

The shelf also channels the (life size) Jericho House that I blogged about previously a bit, not to mention the Bozart Kaleidoscope House with the multicolored plexi walls. It's way too tall (who doesn't love 15-16 foot ceilings?) to be a true 1:12 scale house, but the one or two level shelf would nevertheless make a swank pad. The four level shelf could be a modern condo building!

I'm inspired. I've been thinking about constructing my own dollhouse recently, and the idea of a structure like this, in a smaller size, really appeals to me. I love that the interior walls can be moved to adjust for varying room sizes, and the various moods and looks that the different color scheme panels provide. (I particularly like the maroon, green and yellow combo in the last picture above.) And, it could be easily dissassembled for flat storage in our space-limited apartment. I just need to see my carpenter friend now . . .

Self shelf available at Hive Modern.

If only the Pinky Girls were Taller . . .

2009-02-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

I'm sure this vintage set of Mattel furniture is pretty well known - there's a set up on ebay right now here. I suspect that nice modern furnishings might be even harder to come by in playscale and that the Barbie and Blythe fans feel the 1:12'ers can't have it all, but there are some gorgeous pieces in here.

I love this sideboard. I'm on a bit of a sideboard/credenza (in real and miniature life) kick, as I alluded to in my previous post.

The prize is most definitely the sofa and chair set though. I love the clean Danish Modern lines. Now if only Pinky grew a few inches . . .

update: The final sell price was $261.80!

Morning in Stockholm and Work Shenanigans!

2009-02-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

I've gotten into this horrible habit in the mornings of fiddling with my miniatures before I go to work. Needless to say, this tends to make me late for work. Today, I actually woke up pretty early, took a shower, ate breakfast and was on target for an early departure. Then, I walked past the Stockholm House and thought: "Maybe I'll just switch out the bedroom furniture." There's a vintage german Kitty bedroom set that I snagged on ebay a few months back that I hadn't had a chance to use or display yet.

After that I just *had* to snap a picture or four. And while I was doing so, the sun repeatedly emerged from behind the clouds wrecking havok on my camera settings, which prolonged the whole process.

Credits (to the extent not mentioned in previously):
Bed, nightstand and armoire - vintage German Kitty set from ebay. I need to make some more bedding for the bed, it came with only a flimxy piece of pink foam. And there was also a vanity and mirror set included (not pictured), the top clear plastic piece of which has warped with age and needs to be replaced. Otherwise the set was in great mint condition and still had pieces of tape holding the drawers shut.

Lucite side table/tv stand - By Barb.

That japanese lantern which was not part of this scene but now I notice it in the photo outside on the patio area is a generic miniature from ebay, like the one found here.

Kokoro literally has nothing to wear - her closet is empty save for a luxe ostrich Mirkin bag. I considered populating the closet with some clothes, but seeing as how Pinky Girls are interchangeable part dolls, that would mean putting shoes, pants and shirts in there with feet, legs and hands, respectively, attached. Brrrr! No thanks.

So then, as if one tale of work deliquency in a single post wasn't bad enough, I have a second tale:
Yesterday at around 6 pm, I finished an assignment and passed it in for review. Knowing that it would take at least an hour (or more) for it to come back to me, I decided to abandon my desk and went for a quick walkabout to Lee's Art Shop and Kate's Paperie.

My loot: more mirrors, a kimono scrapbook sticker for wall decor (I have a tatami room in the Voila House), alternative sticky stuff for mounting minis on walls and two biggish cork . . . erm . . .cork thingies that get a new life as side tables or a combo coffee table. Oh, and that latch hook looking knickknack in the back is a foam cutter. I purchased a lot of foam pieces a few weeks back on ebay, for an attempt at making some sofas. Husband repeatedly (and dubiously) asks: "How are you going to cut all that foam?" With a foam cutter, dear, with a foam cutter. Ha!

Last bit in this patchwork post: as I was leaving Lee's Art Shop last night I noticed this credenza/sideboard in their display window. Husband and I are still looking for one, me with significantly more enthusiasm because it will eventually house our still-in-the-box-taking-up-space wedding china inside and a dollhouse on top (insert audible sigh from Husband here). I snapped a quick pic for Husband's consideration and received the same question I get these days when I send him any picture of furniture: "Is this for the Pinkies or for us?" Silly Husband. What a question. Not because there aren't fantastically realistic miniatures out there (lucky for us), but because if it were miniature sized, I would have bought it without asking you.

Bedtime in Stockholm

2009-02-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

Husband and I had guests over last night, so in addition to cleaning up the apartment, I cleaned up the dollhouses as well. The pool in the Stockholm house had gotten a bit filled with mini accessories (to keep them safe from the cat). Of course, I couldn't resist taking the opportunity to throw together a new bedroom for Kokoro. She's just about ready for bed, although it's still bright out. I suppose in Stockholm, Sweden, daylight could mean it's either 4 pm or 10 pm depending on the time of year.

Credits:
Low shelf from Selecta.
Bed from a kids toy set, I think it's Wanju (found it with the Pinkys while in Shanghai).
Chair - Reac Japan.
Accessories - Re-ment, Lil' Bratz, Plan Toys, Lundby. The mini sculpture is actually a rock from Lesvos, Greece that I picked up on a beach. Oh, and the bird pillow is a felt pin that I bought off of Etsy (intended for a tote bag, but never made it there).
Art - Beatriz Milhazes.

We stopped by Target during our trip out to the burbs yesterday and picked up some organizing containers. Needless to say, I've already filled all of them up and need more. Our apartment does look a little more sane now though.

WIP - Adventures in Ebay Finds and Reupholstering

2009-02-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

I received a somewhat terrifying box of vintage dollhouse furniture from Germany as an ebay win. I really bid on the lot for one or two pieces (a sideboard and a plastic sofa set) and because it was cheap, but when I opened up the box, in addition to the rest of the lot, there was a ton more that the seller threw in, in various states of cleanliness. There was also a somewhat grimy cloth bag filled with tiny accessories and dust and itty bitty baby dolls (eeek!) and dust and well . . . you get the picture. Husband, looking over my shoulder, proclaimed the cloth bag-o-dust "creeptastic" so I threw it in a plastic grocery bag to sort through another day (i.e., never).

The first shot is a picture of the loot, with a few choice items removed already. Those red plastic chairs are nice, as are the side tables. But the rest, including two beds, a rickety bunk bed, a plastic kitchen set and a crib, I may just give a gentle cleaning and then sell off on ebay.

The real unexpected surprise was this sofa/chair set. I'm thinking it could do with some reupholstering (in pink! for the Top Design room!) Maybe I'll repaint or stain the wood frame first though. I was thinking either white or dark brown. Husband wasn't much help in this department, he was much too busy muttering under his breath about how we don't have any more room in the apartment for painting supplies. How about you guys, any thoughts?

Too Many Pinkys - One Bathroom

2009-02-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

Poor Kokoro wonders when the parties are going to end and the "guests" are going to leave.

I always imagined the Voila doll house as a bit of a dorm (or sorority house) for the Pinky girls. The four rooms on each floor lend themselves well to the installation of multiple bathrooms, a must in any multi-female home, I think.

The Lundby Stockholm House, on the other hand, has only one bathroom - not a problem for Kokoro if she has the place to herself. But with the continuous parties and overstaying-their-welcome houseguests . . . sheesh, the plumbing is taking a serious hit (not to mention the sad state of her liquor cabinet).

For a different look in the Stockholm, I cobbled together a new bathroom:

Tub from DHE.
Toilet from Voila toys.
Sink unit is a combination of a kids playset vanity/dresser and an ELF miniatures sink and tap.
Accessories from DHE, Re-ment and AG Minis.

The poppies on the wall are Donald Sultan. I love poppies, he apparently loves painting poppies. Perfect fit.

Super Bowl Sunday

2009-02-01T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Pinky Girls clearly don't know there is a recession going on. They've been partying on the Lundby Stockholm House roofdeck since New Years like it's 1999. I asked them kindly to move it indoors, and they agreed on the condition I throw them a Super Bowl party.

Of course, that gave me the perfect excuse to redecorate the bottom floor of the house. I was running around trying to find certain pieces, while Husband puffed his annoyance that I wouldn't settle down and watch Wall-e. (I finally did, great movie . . . ) Mental note - I have to find a better organization system than shoeboxes, window sills, the coffee table (on and under) and the rolling kitchen cart.

Wouldn't you know it, it was finding the right sofa that gave me the hardest time . . . again. Since Husband wouldn't let me buy an orange (or hot pink) real life sofa yesterday, I went with orange in the mini-living room. I particularly like the Voila felt covered chairs because they remind me of the first modern sofa I fell in love with - the Ligne Roset Togo sofa, in orange of course (and I love the Togo sofa because, well, the deep wrinkles remind me of a sharpei dog).

The girls are hitting the booze a little early - I'm not sure if they are going to make it to game time . . .

Credits: The kitchen is Lundby Smaland. Low shelf and sideboard are both Lundby as well. Sofa and side table are Voila Toys. Eames plywood lounge chair is Reac Japan. Coffee table is a gorgeous Paris Renfroe design. Accessories are Re-ment, DHE, Megahouse, Lundby, Bertie's or various other ebay finds. The green art is a cardboard insert that comes with the Re-ment Sapporo room set. I changed out the art after taking the first batch of photos - the second is Matisse's "Les Abeilles." Ever since I saw the piece at the Matisse Museum in Nice over 10 years ago, I've been looking for a repro/print. No luck, even at the Matisse museum itself. The Pinky girls get to enjoy it instead, and I need to buy some matte photo paper, the super glossy stuff reflects too much in pictures.

Furniture Shopping - Big and Small

2009-01-31T15:45:00.000-08:00

Husband and I finally bought a sofa today. In the almost nine years that we've known each other (married for near five of those), we've never purchased a sofa together. Even after we moved into our new place, we've been using the leather sofa that was in his bachelor pad studio. It's been kinda tricky coming to a compromise between comfort (Husband) and super sweet looks (me). We got the above sofa in a light gray - maybe it's my work on the Top Design room, but I was semi-obsessed with getting a hot pink sofa. Husband is letting me purchase some hot pink throw pillows. The arms of each side of the sofa fold down flat (as a side table? as a sleeping surface?) and miracles of miracles - it's slipcovered.

I went home and indulged my little design heart with another sofa purchase - from ebay.

Credits: Sofa and noguchi coffee table are ebay finds. Ceiling lamp, cushions and plants are from DHE. Side table from Petit Princess. Accessories are lundby, AG minis. The wall art is a brooch. The handturned wood bowl is from Bertie's Dollhouse Miniatures. Bertie does incredible work and I've a number of vases and bowls from Bertie's ebay store that I've incorporated into my mini scenes.

De Stilj House

2009-01-29T17:08:00.000-08:00

Gerrit Rietveld designed the De Stilj dollhouse below. Reportedly, the Brooklyn Museum of Art purchased it for a lovely sum of $30,000.

I wonder if this house is on display at the museum - I would love to get a closer look. If so, I may have to beg a field trip off of Husband. He despises driving to Brooklyn (the last trip ended up with us in a sketchy mafia-front furniture store where no English was spoken). I may need to bribe him . . . with baked goods.

Photo from artnet.

More Houses!

2009-01-29T16:53:00.000-08:00

I still haven't gotten my document back - so I'm still procrastinating (and wondering if it I can make it home in time for dinner with Husband).

I nearly forgot about this house, which I ran across on etsy a few weeks back:

Available at etsy from seller Petit Flaneur. The profile of the dining chairs in particular reminds me a bit of those Kartell Ghost Chairs for some reason. Maybe it's the late-dinner-with-Husband-deprived hour, but I'm thinking this would look pretty darned good in my office as well.

Bauhaus Model House

2009-01-29T16:31:00.000-08:00

It's late and I'm stuck at work, waiting for my partner to return a document to me. I found this:

I love it! Alas, a second take reveals that it's (1) of itty bitty dimensions (17 x 16 x 10 cm) and (2) a model made out of cardstock. Maybe I'll pick one up anyway just for giggles to display in my office.

You can pick up the Bauhaus Modern Cottage here.

Christmas in Stockholm

2009-01-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

So my older brother thinks I'm nuts with the dollhouse fascination. He has pointed out that his 4-year old daughter has a dollhouse (Fisher Price). In fact, my niece has been over a number of times and set up dinner for the Pinky girls. For my sister-in-law, don't worry! It really doesn't give me heartburn when I watch the little one rampaging through the dollhouse. (Now, my 2 year old nephew pulling my kitty's tail . . . ha!)

Anyway, despite his insinuations that I'm a tad "immature" at thirty-something, my brother actually bought me the Lundby Stockholm house for Christmas. And that's why he's the best brother ever.

This was my first quick attempt at decorating the house. I actually already had the Lundby kitchen and bathroom sets. (Funny mini-story: I was sent, against my will, to London for a three day training session for work. Reluctantly, I went. But I took the opportunity to score some hard to find Mighty World sets, as well as some less expensive Lundby furniture - from vendors that wouldn't, alas, ship to the United States. So - after some wrangling and careful timing and instructions, I had them deliver the packages to the hotel where I was staying. I had FIVE packages awaiting me on my check-in. Lousy leadership training session in the UK for work, complete with people-yelling-at-you role playing: tiring and painful. Hotel accommodations: free (paid by work). Coming home with a small rolling suitcase half-filled with dollhouse miniatures: PRICELESS!)

Anyway, I've been slaving away at work this past week and haven't had much of an opportunity to take pictures and blog. I'm hoping we get some good sunlight tomorrow in the morning. The husband has promised to cook breakfast, so I may take the opportunity to get some quality time in with the dollhouses.

Erm. Credits (if I can remember): Kitchen, Bathroom and shelving unit are Lundby. The chairs and coffee table in the living room are from trolling on ebay. I believe the chairs are from the Debbie's Dream House. Bedroom: bed is a soapdish from Muji (another hat tip to Mini Modern), mirrored bedside tables from DHE, chair is petit princess. All accessories are AG minis, Re-ment, or random ebay finds. I especially love the hand-turned vases.

Prefab (Doll) House?

2009-01-22T11:30:00.000-08:00

I live in an apartment in a building with probably about 500 of my dearest and closest neighbors, but from time to time, we think about moving to the burbs. In my ideal world (the one where we win megamillions), I'd love to build my own home from the ground up.

I'm also enamoured with the concept of prefab houses for some reason. There are a number of architects exploring (more) affordable design. In my wandering on the net, I came across the Jeriko House. Although the real life house will have to wait, I'd love to see something in this aesthetic in a dollhouse scale.

At the very least, though, I can be inspired by the computer-mockups of the interiors . . .

I love this kitchen.

All photos courtesy of Jeriko House.

Top Design - Work in Progress

2009-01-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

The above is a work in progress, inspired by one of the rooms in the final challenge on Bravo's Top Design. The first picture is of Ondine's living room. I love the pink sofas juxtaposed with the zebra pattern.

I'm having trouble finding nice modern sofas, much less in hot pink. The Plan Toys' one works okay, I think. The room needs much more work though. Aside from sewing up some zebra pillows and much accessorizing and finishing, I ordered some mirrored cube side tables from DHE that I'm hoping to put in here.

Eh . . . Anyway, the sofas are still vexing me. I'm hoping to find something I can gut and refurbish on ebay. Or maybe I'll just have to try making some sofas on my own from scratch.

Funny story: one of my first pictures of this room had my entire face reflecting back in the full size wall mirror - it looked like my head was plastered on the whole wall in the room - or some giant sized me was trapped in a three floor dollhouse. It scared the snot out of my husband.

Credits: Sofa is Plan Toys from the modern furniture set. Chair is petite princess by Ideal. Zebra rug and coffee table (which breaks apart into three separate tables) are ebay wins. "Life size" terracotta warrior part of a souvenir set from the Great Wall. The vendors were pretty amused when I whipped a Pinky girl out of my camera bag for size comparison.

Before and After

2009-01-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, Sacchin and Maki bought a new dining room set. "The table is nice," mused Sacchin, "but something about the chairs is . . . well, the pink is just so . . . so . . . barbie!" Maki ignored her friend's outburst and scooted forward a little more in her efforts to surreptitiously reach the floor with her dangling feet.

(Note from author: when I sit in chairs, my feet don't reach the floor either. As my husband would put it: "How hoomiliatin'...")

After a few weeks of mouse clicks and patience (and one super lucky blind box pull), the gals have new dining chairs, courtesy of Reac Japan, and are ready to host some dinner parties.

Credits: Dining table is Ryan's Room and tulip chairs are from Reac Japan. The Avery Coonley House design wall decoration is another Frank Lloyd Wright bookmark. Accessories from Re-ment, Dolls House Emporium and ebay.

Rusty Sewing Skills

2009-01-10T08:11:00.001-08:00

The dollhouse has inspired me to bust out the sewing machine again. Last time I used it was probably over four years ago, to make six purses out of red shantung silk (with antique kimono fabric lining) for my bridesmaids. It sounds alot more complicated than it really was and makes my sewing abilities sound far more advanced than they are.

A few weekends ago, I decided to stitch up some bedding for a new mini bed set. Yeah, that's leftover red shantung silk (the leopard print pillows I didn't make). In fact, one of my bridesmaids came over to visit, noticed the bedding and exclaimed: "Hey! Isn't that the same fabric . . . " Why yes, yes it is . . .

I wish my bathroom in real life looked like this. Don't get me wrong, my bathroom is nice, it's the original design that came with the apartment. But it's marble and gold and um . . . very "hotel room", and not modern boutique hotel. This is the first room I've done with the ELF miniatures bathroom sink unit and I think it's great looking. The tub I picked up on a trip to Muji, ostensibly to buy storage containers, but I left with only the tub. The husband had his doubts ("It's a bowl!"), but it looks like a tub I'd gladly take a soak in. Any would be a vast improvement over the tub/shower I had in my old apartment, which was so shallow that if you laid down completely flat in the bottom, you'd still only be half submerged with various bits sticking out. Ooof.

For comparison purposes, I've included a photo of the Pinky girls (Sacchin and Reina) with some kids room furniture from when I was just starting out . . . they like their new stylish digs much more . . .

Credits: The bed is a soapdish (thanks to Mini Modern for the tip on scouring Bed Bath & Beyond). The wall decor is a Frank Lloyd Wright bookmark from the Museum of Modern Art. Armchair is petite princess. The bathroom sink unit is from ELF miniatures, and tub is a small dish from Muji. Accessories are an assortment, mostly Re-ment and DHE. Oh, and the orange and green kids room furniture is part of Plan Toys' modern furniture set.

Pinky in the PRC

2009-01-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

So I really didn't talk much about Pinky St: in my first post, other than a brief oblique mention. I really should give more detail, seeing as how they were the starting point for this new hobby of mine. They are Japanese figures, with interchangeable heads, hair, clothing, complete with adorable anime eyes. Roughly 4 inches tall, Pinky girls are really closer to 1:16 - 1:18 scale, but I've put them into 1:12 scale houses because (1) dollhouse miniatures, much less modern dollhouse miniatures, are generally easier to come by in 1:12 scale, (2) before my awesome brother got me the Lundby Stockholm for Christmas (more on THAT later), I only had a 1:12 scale house and (3) as a vertically challenged person, I always feel like a Pinky girl in

my own home anyway. Um. My husband gets a huge laugh whenever he sees me lunging at the top shelf in the kitchen with a pair of tongs in my outstretched hand. Yes, it's pretty humiliating.

Since pictures are worth a thousand words and really, most people don't want to read my random musings, at least not on toy dolls, I'll share a few pictures of the trip two Pinky girls took with me to China - Shanghai and Beijing - to visit my inlaws.

My Mini Obsession

2009-01-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

My mini obsession started back in August. My husband blames the Wire (Lester Freamon makes and sells dollhouse miniatures during his spare (and work) hours). But in reality, the seeds of my obsession were planted back in 2000 when my husband (then boyfriend) purchased an "action figure" while in Taiwan on vacation. In reality, the action figure was a knockoff Sean Lo figure and his fascination with urban vinyl and simultaneous disdain for bootlegs was born. He dragged me around the city from Toy Tokyo to the then nascent Kid Robot. Eventually, on one of these trips, I spotted this adorable figure called Pinky St: . . . and the rest is history. From time to time, I'd add to my Pinky collection, even grabbing a few in Kyoto while the husband and I were doing our around the world trip. I also started buying miniature japanese figures, like Re-ment and Megahouse, simply because . . . well, who doesn't need a miniature sushi diorama?

Fast forward to August 2008: I had just purchased a new batch of Pinky St: girls and started thinking about buying a house for them. I came quite close to buying the Calico Critters manor aka Grand Hotel, but something about the aesthetic didn't quite sit right with me. My apartment and furniture in real life skew towards the modern, inasmuch as budget and cat's claws will allow. Somehow, I couldn't quite pull the trigger on that plastic quasi-victorian model. Then I stumbled upon one of the few modern dollhouse blogs out there (the tremendous Mini Modern) and soon couldn't get enough.

My collection is expanding, by leaps and bounds. Here's my meager contribution to the online community of modern dollhouse fans (and to my friends who think I've gone off the deep end).