I managed to get a few somewhat decent shots of a family room scene that I put together last week. How did I piece this one together? Eh, let's see. First, I was inspired by how the main level of the Land of Nod knockoff house could be a basement setting. Then I was led by thoughts of cool parents who don't take life too seriously, collect pop culture trinkets and sometimes go to Comic-Con. Spy the CL4P-TP (Claptrap) replica in the corner? Someone in the house is a Borderlands fan--and it's not the kids.
The Goods: Modular coffee
table is Fred; modular sofa is Momoll; play table and chairs are brinca
dada; desk chair is Reac Japan; Claptrap is Neca; media cabinets are
Urban Girl; bench is PRD; giant anglepoise lamp is Just Mustard; all accessories are MitchyMoo Miniatures, PRD,
LiLu, Playmobil, Selecta, Kaisercraft, Lego, Nintendo, Bozart Toys,
Munny World, MinisX2, Hape, Re-Ment, and other hobby and craft store
finds.
How difficult is it to look at these pictures and not want this dollhouse for yourself? And how difficult is it for you to answer the first question with all that drool collecting in your mouth? I know. It's a beauty--a massive beauty being built by the craftsmen at Miller Woodworking. The company's founder and CEO, Steve Miller, was kind enough to give us an extended preview of the contemporary beach model for the Kaleidoscope Ball Dollhouse Showcase. The house is not complete in these images, but it's already a stunner. I have to give a nod to the craftsmen working on this structure. The work looks high quality, but that's no surprise really if you visit the company site and see what other works of art they have created. You know I have a high regard for artisans. Let's face it, this hobby and our miniature collections would be lackluster without them.
I'm quite fond of the kitchen cabinetry in this model...and is that an Elf Miniatures range tucked in there? The staircase makes me swoon. Its design actually reminds me of the work we've seen from Paris Renfroe. Oh! And those terraces...those walls of "glass"... I look at this canvas and just want to get my hands on it. I can't wait to see this house fully dressed. Enjoy the rest of the images below and share your thoughts!
The above image is the contemporary beach dollhouse designed by Richard Manion Architecture Inc. for the Kaleidoscope Ball Dollhouse Showcase. This house will feature designs by Chris Barrett and Woodson and Rummerfield. See Jaime Rummerfield's post about the dollhouse charity here. Yes, you will notice that Rummerfield has borrowed text, images and links from this blog, but I'm cool with it. It's considered flattery, right? Plus, I'm totally borrowing this pic from her. Anyway, I think the dollhouse looks quite promising. What do you all think so far?
So...I made a family room scene. Unfortunately, it is gloomy, ugly and overcast weather here in California. I know, right! Anyway, I'm just not getting the natural light and photographs I want. The image above might be a sneak peek if I don't scrap the entire build tonight. Sorry. If I do scrap this, I think I will use these blocks as tables again in another setup...
The Premature Goods: Tables are Fred; tray is MitchyMoo Miniatures; accessories in tray are ReMent and PRD.
The architecture firm behind the Designer Dollhouse Showcase is Richard Manion. Richard Manion Architecture, Inc. is well-known for luxury estate homes. The rendering above is a preview of one of the dollhouses that will be offered for sale. The 10 dollhouses featured at the Kaleidoscope Ball will include Contemporary, Modern, Italianate, Georgian and Brownstone styles. Each of the houses will measure approximately 6'x3', feature two or three levels and come complete with lighting, wall coverings, flooring, fixtures, custom designer furnishings and accessories. Many of the houses will also feature exterior landscaping by Stephen Block of Inner Gardens and Christine London Ltd.
Crack open the piggy bank or find that wealthy friend who will take pity on you because these custom dollhouses will be sold for $20,000 and up. Structures not sold at the gala will be featured in a special charity sale hosted by One Kings Lane. All proceeds from the designer dollhouse sales will support the UCLA Mattel Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute.
Click HERE to purchase tickets or make a donation.
I placed a custom order for the Urban Girl Dollhouse furniture. The pieces come standard in 1:18 scale, but I needed to see how these would fare at 1:12. So far they are working out okay. They are solid walnut and have a nice heft. The thicker wood necessary to create 1:12 scale pieces makes the finished product more susceptible to cracks along the length of the grain. The thicker wood also likes to fight the manufacturer's blade during precise cuts. When this battle begins, the company chooses to let the bias of the wood grain guide the lines. The pieces I have show these natural wood characteristics, but nothing that detracts from the finished product's appeal. Pictured above are the base cabinets from Urban Girl's furniture line. I got a few of these to use as kitchen counters, retail counters, dressers, and other various cabinetry. I'm currently using the base counters in the scene above as media cabinets. Speaking of the scene above...
I'm trying not to lose interest with it, but I'm waning. If you have been reading this blog for a few years, you probably notice that I quickly get bored with miniature scenes. I start them and they somehow "displease me" and I scrap them. I'm constantly shuffling miniatures to the beat of 2 minutes here and then 5 minutes there and then the rare 15 minutes. I'm usually pushing miniatures around in about 4 or more scenes at a time. This is the process before I actually get the drive to complete a build. Recently, I was asked by a magazine to experiment with a tutorial or how-to about my miniature design process. I tried it out, but had to decline because my "process" is simply not interesting. And, to be honest, I'm not even sure I have a process. Some days inspiration takes over and the rooms make themselves and then other days, I have no idea what I want to build and thus the shuffling and procrastinating.
The only consistency in the creative flow is the drive-by stare. What is the "drive-by stare", you ask? Well, the drive-by stare is when I'll pop open each of the 12 drawers that house some of my miniatures. I look in and stare at the contents for a minute. The view looks something like this:
Eventually, I'll move on and then later return to do another drive-by stare. Open. Close. Open. Close. Open...Close...
And I'll drive-by just one more time because, you know, I'm sure the contents have changed since I last looked.
I do switch it up sometimes and make it even more exciting by standing with my arms folded like an old, crusty ship captain. I'll stand there and peruse the portion of my collection on several storage units = a sea of clear boxes--which looks like a lot of this:
It's a 30-second scan before I retreat, but, yeah, I'll come back and strike the commander pose again later. Sometimes my eyesight blurs over the clear boxes as my mind often wanders to other things like "Do we have any snacks?"..."Should I buy those shoes"..."What would Olivia Pope do?"...
My Mr. offers this advice when he sees me becoming bored with a miniature scene, "If you're not feeling it, then... you're just not feeling it. Let it go." I hear him. I do. But, I know I will return to my drive-by ways.
Dear Jeffrey, I hope you make extras. Much love, your friends in the modern miniatures community.
Images: Palecek
On Wednesday, April 17th, the Beverly Hills Hotel (Beverly Hills, CA) will host a Kaleidoscope Ball that features a designer dollhouse showcase during the cocktail hour of the event. Ten custom dollhouses will be available for sale via silent auction to benefit the UCLA Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute. I can't begin to describe how excited I am about this news! Each of the dollhouses are designed by LA's who's who of interior decorators. I dare you to not swoon over this list of talent:
No word on whether these dollhouse structures will be created from familiar kits or developed by LA based architecture firms, but rumor has it that designer Paris Renfroe and artisan Doris Nathanson are also attached to the project. I'm anxious to see the designs and have already been counting the days until the event. Hopefully, we can get the complete photo tour of these custom dollhouses before and during the event. And I hope one can bid online for these structures. Complete event details are still filtering in, but there will soon be a dedicated web page that covers the gala. In the meantime, I've been reaching out to the designers to see if they will provide a glimpse of what they are creating in miniature. Responses have been fairly positive, but I will note that some designers have not even started working on this project. We'll see what happens!
Are you excited? Oh! Note that these dollhouses are for a charitable purpose...so no Ocean's 11 or Mission Impossible heist plans, please.
What:
Kaleidoscope Ball: Cocktail Reception and Designer Dollhouse Showcase followed by Dinner, Awards, and Entertainment.
When:
Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 6:00 PM
Where:
Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA
Cost:
Tickets start at $500
Sponsor packages start at $5,000
Click HERE to purchase tickets or make a donation.
Looking for even more details? Visit Modern Mini Houses blog here and also here.
