The 10 Houses Of The Designer Dollhouse Showcase

These are the 10 designer dollhouses that will be up for auction tonight at the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital Kaleidoscope Ball. The bids for these massive beauties start at $20K...

 Italianate House 1 by Lonnie Paul and Adam Hunter

Italianate House 2 by Mark Cutler and Cari Berg, Landscaping by Christine London

Modern House 1 by Natasha Baradaran and Waldo Fernandez

 Modern House 2 by Jim Magni and Joan Behnke

 

Contemporary Beach House 1 by Jeffrey Alan Marks and Elizabeth Dinkel

Contemporary Beach House 2 by Chris Barrett and Ron Woodson & Jaimie Rummerfield, Landscaping by Inner Gardens
(I donated the wasp nest pendant in the dining room...)

Georgian House 1 by Mary McDonald and Martyn Lawrence Bullard

 

 Georgian House 2 by Tim Campbell and Philip Nimmo

Brownstone House by Michael & Alexandra Misczynski and Estee Stanley

Monique Lhuillier NY Flagship Boutique by Monique Lhuillier

And some of the lovely dollhouse gardens by Christine London

 

What are your thoughts about these final designs? Which one is your favorite? Are you going to bid? 

Images: Jon Hugstad

Contemporary Craftsmanship...I'll Take It!

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!

Dollhouse Showcase: Contemporary Beach Model

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?

More Details About Designer Dollhouse Showcase

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.

Miniature Replicas = That's My JAM!

The kind folks at Jeffrey Alan Marks (JAM, Inc.) say they are currently producing all custom furniture for the Kaleidoscope Ball Designer Dollhouse Showcase. And nearly all of the custom pieces will be miniature replicas of their furniture line with Palecek. Just look at the possibilities...

 

 

 

Dear Jeffrey, I hope you make extras. Much love, your friends in the modern miniatures community.

Images: Palecek

Kaleidoscope Ball: Designer Dollhouse Showcase

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:

• NATASHA BARADARAN
• CHRIS BARRETT
• JOAN BEHNKE
• CARI BERG
• STUDIO TIM CAMPBELL
• MARK CUTLER
• ELIZABETH DINKEL
• WALDO FERNANDEZ
• ADAM HUNTER
• MONIQUE LHUILLIER
• MARTYN LAWRENCE BULLARD
• JAMES MAGNI
• JEFFREY ALAN MARKS
• MARY MCDONALD
• ALEXANDRA & MICHAEL MISCZYNSKI
• PHILLIP NIMMO
• ESTEE STANLEY
• RON WOODSON & JAIME RUMMERFIELD

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.