The Antrim Dollhouse makes its debut

The run up to the show was filled with late nights painting and attaching the faux metal and wood siding on The Antrim (I will post details on how I did all of the exterior finishes with Paris's instructions later this week). I was worried about the interior decor, but Paris and Doris had extras to use so the interior came out pretty spectacular. Paris finished an amazing fireplace and table, and is still working on the doors, spiral staircases, kitchen, roof top infinity pool and other items, so there will be more photos to come as we finish the house.



Here is the third floor master bedroom. It really came together at the show with lots of items from Paris.

The goods from Left to Right:
· SLICE Vortex End Table with painted white finish is PRD Miniatures.
· The floral arrangement in a ceramic pot was from fortunateislandsmini on etsy made by minisdecris, Cristina Diego, minisdecris.blogspot.com.
· Barcelona Chair by Ludwing Mies Van Der Rohe from Design Interior Collection Designers Chair Vol.1
· Thin Profile Wall Mirror in silver PRD Miniatures (here is one in white).
· Jonathan Adler repainted pots from Bozart Toys Kaleidoscope House "House Accessories" set.
· The artwork is by Paris, titled "Elegance" I borrowed it for the show, its for sale here.
· Gray carpet is specialty paper from Joann Fabrics.
· Bed and linens are PRD Miniatures. These are the new changeable linens that Lisa is making. Now you can buy new linen sets if you want to change the decor of the room without having to buy a new bed. Clever! I'll post links when the linens are for sale.
· single white and red Asian print pillow is MiniModernistas
· Chrome with acrylic top side tables are an ebay find.
· Buddha is painted silver from the Ideal Petite Princess line 1964-1965 collection.
· phone on side table is from A.G. Minis.
· two portraits over bed are a gift from Shale SusansHouse.blogspot.com.

The third floor lounge cracks me up. I unintentionally copied Paris's room on his website (his photo on far right). Paris asked me if I needed any rugs and I saw the gray one and thought this will look perfect with the SLICE Tilt Coffee Table, and of course it does, as this is the same rug and room layout he already came up with. D'oh! Oh well it looks pretty great. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery right?

· silver trio light in corner is made by me.
· Le Corbusier Double Grand Petite Comfort Chairs from Design Interior Collection Designers Chair Vol. 1 and Designers Chair Vol. 4
· Black and white cowhide rug by PRD Miniatures (Paris are you selling more of these?)
· SLICE Tilt Coffee Table is PRD Miniatures.
· mini magazines by X10NY Modern Miniature Art
· The artwork is by Lisa Renfroe, titled "Blue Celestial" from PRD Miniatures
· Metallic Tribal Cubes by PRD Miniatures
· Dracena Plant from ByShelly2 on etsy repotted in ceramic pot from a dealer I can't recall at the Tom Bishop SF Miniatures Show (hopefully they'll be at the Good Sam show, so I can list them later).

We're still working on the final bathroom but for the show Paris loaned me one of his new double vanities. These are so hot! The office is not finished either. The shelving unit on the back wall had the 3 square boxes on the desk glued to the top of it. I sawed those off and sanded and re-stained the sideboard, here is what it used to look like.

· Dual Vanity Unit by PRD Miniatures (new item coming soon)
· plant from local hobby shop repotted in ceramic pot mentioned above.
· artwork by ebay seller winpick0
· Hatbox Toilet from PRD Miniatures
· Bathtub from DHE Modern Oval Bathroom Suite
· bathroom bench and "modern sideboard" are ebay finds from EurekaOnlineStore, middle shelf vases from Manor House Miniatures; all items blogged about here.
· carpet square rugs in both rooms are PRD Miniatures (new item coming soon)
· Modern Pharmacy Floor Lamp in Chartruese by MiniModernistas
· Bamboo desk from PRD Miniatures
· mini magazine by X10NY Modern Miniature Art
· "Aluminum Chair" Charles and Ray Eames from Designers Chair Vol. 2 (borrowed from Doris)
· Artwork is a magnet from SF MOMA of "Bracket" by Joan Mitchell.
· Other accessories: Re-ment Tea Time Ryukyu Glass, small lamp is A.G. Minis, books Bozart KH House Accessories.

The guest room is pretty much the Paris room. This seemed to be the crowd favorite. Paris's signature line of M.U.T.T. (Made Using Tossed Trimmings) furnishings is my favorite and is the real highlight of this room. Can you believe I didn't center the bench with the bed? Whoops.

· Modern Low Chest of Drawers from ebay seller mel8214 and elsewhere online
· Custom M.U.T.T. Bed and linens from PRD Miniatures, white and orange pillows are from MiniModernistas
· M.U.T.T. Floor Mirror, M.U.T.T. Bench with Angle Leg and Tan Leather Chaise (except mine has added wood base) are all from PRD Miniatures.
· Large Painting is "Morning Sunrise" by Lisa Renfroe and over the bed painting is "Burnt" by Paris Renfroe; more one of a kind artwork at PRD Miniatures
· Jonathan Adler pots from Bozart Toys Kaleidoscope House "House Accessories" set.
· waste basket is Re-ment Tea Time American Kitchen
· wood turned bowl is from my local dollhouse shop Shellie's Miniature Mania
· round wood turned vase is Gilbert Mena "Fine Art & Furniture in Miniature" gilmena (at) webtv.net
· I made the metal artwork on the wall from a "Tag Maker" kit from local craft shop, and copper planter is from the plumbing section at local hardware store that I filled with mini rocks and faux bamboo.

I love the entryway Paris came up with. The door is kind of hidden on the side, so the porch helps draw more attention to it. The custom dining room table Paris made for me is AMAZING!! The photo on the right is what I sent him for inspiration, and what he created was even more spectacular. It's hard to see in these photos, but the white base has this really cool ribbed pattern, I'll take more photos later. Paris's new "Ayche Chairs" (pronounced simply "h" the letter they look like) are fabulous and look so good with this table. We'll be adding a custom kitchen next and of course the stairs.

· custom dining table from PRD Miniatures and Ayche Chairs in Natural with White Edge
· Metal Triple Hanging Lamp from MiniModernistas
· candlesticks are painted silver from the Ideal Petite Princess line 1964-1965
· white rug is specialty paper from Joann Fabrics, plate is Mighty World Town Cafe, pears are from 50's kitchen I bought on ebay.

Saving the best for last, the custom fireplace that Paris created is magnificent. It has battery operated lights that make it look like an actual glowing fire. Modern MC joked that I better keep an eye on it, but Paris promised he could make her one, too. I think everyone will want one. I'll take a video of it so you can see it in action. The middle picture was taken the day before so not everything is in it, but you'll notice MiniModernistas all over this room. Personally, it's a toss up between the dining room and living room as to which is my favorite room right now.

· custom working fireplace by PRD Miniatures
· Long & Low Sofa, Long & Low Easy Chair, rug and pillows from MiniModernistas
· large glass green jug on fireplace is a demijohn from Ferenc Albert fermma (at) aol.com
· coffee table is picture frame from SF MOMA gift shop
· large palm plant from my local dollhouse shop Shellie's Miniature Mania
· white/brown cabinet from ebay blogged about here
· purple duo ceiling light is made by me (attaching to ceiling idea from CallSmall)
· Other accessories: Re-ment Tea Time Ryukyu Glass, A.G. Minis lamp, ceramic vase from Manor House Miniatures.

Oops, almost forgot the rooftop. For now not too much going on, but Paris has a brilliant idea to build an infinity pool that will cantilever off the side of the house, so it would be like swimming off the edge. I can't wait, plus I'll get some of his new outdoor furniture to truly rock this pad out.

· Ribb Chaise in White from PRD Miniatures (one was a gift from Mini2B)
· side tables are drawer pulls from IKEA (idea from petite nouveau)
· umbrella is from Mighty World spray painted white (left coast mini just gave one away)
· drink is from Lil Bratz.

Wow, that took a lot longer than I expected, and I can't believe you just read all of it. Phew! Thanks for reading, I just can't stop talking about this house. More to come...

More on DWR

One of the best parts of the DWR event was listening to the four featured designers, Modern MC, Paris, Doris and Tim, describe their work and how they started in modern miniatures, and talking to them about what's coming next. Besides getting to meet these trend setters, it was really inspiring meeting other bloggers and collectors and swapping mini stories and other shared interests. It was really fun meeting people who had no idea our community even existed and were fascinated by the modern movement. Yuko joked that Paris was stealing her clients as many customers that came into shop at DWR were blown away and fascinated by Paris's display while he was setting up before the event.

The after party was an extra special touch. Paris reserved space for us at the Redwood Room in the Clift Hotel and we had drinks and appetizers, and Paris surprised everyone with a free gift of miniature carpet squares in a variety of colors. I'll blog more about those later. Although the music kept getting louder, it was really intimate and we had more time to get to know each other better. Too much fun!!!

Andrea flew all the way from Florida and it was a pleasure to meet her (Andrea, I have some links I want to send you, please email me at modernminifan (at) gmail.com, or I'll send them to Paris and ask him to forward to you). It was great seeing Mini2B again and she surprised us by buying the first round of drinks and appetizers. Thank you Mini2B, that was so generous of you!! It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly nice everyone is in our modern mini community.

I think everyone thought the event was quite a success and Yuko (from DWR) said it may become an annual event! I do hope so, it would be great to see another gathering of modern miniature designers.

Oh what a night!

I know many of you wish you could have attended the DWR event and I apologize for not taking photos. My dear hubby took these for me as I was so busy meeting everyone and well, having the time of my life, but now I regret not going back and taking more close ups. This one I did take, I thought it was quite fitting that minimodernistas display was right under the Arco Floor Lamp (1:1 sold at DWR) that she makes a miniature of version of that is above her white Long & Low Sectional couch.

By now you've probably already read Modern MC's and Left Coast Mini's coverage of the event, but here is some more fuel for the fire. I'm really excited that Modern MC is looking into a larger global modern mini meet up, make sure you weigh in on location suggestions on her blog, so more of us can attend next time.

I felt so lucky to be there and see all of these incredible modern miniatures in person and meet the amazing designers Modern MC, Paris, Doris and Tim. Huge thanks to all of DWR and the Jackson Street Studio, Yuko, Jocelyn and Luca for making the event happen. Yuko is a huge fan Modern MC and worked with her to create this event. Yuko is a collector of Re-ment and Mini Designer Chairs, but now is a collector of PRD Miniatures, MiniModernistas and Brinca Dada, yay another convert! It was lovely meeting you, Yuko, and I hope we can go Re-ment shopping together!

Modern MC - minimodern.blogspot.com

I love Modern MC's blog and photos, but seeing all of the intricate details she puts into a house in person is quite a dream come true. She set up her Ocean Drive as "The Tea Tree" and oh boy was it inviting; I'm kind of a tea nut, so I wanted to move in and grab a drink. (Side note, looks like DHE is now able to ship Ocean Drive to the US. Kits start at $100, plus check out the new version with black accents). The downstairs DHE shelving units were packed with the cutest details and accessories. I continue to be amazed at what she finds and turns into modern minis. Awe inspiring to say the least.

Modern MC's Villa Sibi was equally impressive. Her work has a certain zen about it, where everything looks so effortless yet perfectly placed. I love how she combines collectors items with children's dollhouse furniture, mixes in a variety of items you wouldn't think of as miniatures and pulls it all together flawlessly. Simply divine. It's hard to look at her work without a smile spreading across your face, and then to meet her!?! I must admit when I first saw her I was thinking "OMG, you're Mini Modern, what do I say that won't make me sound like a moronic stalker fan? ... Without your blog I would have settled for Contemporary, OR never would have looked for and found my Antrim, OR without your blog I'd have a lot more money I wouldn't have spent on this addiction..." I went with "Hi, I'm Megan." Original, I know. Nice, witty, sincere, humble, beautiful, genuine, funny, kicks puppies; only one of these is not true. It was an absolute pleasure to meet her. Thanks MC for all of the chuckles over the years and more to come!

Paris Renfroe - PRDMiniatures.com

Paris's work is impressive enough on his website, but man, in the flesh, its even more impressive. I love the new M112 double wide and the great outdoor scenes. On top of the rust M112 Pod is PRD Miniatures true scale replicas of Greg Benson and Jeff Taly's "Go" Collection made for Loll (1:1 sold at DWR). On the slate patio are true replicas of the "Loll Adirondack" Collection (1:1 sold at DWR) also by Greg Benson and Jeff Taly. They will be for sale soon on Paris's website, I can't wait; these are going to look perfect on The Antrim rooftop patio.



The Sky Lofts! Oh these are beauties. The recessed lighting is so cool and so real looking. Only Paris could take the room box to the next level and make it so sophisticated and modern. I will definitely post more details when these are for sale at PRD Miniatures.


Gallery 112 is just about the coolest thing I've seen yet. The LED recessed lighting and spot lights are incredible and have converted me to add lighting to all of my houses. I wish I would have taken a picture of the ceiling to show the lights. The art work in the gallery (and the artwork in my Antrim) are all one of kind pieces painted by Paris, his wife Lisa and their artist friend Karen Mazzarella, available pieces are for sale here. Not only does Paris's wife Lisa contribute artwork to PRD Miniatures, but she has a new line of gorgeous miniature bed linens that will be for sale soon. I think it is so cool that the mini passion has spread equally to this creative couple. Lisa and Paris used to run an Art Gallery Co-op together. At first Lisa wasn't sure if her paintings would work in the 1:12 scale, but they do indeed and are even more beautiful in person. I think art transcends size, Paris and Lisa prove it.


And of course it wouldn't be a show without the classic M112 Pods. I love the vibrant colors, interior finishes and the frosted glass doors. Love these! I've spoken/emailed with Paris a lot with all of the work we're doing on the Antrim, so I already knew he was a really cool enthusiastic guy, but meeting him was a real treat. Paris has a ton of ideas still in the works, he is so passionate about modern miniatures, and makes such original pieces his work is totally recognizable. Lisa was equally as cool and fun to talk with, and its so great seeing a couple work together to create such a wide range of brilliant modern designs.

minimodernistas - Doris Nathanson - minimodernistas.com (website store coming in Nov.), etsy store, Flickr photos

I loved Doris/minimodernistas' acrylic towers display cases. She had two four story towers showcasing her incredible work in room settings. So much fun to ogle over. I'm actually building her website, so I'm quite familiar with her work in photos, but up close, ooo la la, nothing says Mid Century Modern like minimodernistas. The high quality of materials and attention to detail on every piece is amazing. I had seen her Ribbon Lamp on many blogs and thought "I could do that" but um no, I can't. The materials used and precise detailing are well out of my league, the photos seriously don't do her work justice.

Another section was like a showroom with all of minimodernistas collectables lined up. I wanted to take one of everything in every color. I love the Long & Low sectionals, sofas and chairs, but the Tootsie Roll sofas are to die for as well, and the Case Study series, ugh, I need more houses so I can buy more. It was really cool seeing her 3/4" scale furniture that fits perfectly in the Emerson House.


Doris also set up two Fish Condos to create room boxes for her 3/4" scale designs. They are so cute and little, just like her. We have talked on the phone and I knew she was incredibly sweet and nice, but she has a very resonate voice that reminded me of an opera singer, so I wasn't expecting the adorable, petite, real life Doris. I'd love go karaoke with her, I'm guessing she can belt out some tunes.

Tim Boyle - BrincaDada.com

Oh the Emerson House, beautiful fun indeed! Doug Rollins and Tim Boyle are really onto something here. Like everyone, I LOVE the moveable staircase. The solar panel powered LED lights and the architectural structure are beyond impressive. I love this house, and I love the photos of the Bennett House, and I'm guessing I'm going to love dollhouse #3 and #4 that are down the line. I love the idea of making quality, durable modern dollhouses for kids and pleasing collectors as well. I'm so glad these guys are out there bringing their houses to the market and I can't wait to see the furniture when it comes out later this year and future plans from them. Tim Boyle is a super nice guy and I enjoyed meeting and talking with him and his lovely wife Iris. They have four kids so their prototype dollhouses definitely get their fair share of abuse and testing. When my kids are a little older and they'll get their chance to put their hands on one. Thanks Brinca Dada, I can't wait to see what you have next!


I have to get some work done tonight so I'll post my Antrim photos later. More to come...