Hot off the press... Details on MCHULCA Dollhouses

The 2013 Designer Dollhouse Showcase - An Exclusive Kaleidoscope Ball Initiative to
Benefit the UCLA Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute
Featuring Los Angeles’ Top Design Talent Creating Priceless Petite Projects.

Award-winning visionaries from the design world have come together to work on an incredibly exciting dollhouse design project to support fundraising efforts of the UCLA Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute. This special showcase features renowned interior designers Natasha Baradaran, Chris Barrett, Joan Behnke, Cari Berg, Tim Campbell, Mark Cutler, Elizabeth Dinkel, Waldo Fernandez, Adam Hunter, James Magni, Jeffrey Alan Marks, Mary McDonald, Philip Nimmo, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Alexandra and Michael Misczynski, Lonni Paul, Estee Stanley, and Ron Woodson and Jamie Rummerfield and fashion designer Monique Lhuillier and 10 custom dollhouses designed to scale by Richard Manion and Robert Meiklejohn of Richard Manion Architecture. The structures include Italianate, Georgian, Modern, Contemporary, and Brownstone and feature two or three levels complete with lighting, wall coverings, furnishings, fixtures, and other home accessories. They are works of art with all of the flair, sophistication, substance, amenities, resources, and details of the designers’ life-sized projects. The designer showcase will also include two mini-garden oasis landscaped by Stephen Block of Inner Gardens and Christine London Ltd.

100% of proceeds from the sales of the dollhouses sold at the Kaleidoscope Ball event April 17th and subsequently online at a special One King’s Lane benefit sale will go to support the UCLA Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute.

ABOUT THE HOUSES

Monique Lhuillier NY Flagship Boutique

Monique Lhuillier designed a replica of her New York flagship boutique intact with the former private residence’s grandeur of an old world townhouse. Spanning three floors, the townhouse offers the bridal collection on the entire ground floor, the ready-to-wear collection on the second and the VIP custom area on the third floor. Taking cues from the original structure, Lhuillier creates a sophisticated environment in the world of grey, using luxurious fabrics, furnishings and art to showcase the true stars in the boutique, her signature gowns and collections. The dollhouse includes grey suede walls, recreations of the Monique Lhuillier Waterford chandeliers, inspired by the delicate beadwork of Monique’s signature gowns, and organic hammered stainless steel cabinets, made especially for the bridal salon. All furniture for the townhouse has been recreated by the renowned craftsmen at Kensington Dollhouse Festival.

Contemporary Beach House One

Jeffrey Alan Marks designed the first floor, including a dining room, kitchen, living room, and gym, in his now signature color scheme of breezy blues. The design features custom dollhouse furniture modeled after Marks’ actual furniture line with Palecek, with the living room including Marks’ “Spindrift Sofa”, “Spindrift Chair”, “Brockton Coffee Table” and “Bryant Lounge Chairs” and the gym utilizes Marks’ “Wind & Sea Folding Screen” to create a private massage area. In addition to the Miniature versions of Jeffrey’s Palecek Furniture, the living room includes a custom wool and silk area rug inspired by vintage Fortuny fabric and provided by Decorative Carpets, while the private massage room includes walls covered in custom de Gournay “Fish” wallpaper, replicating Jeffrey’s personal kitchen and two massage tables covered in Cowtan & Tout Linen. Credits go to PRD Miniatures, Monte Allen, Cowtan & Tout, Decorative Carpets, and Larsen for their contributions to the design.

Elizabeth Dinkel designed the second floor combining the spare and minimalist elements of a modern beach house with the natural beauty of the Pacific Ocean as her backdrop. Her design features clean, modern white lines paired with the some of the more organic tones found in the natural world. She designed the space with a professional art collecting couple who use their house to escape city life and catch their breath in mind. Her intent was to design a house that is sophisticated architecturally but not too fussy or overly serious.

Contemporary Beach House Two

Chris Barrett designed the first floor to include a combination of textures in light colors with white high gloss ceilings, grey walnut driftwood floors, and white grass cloth on the walls. The neutral colors of the living room are broken up with an unexpected pop of pink in the large custom area rug, while the window treatments and pillows showcase the new patterns and colors of Chris Barrett Textiles. The kitchen includes high gloss white cabinets with “Carrera marble” countertops manufactured by Bespoke Furniture. The family room includes a modern built in, a sectional, and Noguchi coffee table. The three story entryway is emphasized by the driftwood gray walnut planks extending from top to bottom, which contrast nicely with the high gloss lacquered walls. Credits go to Bespoke furniture, Marc Phillips, Elf Miniatures, Gigi Walker, Paris Renfroe, Phillip Jeffries, and Phenoyd Inc. for their contributions to the design.

Modern House One

Natasha Baradaran designed the first floor, containing a terrace, kitchen/dining area, family room, and powder room in a coastal color story of coral, turquoise and white for a modern take on beach chic paired with an elevated sophistication and unexpected edge. Through the creation of a custom dining table, imagined from a piece of a gate, stone-inspired fabric from Beacon Hill envisioned as a custom carpet, and Trove wall covering for a punch of pattern, Baradaran was able to accomplish a sophisticated twist on the classic beach chic vibe. Credits go to Holly Hunt, Beacon Hill, and Larsen through Cowtan & Tout for their contributions to the design.

Waldo Fernandez designed the second and third floors, containing two patios, two balconies, a living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a master suite and bath. The design has a light airy feeling created by the dominantly neutral color palette and splashes of color throughout. Surprise touches of mid-century modern furniture and art custom made by PRD Miniatures and Mini Modernistas keep the design fresh.

Modern House Two

Jim Magni designed the first floor, containing a living room, dining room/kitchen, and outdoor Zen garden including a water feature in “Magni Modernism,” combining modern, art deco, Asian, and contemporary designs together for a look all its own. In keeping with the modern look of the home the rooms are done in a color scheme of whites, creams, taupes, and grays. The rooms’ furnishings and style are inspired from Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Magni Home Collection. Credits go to Fawn Dang and Sue Chitpanich of DAO Home, Kyle Bunting, Maggie Amir with Caeserstone, and PRD Miniatures for their contributions to the design.

Joan Behnke designed the second and third floors as an artist’s retreat with a top floor dedicated to a studio/gallery space and exterior decks to retreat and watch the waves and the second floor designed as a master bedroom, bath and meditation room. Behnke took a more “free” approach to furnishing the house becasue she wanted the house to be a space to showcase beautiful things, reflect, and create. Working with found objects and sculpted materials as inspiration for furniture designs, all of the furnishings are meant to be touched, held, and examined for some whimsical detail. The design’s color palette mimics that of the natural surroundings of the home, including warm neutrals and soothing sea tones.
Credits to Satori Designs, DeMott Drapery, Princes and Crows, Jaime Heintz, Leslie Evans, Margo Newman, Peterson Pottery, Valerie Jurado Botanical Design, Pierre Quinton Design Inc, G & E Custom Furniture, Arte Bella, C.G. Custom Tile and Marble, and Erin McGuiness.

Italianate House One

Lonni Paul designed the entry, dining room, and great room. While living in Italy, she was drawn to the more modern interiors of centuries old homes and designed the house with a mix of timeless elegance and a modern Italian sensibility. The color scheme includes blues and silvers in the great room and an all red palette in the dining room. Adding to the elegance of the design, the great room includes wall coverings from Trove and David Sutherland, Rubelli fabric for windows and Donghia for the sofas and ottoman. The rooms’ furnishings consist of custom designed pieces including a Ralph Lauren for the bench fabric. The dining room showcases Sahco curtains and wall coverings from Innovations for the ceiling and Maya Romanoff for the remainder of the room. Credits go to California Acrylic Design, Holly Hunt, and GGNStudio for their contributions to the design.

Adam Hunter designed the second floor to include a master bedroom with master sitting room and a child's bedroom. Hunter uses lush fabric and rich textures to create bedrooms with an old European feel but with a modern influence. The master bedroom has a color palette of silver, grey, crème, and pale lavender, while the child's room is a combination of mint pistachio and hints of soft pink. Credits go to Gigin Studio, A Life in Miniature, Mod Pod Miniatures, Cufflinks Cowboy Boots for their contributions to the design.

Italianate House Two

Cari Berg, Christine London and Mark Cutler
Tweeted by Tim Campbell

Mark Cutler designed the first floor as the ultimate girl’s dream house. Inspired by the great fantasy houses in Palm Beach and the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, Cutler design features a sophisticated neutral color palette for the two story entry that showcases a custom miniature “Ramona” chandelier by Fuse Lighting, and the striking “Martinique” banana leaf wallpaper before transitioning into the glamorous living room and library. Both spaces are brightened with vivid pops of pinks, reds, purples, and feature handmade Japanese wallpaper, custom made upholstery, and a creative blend of classic and contemporary dollhouse pieces and repurposed items that make for a luxurious fantasyland any girl would love.

Cari Berg designed the second floor landing, bedroom and studio for the fashionable girl. The landing is anchored by the classic Martinique patterned wallpaper and the runners, custom made by Merida, the upholstered borne settee and the drapery help layer the space and add to the cosmopolitan mix of materials. The abstract original artwork from artist, Loryn Kolbrenner, adds a graphic quality to the space. The bedroom is draped in a billowy white sheer and provides a dreamy backdrop for the modern lines of the custom upholstered pieces with a simple color palette of white and hot pink allows for the different textures to take center stage. The coolness of the marble and lucite coffee table, the warmth of the mohair rug and fabric walls come together to create the ultimate in relaxation and comfort. All of this is set off by custom miniature lighting, inspired by pieces found in today’s most stylish showrooms. The Studio is complete with all things a girl needs to be creative and fashionable. Custom lacquered wardrobes anchor one wall and provide a space to showcase her most stylish handbags. She has an antiqued mirror and Lucite table, allowing plenty of space to display jewelry or work on a sketch. White tufted upholstered walls envelop the room, highlighting the custom hot pink silk upholstered screen and tufted ottoman. The white fur rug covers the walnut floor with the most luxurious of textures.

Georgian House One

Martyn Lawrence Bullard designed the top floor to include a master bedroom, a guest room, and an upstairs landing. The top floor is done in black and white with a strategic pop of color in each room and features Martyn’s new Schumacher collection of wall coverings on the walls in each room.

Georgian House Two

Floor installed. Tweeted by Tim Campbell

Tim Campbell designed the first floor and exterior to have a transitional and modern look. The design uses a color scheme of creams and blues for a fresh look. Credits go to Soane Britain, Merida Meridian, and Canyon Interior for their contributions to the design.

Philip Nimmo designed the second floor to include a two room “gentleman’s lair”. In one room, a daybed floats in the center of the room behind a big agate-and-polished-brass coffee table flanked by 2 chairs. The second room is the lair itself, where a man would preoccupy himself with intellectual pursuits, his collections of art and objects found during his travels, and all of the curiosities that a 21st century Renaissance man desires. These eclectic furnishing and a high-contrast palette create a warm and inviting environment. The Gentlemen's Lair features ebonized floors with dark shades of gray furnishings paired with cream upholstery. Credits go to Cowtan & Tout, Larsen, Sandra Jordan, Phillip Jeffries, Larriane's Small Wonders, Kneedler Fauchere, Jean de Merry, Philip Nimmo (Furniture), Bespoke Furniture, and Roman Raygoza Fine Furnishings for their contributions to the design.

See more pictures of their work in progress and read the designer bios over here »

(FYI. Modern MC and I are collaborating to gather all of the artisans involved with making minis for this major project. I'll post URLs to artisans websites as we firm up the list.)