FREE Giveaway: MoMA Modern Play House

Chronicle Books contacted me after finding my blog through the New York Times article. I jumped at the opportunity to review their new MoMA Modern Play House that will be released tomorrow for $19.99. One is in the mail and I can't wait to see it. Please check back for my review.

Free Giveaway

Chronicle Books has also generously offered a house to one of my readers with an address in the US or Canada (sorry everyone else). To enter the free give away, add a comment to this post, OR click on my profile and send me an email.
Enter by Tues. Apr. 27th 8:00pm PST. I will add all names in a hat, randomly pull a winner, and post results next week. I will contact the winner for their address on the 27th. Good luck and THANKS Chronicle Books!!!

Here are details on the MoMA Modern Play House, there's also a video to check it out and a Modern Play Family for $12.99 as well:
Create a delightfully modern house with this innovative set of modular nesting boxes! Aspiring architects and designers of all ages can create modern spaces, arrange furniture and accessories, and pack it all up to go with this distinctive house!

• Kids and adults can create infinite designs and layouts
• Includes 6 nesting boxes that create walls and rooms, 8 pieces of furniture and 12 removable vinyl clings
• Chic, contemporary designs created with the New York Museum of Modern Art

(all images from Chronicle Books website listings for MoMA Modern Play House and MoMA Modern Play Family)

Vintage Mini-Modern Dollhouse on eBay

Sigh, another reason I wish I lived in NY and had more disposable income. This handcrafted 1:12 scale, 4 foot x 4 foot base, approximately 2 feet high is available for pick up only with a starting bid of $850 on ebay.

(Thanks for the info TSS!) The dollhouse plans were designed by architect Ira Grandberg in 1976. The eBay listing does not credit the builder or when it was built, but it looks like it was built using Ira's plans. I like the wallpaper, could loose some of the flooring, but this house is pretty incredible. I'm not sure I'd call it the "The Ultimate Vintage Mini-Modern Dollhouse" but they did, and here are the details from the ebay listing.

A dollhouse of this design (not this house, but the original) was built in 1976 and presented to the museum of the city of new york and is part of their famous dollhouse collection.

This house features:
Clean lines and varied spaces waiting to be furnished
All the roof pieces and second-story bedroom section lift off
Herringbone design real brick pathway to front door
Garage has small slate threshold
Deck
Pergola with potting bench
Entrance hall and stairs
Gallery / solarium with skylight
Living room
Dining room
Powder room
Pantry / bar
Kitchen with skylight
Master bedroom
Nursery
Bathroom on second story with small hallway
Passageway from garage to kitchen has skylight
Textured grass base landscaped with 2 trees
Windows of various sizes some glazed some not
Wallpapered and finished flooring throughout

Again, it's local pickup only in Brooklyn, New York. Rats!

(all images from bigbus390's ebay listing)

Andrea's 1954 Ranch

Andrea L. sent me these photos of the dollhouse version of her house that her dad made for her daughter. This was her father's first attempt to make something like this and it took him most of last winter to build it. She's looking forward to furnishing it with some mid-century goodies, but sadly it moved to the basement due to space and her daughter breaking the front porch off a couple of times.

Andrea, please send more photos when you do get around to decorating. We'd love to see more of your house. Welcome to the modern mini world!

dreaming of Paris - FR8 House

Oh Paris, what will you think of next? Here is Paris's latest miniature masterpiece the FR8 House. LOVE THE NAME!

Modern MC added a link to his latest pictures on her blog minimodern.blogspot.com, I swear she is the first to know everything.


The FR8 House images are quite drool worthy. I'm astounded by Paris's eye for details. I love the bathroom lines, the artwork, the angle of the rooftop glass railing/half wall, the incredible staircase, I just want to move right in. Thank you Paris!

The angle of the second level pods reminded me of the VitraHaus in Germany on the Vitra Campus.

(all images for Paris's website m112podsbyprd.shutterfly.com and Vitra.com)

Melissa Johnson's split level dollhouse

Melissa sent me these great pics of a split level custom dollhouse she renovated that she found on Craigslist for $25 in DC.

She was told it was bought for a young couples child from a neighbor and they didn't have any other information on it. It shares some similarities with Lundby and Brio (maybe inspired by those) but it is just slightly smaller than 1/12 scale. If anyone has seen another one of these or might now any information on the builder, we'd love to know more.
A great idea that Melissa has done, is to always ask and document on the bottom of her dollhouses any information, her name and date when she finished her restoration. I will definitely be doing this for my houses as well.

The living room cork floor is made out of inch squares that Melissa hand cut. I think it looks great, but wow, that's a lot of work! The bed and desk are custom pieces she made as well as the kitchen cabinets, all slightly smaller than 1/12th scale also. Melissa has other dollhouses she has restored that I hope to blog on later.
Thanks so much for sharing Melissa, I look forward to seeing more of your work.


(all images from Melissa Johnson)

Many thanks to The Shopping Sherpa, Rebecca and Florine for your great dollhouse sleuthing. Below are photos and details from their comments.

Update 1
The Shopping Sherpa commented that Melissa's house looked like a Triang DH2 or DHK3 from 1962, check out the similarities on her flickr site, the windows and carport seem to be the only difference www.flickr.com/photos/49333775@N00/2898271160/. From the catalogue:
"MODEL HOME" DOLLS' HOUSE
DH2 - Contemporary House as illustrated, with five electrical lights and switchboard. 42" long, 12" deep, 19" high.
DHK3 - Complete kit of parts to build above house, except electric fittings available as separate set. Main parts already cut and grooved, requires only simple hand tools, paint and glue to complete.

Update 2
Rebecca sent these links to the Barton Model Home, available from about 1956 to 1976. They were sold mostly as kits, to make up at home, although some were sold made up.

(images from Rebecca are on dollshousespastandpresent.webs.com and same site here and here)

Update 3
Florine added another idea... McCall's Do-It-Yourself dollhouse pattern, copyright 1955. She found this pattern on eBay and added scans to her flick site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fnbettge/sets/72157623827135110/. From the pattern:
A SPLIT-LEVEL Dollhouse like this will make any little girl starry-eyed on Christmas morning. The pattern includes decoration and finishing ideas and complete directions for making house from plywood. 51" long, 11 1/2" deep, 18 1/2" high.



Update 4
OMG. I had a bit of deja vu when Melissa first sent me these pictures, but seeing Florine's pattern triggered where I'd seen this before. Modern MC blogged about this ¾ inch scale “Betsy McCall Dollhouse No. 150W” back in September 2007. Visit her post for more pictures minimodern.blogspot.com/2007/09/some-modern-dollhouse-plans.html.

Modern Kitchens for $30-$60

I picked up this modern kitchen on ebay; although it feels a little 50's modern more than contemporary modern. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much stuff came with it. The fridge was so full the doors had a hard time staying closed. Once I took the bins out, the doors stay closed better. The six plastic bins with food in them have removable lids, I will be using those elsewhere. I'm going to scrape off the flower decals on the fridge, but other than that I'm pretty happy with this find.
There are 9 left at $33.99 + $18.50 shipping from China. If link above doesn't work search "modern dollhouse kitchen" or check seller's store: my_simple.

Most of the contents are glued in place (some came off really easy, still working on other pieces). The 6 bins are filled with 1 stuffed cooked chicken, 2 fish, 4 sausage links/meat product, cabbage, 3 leeks, 6 wooden red apples & 4 pears, 11 green/yellow/red peppers. The fridge has 2 glasses and carafe of OJ, pitcher of milk, carafe w/ handle of carrot juice (all made of clear glass), brown glass double handle pitcher, 2 cans of Coke & Tab, 4 bottles of beer, 3 clear bottles of water labeled Soda, 4 eggs, 3 cups of noodles, 3 bowls of noodles, a smaller wood apple, 2 large croissants or maybe yams.

And of course, right after I buy the kitchen above, this cute stainless steel version from Town Square Miniatures pops up on scampers2000 store (starting bid $48). I had seen the fridge and stove before but not all three in a set. After a quick search I found a dollhouse shop online that sells the same "stainless steel" set and also a white version (3 piece set for $58.74).

At this price range though, you should check out Dolls House Emporium. The kitchen island unit on the right is now on sale for $29.99 (no fridge though). I have this one and love it as well, but it currently resides in a box in the garage.


Here's another set I've been seeing on eBay and on some blogs; there is also a version with black counter tops. This listing is on eBay UK for GBP 21.99 (approximately US $32.01, before shipping) "DOLLS HOUSE MODERN WHITE KITCHEN SET 1/12TH"

We've been outed in The New York Times

I imagine that Call of the small, Miniatures by Annina, Petite Nouveau and others, had as much fun as I did, being interviewed by Kate Murphy of The New York Times. I had no idea this was going to be on the cover of the Home & Garden section (April 8, 2010) with a link on the front page of www.nytimes.com. I can't wait to go pick up a copy. I hope the coverage helps get more modern miniatures on the market.

It's nice to see some faces and meet the people behind the blogs, but part of the beauty of blogging for me was the anonymity of it all. Cat's out of the bag now. I usually get a perplexed reaction from friends when I say "I collect modern dollhouses," but hopefully now they'll have a clearer picture and I can say it without a hint of embarrassment.

You can read the article here: www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/garden/08mod.html

(image from The New York Times website on 4/8/10)

You wallpapered the K House!?!

Okay, so I know the point of the K House is it's open, light and airy feeling, and covering the windows/walls with dark grey wallpaper is kinda crazy, but after 4 hours of cutting and folding craft paper, I'm loving it. I don't think the photos do it justice. My husband is going to laugh, but I think I'm actually going to have to read my camera's owners manual to learn to take better photos (who am I kidding, my husband doesn't read this).
I was inspired by this photo of Graham & Brown's Gradient Purple Wallpaper. The craft paper is cut to size and folded to hold it in place. The fireplace paper is taped together but there is nothing adhering to the house so it can be easily removed. Here are some shots from around the room.



The black dining room table top was in the scrap bin at TAP Plastics for a few dollars, I had them cut down a clear cylinder tube and glued that on as the base.
Yea or Ney? I'd love to know what you think.

Furniture: Le Corbusier chairs from eTradersplace.com; TV - Hallmark ornament (Modern MC tip); TV stand is a Fisher-Price 1:16 scale coffee table; White couch is the Jasper Morrison sofa from "Bozart Kaleidoscope White Living Room" (check ebay for $45); clear glass coffee table is from "Bozart Kaleidoscope Green Living Room" (check ebay for $15); black/white lamps and pillows are from 2 "Bozart Kaleidoscope House Accessories" sets; metal and plastic end tables flanking Jasper Morrison couch - ebay find. Other Stuff: lamp in corner from AG Mini's blue room and purple room (MC tip); glasses/trays/food from Mighty World Town Cafe (MC tip).