4 poster heaven

I need this in full size. I love my new 4 Poster Bed by minimodernistas. The height of the frame really fills the room and allows for great shots from every angle. Doris is also experimenting with these planter boxes/shelves/display cases, whatever you want to use them for. I took two and added small gravel from the hobby shop in the landscape section, then inserted faux bamboo and plants to create the planters. I like the texture they bring to the room.

Da deets: minimodernistas: 4 Poster Bed, linens, pillows, ribbon lamp, planter boxes, pharmacy floor and desk lamps. PRD Miniatures: painting, Mantao Area Rug, flat screen TV, silver thin profile wall mirror, white slice vortex end table. maryann roy: room divider and bead accessories on dresser. Starbucks mug gift from mini2B. 2 portraits are a gift from Shale. Orchid in pot and paper box made by minisdecris. Reac Barcelona Chair. Kaleidoscope House books and repainted vases. Chrome side tables and low modern dressers from ebay. Repainted Petite Princess Buddha. Elephant and metal box are miniature show finds.

I always like to see the whole picture, so here is a shot of the entire room. I think the lines of the bed work well with my thin windows. I have yet to secure the windows in place, as I like to remove them so I can take shots from different angles without any distortion from the actual window pane. More Antrim pics to come. :)

Out of the box

I love these boxes Doris (minimodernistas.com) has been playing with. She sent me these three with my new 4 poster bed that will be featured in my next post. The boxes have a ton of possibilities. I turned two into planters with supplies from my local hobby and crafts shop, that also make great dividers. The shortest, I stood on its end to make a cool pedestal display for a vase (more on that room later). I think they would look good mounted sideways to make a cool shelf or floating bookcase. They are not up on her website yet, but should they be? Would you buy one? What would you do with it?

Antrim Living Room II. Maryann Roy.

Welcome Home. Finally. I bought this living room set from Maryann Roy last April, and 4 months later... well sorry, but sadly I have even older posts on my blog post to do list. I'll get there, bare with me.

The Shopping Sherpa blogged about Maryann's work last year. Although known for her incredible 1:6 playscale furniture and designs, Maryann was lured to the dark side and made some neo-retro 1:12 scale suites! This living room suite, blogged about here, was inspired by the Japanese Rooms-in-Miniature set that Call of the Small blogged about. Maryann was so taken by the chair and sofa, she thought she'd take a stab at a Japanese inspired set.


I plan to put these in another house, but as that is still under construction, I wanted to show these off before it takes another half year. It's funny because I'm not a huge fan of orange in my own home, but in miniature it is one of my favorites. I love the orange fabric on the sofa and chair and I love how Maryann used a bead for the base of the table lamp. I think the Japanese inspired set makes a pretty chic modern room.

These two pictures were taken from inside the house. Another "D'oh!" moment as the painting and one of the ceiling lamps is crooked, the chaise is turned flat to the wall instead of towards the room, and then jeez there is my entire messy garage in the background of the other one. Unkempt indeed, but still a cool shot into the dining room and kitchen.

Da deets: maryann roy: sofa, chair, solid green pillows, room divider, coffee table, end table, bead accessory on table, lamp on end table.
minimodernistas: rug, ribbon lamp, ball clock, other pillows and horizon night table.
PRD Miniatures: painting, large rust pot with verde plant, custom fireplace, leather chaise, M.U.T.T. floor mirror, kitchen and dining room furniture.
Others: ceiling lamps and tall plant behind couch are made by me, vases and accessories picked up at miniatures show, magazines from X10NY Miniature Art.

You can read more about Maryann Roy and her "Neo-Retro Furnishings for today's Fashion Dolls" on her website (www.maryannroy.com), or follow her work on her blog "Welcome Home" at maryannroy.wordpress.com. Or read my other blog posts on her 1:12 work here.

Antrim Living Room I. Very Cool.

One of these days I'll catch up on posts, but the next series will be different arrangements in the living room. I've been playing around with some new minimodernistas furniture and rugs in the Antrim living room. Doris' pixel chair is one of my favorites and I love her cheeky pillow: "Very cool." (click on the middle picture to read the the text on the white pillow on the pixel chair). Too cute.

Da deets: minimodernistas: v-leg day bed sofa, pixel chair & ottoman, pillows, green ottoman, ball clock, ribbon lamp, pharmacy floor lamp, both rugs in living room and horizon night table.
PRD Miniatures: M.U.T.T. coffee table with spring leg, painting, large rust pot with verde plant, custom fireplace, leather chaise, M.U.T.T. floor mirror, kitchen and dining room furniture.
Others: ceiling lamps and tall plant behind couch are made by me, vases and accessories picked up at miniatures show, magazines from X10NY Miniature Art.


This is one of those photos that makes me yell "D'oh"! I always forget to fix stuff in the background. I was photographing the table and chairs at the same time and forgot to put the chairs back, making the dining room look very unkempt. Sigh. I usually leave the photos on my camera for weeks, finally download onto my computer, but by the time I go to post them online, I've already changed of the room and can't go back and retake the picture. Nobody's perfect. :)

For more information on the artists' work featured here please visit minimoderistas.com and prdminiatures.com.

Eat on this.

More PRD Miniatures in the house...

The table was actually one of the first pieces that Paris made for me, based on a design of a table I sent him (blogged about here). I LOVE this table. Paris came up with this great material to wrap around the base. He also used the same ribbed white laminate on the upper cabinets of my new kitchen and on the entertainment unit to tie the rooms together.

If you couldn't guess, I love high contrast. Paris made these custom Ayche chairs for me. The chairs are super sleek and made of corrugated cardboard with acrylic detailing on the sides. The PRD website lists two versions, natural with white acrylic or black acrylic, but he painted mine a dark chocolate brown which makes the white acrylic pop in the room. At first I was thought it was pronounced like a cute sneeze (ahh chee), but its actually pronounced like the letter "h". It took me a minute to get it, but very clever Paris!

The Mantao Area Rug is dreamy. I've used it in a few scenes (pictures to come). Its a versatile charcoal grey with textured stripes. I can count the stripes to make sure I have everything centered in the middle.

Da deets: Ayche chairs, custom table, Mantao Area Rug all from www.PRDminiatures.com; candlesticks refurbished Petite Princess, plate from miniatures show. (Living room deets in next post.)

You can check out more of Paris Renfroe's work on flickr too.

The Antrim PRD Kitchen

I got an email asking what's going on with my Antrim house, and the gist of it is, I suck, seriously, my photography skills suck. Whenever I look at the photos I take, I realize how much my lighting is horrible, items are crooked and the photos don't do justice to the quality of the pieces. So I keep saying, I'll get better lighting, read my camera's owner manual and figure out how to take better pictures, but um yeah, that's not happening any time soon. So instead I spend hours in photoshop making adjustments so the white is not as pink or yellow, and the colors look more normal. So over the next week, I'll try to get all of my recent photos up. I have some really cool PRD Miniatures, Minimodernistas and Maryann Roy work I'm excited to show you.

For starters, what do you think of my custom PRD Kitchen? I haven't found accessories yet to match its beauty. The details are amazing. I love the faucet and under mounted sink. The backsplash is actually clear plexiglass with blue craft paper creating the tiles, so any time I want to redecorate I can swap out with another piece of paper/fabric/photo or whatever and voila instant makeover.

There is also under cabinet lighting that can be turned off with a little button on the top of the middle cabinet. I love the faux concrete countertops, and the metal lower cabinets. The upper cabinets have the same ribbed white laminate that is on my dining table base and entertainment unit to tie the rooms together. The island is too dreamy, and I just adore the bar stools he designed for me.

Basically, I sent Paris the measurements of the space and this is the genius he came up with. Paris, I love it!!! Check out more of Paris' work at his website www.prdminiatures.com

BillyBoy*'s Mallet-Stevens dollhouse

The best part of this blog is the people I've been able to meet along the way. It's truly wonderful connecting online and in person with incredible modern miniatures enthusiasts that share this passion and being able to showcase their work. The absolute highlight is a surprise email from BillyBoy* (more on him below) with this historic gem. This house was constructed by Robert Mallet-Stevens for BillyBoy*'s family in 1925 inspired by their real house, which was destroyed during World War II. (Yes, Robert Mallet-Stevens the famous architect! Mallet-Stevens and Le Corbusier are widely regarded as the two most influential figures in French architecture of their time.)

Here are the fabulous details sent by BillyBoy*. The Mallet-Stevens house is entirely furnished with authentic pieces either made for it or put in it by the architect at the time. His family added pieces up until the 30s, but the house was neglected throughout the war and 50s until he played with it in the 60's. Then in the early 70's he had the idea to preserve it and has kept it in incredible condition. The house has traveled all over the world with BillyBoy*. These are older photos of the house and the interior. Some of the details below and small pieces are not in these photos. It is currently crated up and being moved to a better private display but BillyBoy* hopes to send more photos once it is installed.


The interior is absolutely amazing with artworks by Giacomo Balla, Fabergé, and Annie Albers, along with miniatures of other famous pieces. The rugs and furniture are cubist, there is pottery by Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori, there is rare and unusual furniture by Techno doll, along with pieces made by Mallet-Stevens. These date from the early 1930s and are cubistic but realist looking. The oddest part is a psychiatrist's office with sliding glass door, and Bauhaus furniture, and on the top, an artist's atelier (workshop) complete with a guru (not in pictures yet)! In the atelier are funny paintings, and odd streamlined metal furniture. Some of the wallpapers are documented Bauhaus papers and some of the walls are cork, very racey for the time.


The pictures only show the back of the house, so you can't see the psychiatrist's office and the main rooms in the front, but I hope to get share more photos from BillyBoy* at a later date. I am in love with the different windows from the clear, frosted to cubed glass on the front and first floor. Check out the sliding frosted glass pocket door in the corner office under the dining room. The details are just breath taking.


Seen in the photos are the maid's room, the kitchen, small bathroom, large bathroom, cellar, powder room (notice the artwork!), main dining room with Balla and Fabergé bear in marble (authentic wallpaper is genuine Bauhaus design). The toy car is a rare Citröen toy car. A lot of the lighting is German and some French. The old wiring had to be removed as it was rusted and ugly and could no longer be used. He still has the Marklin train transformer which was used though to electrify it from the 20s or early 30s. BillyBoy* plans to rewire the house to get the lighting working again. The kitchen is utterly modernistic with Bauhaus-like fixtures, all very 1920s modern extremism, and the bathrooms, the same, complete with electric heater. Anyone else see Ikea's inspiration for their dollhouse cabinet. ;) I can't wait to see and share more photos of the Mallet-Stevens house.


More about BillyBoy*
Barbie collectors know his limited edition designer Barbies - "Le Nouveau Theatre de la Mode" the first Barbie doll bearing a designer’s name on its box from 1985, and "Feelin Groovy Barbie" from 1986. He's an artist, designer, collector, author, fashion doll historian and social figure.


BillyBoy* and his partner Lala are the creative masterminds behind the Mdvanii fashion doll. Decades ago I saw one of the originals sold at F.A.O. Schwarz, New York in the 90's. The Mdvanii fashion dolls are the sexiest, most fashionable and beautiful dolls I've ever seen. Here are some sold from the Paris boutique, "Faubourg Saint-Honoré" (on the left) "Sapphire deluxe giftset June 1990" (middle) and accessories "Dans les rues de Londres" (aren't these accessories incredible!)

So, the best part of this surprise email correspondance is what is to come. BillyBoy* and Lala founded the Fondation Tanagra in 1997, with the goals of preservation and conservation of BillyBoy*'s high fashion collection and fashion documentation, as well as a vast ensemble of fashion dolls and antique doll's houses and toys. The Fondation Tanagra holds important archives and an extensive collection of Mdvanii and familly dolls artworks by BillyBoy* and Lala. They are currently preparing to build a museum in Switzerland that will be the first museum devoted to the history of fashion dolls, and will include some of his extensive colletion of modernist toys made from 1900 until now.

BillyBoy* collects Antonio Vitali doll houses and furniture, and dolls and toys from Creative Playthings from the old Rockerfeller Center, NY and Zurich shops. He has some very unusual Bodo Hennig dolls houses from post-war era made in DDR, flatroofs from the 20s and 30s and some really amazing rare French dolls houses of the 60s with authentic Knoll furniture made for them. These were made for a doll named Tadie Muz, "La Maison De Tadie Muz". Billyboy* also collects dolls, such as Sasha dolls, as he knew her when he was a kid. Sasha Morgenthaler had her Sasha doll boxes designed by modernist Max Bill, the Swiss architect, artist, graphic designer.

There are two antique doll's houses on the Fondation Tanagra's website, The Lala House, an authentic 19th-Century doll's house and An Early Toy House From France, but modernism is the true thrill for BillyBoy*, his partner Lala and his family.

Read more on the Fondation Tanagra website here »


So, here's my plan: I am starting to save for a trip to Switzerland to see the museum when it opens (they are just starting the renovations so it will be a couple of years). I propose we all do the same and in 2-3 years let's have an international modern mini meetup in Switerland once its open. Who's in?


(All photos of Mallet-Stevens doll house are from BillyBoy*. "Le Nouveau Theatre de la Mode" photo is from anatchim's flickr page and "Feelin Groovy Barbie" is from rod_collection_3's flicker page. Mdvanii photos are from maniac7's flickr page.)

Dreams Happen... amazing playhouses

Two years ago, I accidentally deleted my photos of this event, so this time I ditched the kids with the babysitter so I could enjoy seeing the houses and taking some photos to share. Modern MC linked to this event today, which reminded me I should finally post these.

Dreams Happen is a biennial event benefiting Rebuilding Together Peninsula. The fundraiser teams up architects and builders to design some pretty amazing children’s playhouses. This year I was glad to see more modern designs. The playhouses were on display at the open air Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, CA for the month of May and then auctioned off at the fundraiser with opening bids of $5,000. The playhouses have sold for $13,000 - $71,000!

This year's highest bid was $60,000 for "Backyard Outpost" designed by Arcanum Architects and built by Behrens-Curry Homes. The event raised $500,000 for Rebuilding Together Peninsula, a national organization that organizes volunteers to help repair/restore homes for low-income, seniors and disabled homeowners.


There were some fun ideas this year including this "Science Lab" by Hayes Group Architects, Inc., S.E.A. Construction, Inc. and Cody|Brock, Inc. Plus the wild and colorful "Oblique House" by Barbara Butler Artist-Builder, Inc.


I loved "(f)un.box" by Ana Williamson Architect, AIA and Mediterraneo Design. I know its designed for kids, but I can just picture kicking back with a summer drink on the roof under that umbrella.


My favorite was "GyMAZEium" by Peterson Architects and PlaceMakers, Inc. One side had a rope ladder and the other a fireman's pole, to drop down into the rooms, along with hidden exit doors. Both sides were connected by a crawl space under the stairs and slide that divide the rooms. I really liked the rope lighting on the roof panel connecting the two sides. I hope the kids that get this love it more than I do.



I was disappointed in the Dwell playhouse this year. I mean, its a box in a box with no lid. "The Dwell® little 'D'" by Davis Studio Architecture + Design and Dwell® Magazine has pretty cool white walls that fold up from the side walls to roof panels, but there is no roof over the black box so you can't leave anything in the "play" house that won't get ruined in the rain. I have a hard time picturing kids playing in it. Visions of sinister children of the corn'ish kids are all I can imagine lurking inside the black box. At the last event the Dwell playhouse was my favorite, so I guess I was hoping for something a little more playful this year.


I was completely blown away by "E-I-E-I-O" by Square Three Design Studios LLP and Benchmark Builders. I swear the designer must read MiniModern.blogspot.com, Modern MC has been dreaming of converting a barn into a modern home and well ta da! Complete with mini Eames Lounger and S Chairs and giant sock monkeys. The interior even looks like one of the kids rooms on Modern MC's blog! Too cute.

Now if only we can sway these architects even smaller. One can dream.

(top three images and last event's Dwell image are from Rebuilding Together Peninsula website, the others, well, I apologize for my lack of photography skills)