Undersized Urbanite, Art Deco House Update, and Giveaway Announcement

Did you ever have a day where you simply did not want to work at your day job? I am having one of those days, and my boss is a real dragon lady (me). So, while I wait for motivation to tackle the immense amount of work on my desk, I will take a "fun" break (after this, I will have no more excuses not to work).

As you know, I am going to create an Art Deco house as my entry in the Undersized Urbanite dollhouse contest. I started kit bashing one of the HBS MiniLoft kits, but it wasn't going where I thought it should. I still may use it in conjunction with the piece I decided to use as the basis for the house. Here it is, a mid-size,1930ish radio cabinet.

It needs a lot of work.

The front and inside with speaker still in place:











Side:


After I removed the speaker,


You can see how rough the inside is:


From the inside, this is where the front door will be, there will be steps in front and a step-down entryway inside:


This is the dial, which I will incorporate as a work of art, or even as a loft "floor,"








I will use a 1:16 scale in order to have room for this to be a studio or small apartment. I have two other small, radio cabinets from the same period. I think I can add one to this cabinet and still maintain its design "bones" if the second, smaller cabinet becomes the second floor with an outside staircase...maybe. If you have ideas on how to add room to this "house," I will appreciate any and all suggestions. I always give credit for any assistance.

On another note, Cyd, Rebecca, StudioSeven, Debbie and Kyle, assisted me in my quest to determine the "identity" of my new mystery dollhouse. Thank you guys! You all will be receiving a CB2 chair and small elephant footstool in your choice of colors.

GIVEAWAY! There will be another give away on February 20, in order to celebrate the first anniversary of my blog. One of my mother's miniature canvases will be the prize. My mother is a professional artist, and I have used her paintings in several posts. Here is one, bear in mind the colors are much more vibrant in "person."


In order to be eligible for the giveaway, all you need to do is, 1. Be a follower of this blog, and 2. Leave a comment on any post that I put on the blog between today and midnight, February 20, 2013 (starting with this post). My mother will dedicate the painting to you, and the provenance of the painting will include your name.

Many famous artists, including Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray, provided original paintings for inclusion in Carrie Stettheimer's dollhouse. Here is a picture of the art in the dollhouse:


I like to think that my mother's paintings will have the longevity of those works of art.

Wishing you only good things, Neen

Mystery house

Last week, I bought a dollhouse off of Craig's list for $10. I couldn't resist the price, nor its arched doorways and large windows. I had the idea of transforming it into a 1960s Hollywood glam house (in addition to working on my Art Deco house). Unfortunately, I cannot identify where it was made or when. It is clearly vintage, and it is slightly less than 1:16 scale. The red roof is similar to my Vero dollhouse,


but the rest of the house seems to be from another maker. The new house is very sturdy, probably a heavy fiberboard. Take a look:

Front:


Side:


Other side:












Back:















If you can identify this house, please let me know. I will give one of these guys (your choice of red, blue, purple or black print) and a CB2 mini chair (red or white) on January 31st,


to the first five followers who identify it comment on this post. Since I don't know the answer, it doesn't have to be correct (but I hope you know any name will do). (The elephant makes a cute foot stool.)

Wishing you only good things, Neen

Inspiring

As do many of you miniaturists, I spend hours reading design books and magazines. I have shelves of books on Art Deco and MidCentury Modern design, my favorites, many of the books original to the period. My den is full of Architectural Digests, and other decor and miniature-focused magazines and catalogs. Like you, I am frustrated that the architecture and design industry focuses so little on miniature design and decor. Until it does, we have marvelous blogs and inspiring, creative individuals to fill the gap.

I think you will agree that Cyd is one of those individuals. Her blog features her amazing designs such as her entry in HBS's "Creatin Contest." Take a look:







Her avant garde entry has received an honorable mention. Congratulations Cyd! I would love to see her house featured in Architectural Digest or a similar magazine.

There are other mini designers that inspire me, and I will tell you about them in future posts. In the meantime, stay creative and enjoy the art!

Wishing you only good things, Neen

Happy New Year

May 2013 be your best year yet!


Wishing you only good things, Neen

(Painting: Cathedrals of Broadway, Florine Stettheimer, 1929)