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Saturday, April 27, 2013

Undersized Urbanite Dollhouse Update

The Art Deco house has been remodeled. My decor just wasn't working. So, I ripped almost everything out, and started again. Here is the revised kitchen. The walls and floor are composed of scrapbook paper. The browns are more similar in person than has been captured by my camera.

"Top Hat linoleum"


Brooklyn Bridge Walls:


There's a new Art Deco kitchen ceiling light:


And the domino stairs seem to be working:





Wishing you only good things, Neen

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Warts and all, Undersized Urbanite Dollhouse Contest Update

It has been awhile since my last post, and I thought a brief update was in order. Aside from the time demands of job and family, the creation of my Art Deco Radio House has been delayed because it is very uncompromising in its acceptance of my remodeling it from a 1930's radio case to a shining example of 1930s Art Deco-Modernism. Nonetheless, I wanted to show you the house, warts and all.
The small, internal area of the house did not take well to the lovely, extreme, geometrical, somewhat cubist-style wallpaper design that so characterizes this period. So, I have had to tone down the walls. Alas, I was not able to use these designs:












Here is what I have put together so far. Much still needs gluing down, and I need to install the windows, doors, and domino stairs.
Looking up from the living room to the kitchen/dining area (floor is uneven because it is not glued in yet):




Looking down from the kitchen/dining area to the living room:




Kitchen/dining room (no molding yet), the walls are bobbin cases:




The mirror and steel finished cabinet is an old Fisher-Price battery cabinet, the painted table is part of a dollar store magic kit with a mirror top, and the drinks cart is a painted Playmobile tea cart.



Here is a close-up picture of the table with the soaring birds' light:




Here is the kitchen with stove and sink placeholders:



The living room with an unfinished fireplace and low mirrors:




Living room with large mirror:




Rug that probably will be in living room:




I am still working on a few pieces of furniture, including a credenza modeled on this:


I still need to glue things down and install the windows, doors and domino stairs. I work fast (I hope). If I have enough time, I intend to finish a room extension (made of picture frames) that is going to be the bedroom and bathroom. I have been playing around with several, painted pieces of the dollar store furniture to put together something that may become an Art Deco dresser like this (set in the kitchen for now):



And I have had fun turning a very odd piece from, I believe, a Brats shopping mall into a 1930s steam sauna:




The door opens (and the inside will look better when there is a second coat of paint, and a blue-glass tile back):




The bath tub will be a dollar store soap dish:




I might even be able to use some of the extreme Art Deco wallpaper and tiles in the bathroom and bedroom. Perhaps even this rug:




Wishing you only good things, Neen

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Undersized Urbanite Dollhouse-Update

There are 20 days left in the Undersized Urbanite Dollhouse contest, but I am not stressing-yet. I usually take a long time to plan and organize a project, but a short time to execute the final product (I hope). I have some finishing chores left, such as putting wallpaper up, and gluing down floors. I will have several more updates on the Art Deco house in a few days.

In the meantime, in addition to the furniture pieces I have already shown, I decided to see if I can transform dollar store finds into Art Deco furniture.

Here is what I am working with:

The dollar store plastic furniture is next to the inspiration piece:























The circles below are from dollar store magnifying glasses:





Dollar store bangles:


Inexpensive wooden fan:


I also will be adding some lighting composed of acrylic birds, and silk butterflies:





These are the results so far:
A flying bird chandelier, upside down for now:





A butterfly ceiling light:


And a butterfly table lamp (I still need to add a base)



I found these Art Deco-ish chop sticks:


And thought I might try my hand on recreating this chair in miniature (if I have time):


Wishing you only good things, Neen