Katina Beales' Art Deco Dollhouse

Alice Bell wrote a great article on Katina Beales' Art Deco Dollhouse in cdhm.org (Custom Dolls, Houses, & Miniatures) February 2010 Newsletter. Katina Beales spotted a 1:24 scale Art Deco style house at the Kensington Doll's House Festival in 2006. She commissioned Chris Rouch of Toptoise Design, to build this 1:12 scale version that is 36" wide by 27" long, 21" high on two stories and 10" high one story.

If anyone has any information on the builder please share. All I could fine was a 1993 directory listing on CraftScotland.org "Chris & Joan Rouch, Toptoise Design, Selkirk, Scottish Borders". I would love to see more of their work. The listing says they make collector houses and furniture specializing in the designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Art deco, Victorian and Scottish vernacular buildings. Chris & Joan Rouch are also endorsed by Glasgow School of Art to reproduce their furniture collection. Considering they have been around since at least 1993 and have work showing in US exhibitions and museums (not sure which ones) you would think there are photos of their work on this interweb thing.


The house is full of beautiful custom pieces, but I laughed when I read the one thing the builder said when he delivered the house was "Do not over-furnish the house!" Really good advice. The article didn't have credits for the pieces in the study, but the living area has several artists filling this room.

I love the custom fireplace screen by Barbara Sabia (based in Melbourne, Florida, she specializes in miniature stained glass. The fireplace screen is the 15th image on this slide show of her work followed by images of the sconces that are also used in the bathroom photo below). The Dragon Screen is a one of kind made by Terence Stringer (Norfolk, England). The white leather chairs are by Arlette's Miniatures (Sutton Coldfield, England). All the other furniture in the living area was been made by Kim Selwood Miniature Furniture (UK). I would love to know where she got that fabulous silver cylinder mesh lamp next to the fireplace. Anyone?


Katina really did her homework on this house. For many of the custom pieces, she gave photos to the builders who recreated authentic Art Deco pieces. The bath room set was made by Lenham Pottery Models (Norfolk, UK) from pictures she found in magazines. The tiles in the bathroom are hand painted real ceramic by Tiny Ceramics (Germany). The furniture in the bedroom is again made by Kim Selwood Miniature Furniture (UK). The kitchen cabinetry was also custom built from photos by, yep you guessed it, ELF Miniatures (London, UK) - I LOVE LOVE LOVE the work of Elizabeth LePla, and love seeing how much her selection has grown over the years. One day I will own a house completely furnished by ELF Miniatures.

The article is really a fabulous read, but the best part is that her husband bought her a large 16 room Georgian house that she plans to give a luxurious Georgian background with highly decorative features, but with MODERN FURNITURE. I CANNOT wait to see what she comes up with next. I really hope that Katina can find away to start a blog or share her photos. She truly has the start of an amazing collection.

(all information from Alice Bell's cdhm.org article, all images from Katina Beales on cdhm.org and barbarasabia.com)

The winner is... Boogie Beans

Congratulations Boogie Beans, you won the MoMA Modern Play House! Please go to my profile and send me an email with your mailing address. Thanks for playing everyone!

Petite Nouveau got hers yesterday and posted a great review with awesome photos, check it out and sign up for her give away ending Friday.

Thanks to everyone who has recently found and enjoyed my blog, and thanks to everyone who have been there along the way. I hope to have more giveaways in the future.

KidKraft Designer Dollhouse

I have to send a HUGE Thank You to KidKraft for building a truly modern kids dollhouse. The KidKraft Designer Dollhouse is 33.54" x 13.58" x 45.66" and 39 lbs, 1:6 scale and perfect for Barbie. Darn it! If only it came in 1:12 then I'd really be jumping for joy, but at least I know what my daughter's first dollhouse will be.


I love the couch and Flos Arco Floor lamp, and the faux orange Arne Jacobsen "Egg" chairs. The kitchen furniture is clean lined but dull compared to the modern Hoppy style bar stools and Eero Saarinen Tulip Table & Chairs in the dining room. Besides the great modern bed and nightstand, the bedroom boasts a faux Eero Aarnio Bubble Chair. Too cool!

I love the spiral staircase and the ultra modern bathtub. The Designer Dollhouse scores 5 stars from reviews on Amazon. It takes about 1-2 hours to assemble, but people are surprised by the quality and think the pictures don't do it justice. I own a KidKraft garage, kitchen, train table and train set for my son, and I'd agree that KidKraft makes durable and quality products, and has great customer service. This will definitely be in my, er um, I mean my daughter's dollhouse collection. Price ranges from $102.54-$170 depending on where you shop.

(all images from Sears.com)

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? I will be updating my earlier post with 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)

So you want a modern dollhouse

I have gotten several emails requests, so I thought this might be helpful for people interested in joining the mini world. Please send me links to other houses on the market, this is just a start. Here are some houses you may want to own (note, I haven't touched on Lundby, Brio & vintage options yet, more to come).

How to Get Started

My biggest piece of advice is to obtain a house first and then get the accessories that best fit the house. I started collecting accessories before I had a specific house to put them in, and now that I’m filling my Kaleidoscope House I’m realizing 80% isn’t what I want and is taking up space in boxes in the garage.

Step 1: Do some research. :D There are more and more great mini mod blogs out there but I recommend reading The Shopping Sherpa and MiniModern first. Most modern mini bloggers would credit one of them for inspiring them to start their own blog. The more you see, the more you’ll be able to pinpoint what you want to own.

Step 2: Find a house that best fits your personality, skills, time, budget and space. Do you have the patience, skills, time and tools to build a kit from scratch or renovate a house? Do you want a built, but blank canvas to paint and wallpaper? Do you want shiny, new, already assembled house ready to drop furniture and accessories in? What kind of space do you have for mini storage and to display your house(s)?

Out of the box and ready to play

M112 Pods 1:12 scale ($225 - $485) by Paris Renfroe Design www.parisrenfroedesign.com

Villa Sibi 1:10 scale? ($750-$850) by Wolfgang Sirch and Christoph Bitzer

Emerson House 3/4 scale (pre-order $299) by brinca dada www.brincadada.com

MH1 1:12 scale (wait list $299) and MH2 (check website for details, you have to REALLY want this big boy as it is a beast to ship) by Wes Christensen mymodernmini.blogspot.com

Kits (not many modern, but there are a few contemporary)

Clearview 1:12 scale (kit £395) by MIAIM based in London www.miaim.co.uk
Ocean Drive 1:12 scale (kits start at $99 but not available in US) by Dolls House Emporium based in London
www.dolls house.com

Lake View 1:12 scale (kits start at $179.52) by Dolls House Emporium www.dollshouse.com

1, 2 & 3 Waterside Way 1:12 scale (kits start at $250.24) by Dolls House Emporium www.dollshouse.com

Brookwood
1:12 scale ($102 and up) by Greenleaf Dollhouses www.greenleafdollhouses.com

Contemporary Ranch Dollhouse
1:12 scale ($162.95) by Real Good Toys

Summer House 1:12 scale ($121) by Celerity Miniature Homes www.celerityminiaturehomes.com

Auction sites, ebay, craigslist, garage sales, etc.

Look for an older dollhouse you can refurbish. Check out Craigslist, as many people don’t want to deal with shipping so you might be able to pick up a gem.

Search auction sites for discontinued houses
Kaleidoscope House 1:12 scale (discontinued) by Bozart Toys - Laurie Simmons and Peter Wheelwright

Malibu Beach House 1:12 scale (discontinued) by Dolls House Emporium www.dollshouse.com

Mackintosh House 1:12 scale (discontinued) by Dolls House Emporium www.dollshouse.com

Custom

Go to your local dollhouse shop/hobby shop/toy store, they might know someone who could assemble a kit for you, or someone who could design and build an original for you.

Put an ad on craigslist for a custom modern dollhouse. You might be able to find an interested architect/woodcrafter/design student that could build you a one of kind within your budget.

Please send me websites of other builders, but here are a few that do custom one of a kind modern houses and roomboxes.


Mark Turpin www.markturpin.com

Peter Tucker www.roomboxes.com

Tom O'Dea www.virginiadollhouses.com

Gidon Bing Australian sculpture www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/yourgallery/artist_profile//81041. Scroll to the bottom of his gallery to see the dollhouses, you can email him through this site.

Henry Colbert He doesn’t have a website, and last I heard he has a 2 year plus wait list.


Step 3: When you get a dollhouse, PLEASE share your photos. Start a blog or add pictures to the Modern Miniatures Flickr group. We just can't get enough!

Step 4: After you buy the perfect house, inevitably something better will turn up shortly after. It's easy to end up covering every flat surface of your house with this hobby/obsession. With enough money and space, we could all be so lucky to end up with a basement like Mary's Dollhouse Nook.

Thanks to everyone who has checked out my blog after the mention in The New York Times, and thanks to all of my readers who have inspired me to keep blogging.

Coming soon, where to buy modern miniatures...