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...

Brinca Dada - Emerson House

Are you kidding me!?!? Have you seen this modern and eco-friendly dollhouse by Brinca Dada? Of course you have, it was all the buzz last month, but that's what I get for tuning out for the past few months. CallSmall blogged a great post with links to all of the other posts on this house plus more information from one of the heads of the company, Doug Rollins read more here.

The Emerson House by Brinca Dada will be available in June 2010. They are currently taking pre-orders for $299!

Description from their website brincadada.com:
"Newly listed, the Emerson House is the perfect home for the modern family. The home has six rooms including a living room, kitchen, library/office, master bedroom, bathroom and child's bedroom. With its large, open floor plan and floor-to-ceiling windows, the Emerson House enjoys year-round sunlight. The modern house features many extras including mitered-glass corners, two fireplaces, sliding glass doors, solar panels, and recessed LED lights. Finally, the house is easy on the environment with only non-toxic and lead-free wood stains and paints."



Brinca Dada also has a line of living room furniture that will be coming this spring. I am in love with their chairs and couch.

"A beautiful house deserves beautiful furniture. This living room set creates the perfect atmosphere for entertaining guests, reading a good book or relaxing with family. The set features eleven pieces including TV console, lamps, HD television, sofa, chairs, coffee table, console, side table and rug. Thank heavens for little luxuries."


(all image from brincadada.com)

Clearview House on sale

Clearview House by MIAIM Miniature Design & Architecture is how I envisioned customizing the Antrim Modern Kit I bought. I love the balconies, all of the windows and the front door. They dropped the price to around $650 US + shipping from UK.

Clearview has a stunning, unique layout with features including modern windows, balconies and roof terrace. I love the designer glass paneled double doors entrance. Its a 1 bedroom 1 bath town house. Comprising of open plan stairs, 2 glass fronted balconies, 1 single and 2 double sliding doors and full length windows throughout that allow a "Clearview" through the house at almost any angle. The roof terrace has access from the top floor seen here as the bed room.

Dimensions: The base of Clearview is 80cms (31 1/2") wide. The House is 77cms (Appx 30 1/4") wide, 79.5cms (Appx 31") high and 46cms (Appx18") deep.

MIAIM is a new small company with one designer, one technical manager and one manufacturer. Focused on designs after 1900, they intend to design from 1920’s Art Deco through every decade and into the future. I really like their idea of bringing "dolls houses back in fashion ... by simply making them more fashionable". I hope the can continue to bring more modern, contemporary designs to market.

(All images from MIAIM Miniature Design & Architecture www.miaim.co.uk)

Madison Avenue (Doll)House

Um... WOW!

This futuristic thousand-pound dollhouse is the work of architect Joshua Prince-Ramus and his firm REX Architects. The installation was the centerpiece for the holiday window display at the Calvin Klein Collection store on New York’s Madison Avenue. It was on display until Jan 09, but I haven't had a chance to research where it is now.

The four-story structure is made of steel, acrylic sheet, and spandex. Check out the animation on the website to see how the walls open and close. All of the interiors are furnished with miniature replicas of pieces from Calvin Klein’s apparel, accessory, and home lines, including the new furniture line that debuted this year.

The initial concept came from Dale Rozmiarek, Calvin Klein VP of Creative Services, (I wish I had his job, can you imagine getting paid to envision this gem?) and Joshua Prince-Ramus and REX were enlisted to create the masterpiece. REX also worked with with Situ Studio and Klemencic Associates on the fabrication and structure. Definitely check out the website for more details and info. When I win the lottery, I'll commission these guys for another ultra-modern dollhouse.

Now if only we can convince Calvin Klein to sell 1:12 miniatures of the new line of furniture.

(All images by James Lattanzio from REX Architects www.rex-ny.com)

More Gidon dreams...

Gidon sent me some more detailed pictures of the models I'm in love with. Try not to drool over your keyboard. The models currently reside in the PR dept at Resene. There was some talk of them going on permanent display and being exhibited together with some life size versions of the furniture miniatures and a life size lounge niche, but nothing has been finalized. Gidon did construct an experimental bent plywood chair based on one of the miniature designs featured in the Resene models just for fun. I would love to check out that lounge if it comes together. If you're interested in a dollhouse by Gidon, you can get in touch through the contact form on the Saatchi Gallery website (free registration required). Here's the link: www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/yourgallery/artist_profile//81041 or www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/yourgallery/BuyArt.php?artist_id=81041.

I would love to own one of these homes!

(All images from artist Gidon Bing)

Marry me Gidon Bing

Here I am trying to befriend an architechet, when all types of artists are building incredible modern miniatures. The Shopping Sherpa made this incredible find in the current issue of Home New Zealand. Sculptor Gidon Bing built the models and Katie Lockhart styled the homes for Karen Walker Paints, a new line of paints from Resene. How I wish we had an outlet where architectural models like these could be sold. I would love to do more than just drool over these pictures.

More pictures can be found on:
Karen Walker Paints (these have the paint samples for each model)
6 page HOME magazine feature (PDF) (download this, just so you can zoom in on all of the details and drool)
The Shopping Sherpa's post (she rocks. what a find!)
Stylist Katie Lockhart's website (great photos)
More of Gidon's work on Saatchi Gallery

(All images from Gidon Bing's profile on Saatchi Gallery)