Sunday, October 31, 2010

More Tin

Here is another tin house I absolutely love. This is a T. Cohn circa 1948. It has seen better days. It's missing some windows. The roof has been repainted white and sports some nasty dents and the front has faded a bit. But despite its drawbacks it is still one great house. (oops, you can see the unopened Emerson box in the background).



The landscaping and exterior graphics are gorgeous. I just want to move in and live there with Donna Reed, or the Cleavers or in a worry-free existence where Father Knows Best. (BTW - a house like this one, but it better condition is on eBay. Click here)

Look at the ends of the house. There are doors and windows that are completely ignored in the exterior. The living room end of the house has lovely shuttered windows with floral drapes on the lower windows and striped drapes on the sweet French balcony doors above.

But on the inside of the living room the end wall has no windows. It is painted green and has a Gauguin painting on the wall. (I am sure it is an original. This family doesn't appear to be hurting for money.)

Upstairs in the nursery there are no French doors. There is a window with circus tent themed curtains and a wall with Little Boy Blue and Little Bo Peep.

I find this incongruity absolutely charming. A doll house should be able to be one thing on the outside and something else on the inside. It's part of the fantasy.
We find the same thing on the opposite side of the house. The kitchen has a wonderful three framed window with flourishing flower box and a sweet kitchen door.


But on the inside wall there is a plate rack and a teapot clock. Don't you just love the white tile with the yellow upper walls and blue scalloped trim? The asymmetrical floor blows me away. And I love the curtains with their flower motif border.
Above the kitchen is a wonderful roof patio with a colorful flagstone floor. Hmmm, I wonder how they got that  rusted area. It looks like they may have been letting the dog out there to pee.


This patio looks so inviting for morning coffee or afternoon sunbathing. It's too bad that the family can't get to it from inside.
There is no door or window on the inside wall of the bedroom. I love the bedroom decoration. Yellow with two shades of green in the wallpaper. The plaid drapes and green valance are a perfect compliment to it. The pattern cut into the carpet is a bit overkill in my opinion, but it is so much fun. The Gauguin theme is repeated here in the Painting on the wall.


The bathroom is decorated with swans. It's not very big, but it is gorgeous. There is a little rust on the floor here too. The family really needs to give that poor dog a little more attention. The four diamond shaped holes at the back of the room matches up with the keyhole shaped window pictured on the front of the house.

Back downstairs we check in on the dining room. It is missing it's windows, but how can you even notice when you see that rug? Or the stripped wallpaper? Or the orange and white drapes? I would love to have the person who decorated this house over for cocktails and just ask them: "What were you thinking?"

But don't get me wrong. I absolutely love this house because of the graphics. They are wonderful.





I want ot leave you with pictures of the nursery.  We have circus clowns and wagons, nursery rhyme figures (although I thought it was the cat and the fiddle, not the pig and the fiddle), puppies, balloons, blocks, bunnies, baby animals, sleds. Did they miss any nursery motif? I don't think so.

 I will see what furniture I can find and show you this house furnished. Do you thing it should have Strombecker, 60s era plastic, Petite Princess, or what. I am having trouble deciding what will look best. let me know what you think.


7 comments:

  1. It is divine! The Clown! The windows. I especially love the flagstone patio. Too Much!!!! C

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  2. Love this house too. Have you seen the similar one on Ebay? Too pricey for me but it sure is cute!

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  3. Thank you for sharing. Like you, I LOVE the graphics on this house! Lizzie

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  4. Well, this is just too much!! Yesterday I was at a flea market, never dreaming that I was interested in buying a dollhouse. I saw this one that just tugged at my heartstrings because I am sure I had one very similar when I was a little girl. It probably was not this same model as I was born in 1947 so mine was likely a few years later. Anyway, I just couldn't walk away from it and I bought it. It is identical to yours. Today I got on line to try to identify it and stumbled on your wonderful blog. My house is missing the front door and one window and only has 2 little one inch spots of rust on the patio. Otherwise (except for being a little loose), it is in very good condition. Now I am wondering how much I should have paid for it. Can you give me a hint?

    I will definitely be visiting your blog often. Thanks.

    Teresa

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  5. Thanks everyone! I'm glad you like the house as much as I do.

    Teresa, welcome to my blog. I am glad you found it and are enjoying it. It is so much fun that you have found your childhood dollhouse (or one similar to it). I paid $29.00 for mine, but it is not in the best of condition. I see these house on eBay quite often and they ask much higher than what I paid. There is one on eBay right now that looks to be in very good condition except for the missing door. The seller is starting bids at $49.00/ I hope this helps.

    Susan

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  6. OK, I'm happy -- I paid $30. Thanks.

    Teresa

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