More Smithsonian treasures

The Miniature World of Faith Bradford

On the weekend I visited the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington DC.

I was delighted to find, not only Dorothy's ruby slippers, Abe Lincoln's hat and Kermit the frog, but dollhouses - lots of them.

This picture is Faith Bradford's dollhouse. There was such a crowd around it it was hard to get close enough to see all the rooms.

It was fun to watch the children examine each room carefully, off in a world of their imagination. What dreams they must be having now.

I heard one little boy say. "Wow, that's even bigger than Grandma's dollhouse", and I smiled, wondering if he belonged to someone in this community.

I remarked to a young mother how cute her daughter was - engrossed in the tiny details and oblivious to everything else. "She just got her own dollhouse." the mother said, smiling back.

Back at my desk today I was delighted to discover the museum has a section of their website devoted to this lovely house. The pictures blow up nice and big and clear. I can actually see more details on the website than I could in person. They even offer a virtual tour of each floor.

Have a look. Click here and you will see what I mean. Happy exploring!

Hugs,

Susan

I got a Lundby house!!

Woo Hoo!! I finally found a vintage Lundby house. I have always waned one.

(Note: the pictures here have mid-century hard plastic furniture instead of the lovely original Lundby pieces that came with the house. Everything needed a good cleaning, but I had some fun re-decorating and taking pictures before I did that. I will do a later post with the real furniture.)

It just goes to show that it pays to be nice and chatty. I bought a little clock from one of the dealers at the St. Lawrence Antique Market one Sunday and as he wrapped it up I mentioned that it was for my dollhouse. He replied that he hadn't put it in his dollhouse because it was too big.

Of course that started the conversation and the following Sunday I arrived at his table to find this wonderful 1969/1970 version of the famous Lundby house complete with original furniture and seven working lights (as I mention above - those pictures are to come once I scrub a few decades of dust off everything.).

I am now the proud owner of this little piece of dollhouse history. It needs a little TLC, but I think it is gorgeous! Enjoy the pictures. The furniture is Marx, Reliable, Renwal, Kleeware, Ideal, etc. and I think it looks great in this house.

My Daughter, the mini artisan

When my daughter asked me what I wanted for Christmas I said that I needed an art deco coffee or end table to go in the parlor at Mindolton Manor

Apparently she was told by the usually helpful staff at the dollhouse store that: "There aren't any art deco coffee tables because doll houses are supposed to be Victorian." (this was news to me)

Being the 'think-outside-the box' problem solver that she is, my daughter looked around the store and came up with her own solution. She bought an octagonal window kit, a pack of four Queen Anne legs and harlequin shaped inlay pieces in three colours (plus stain and varnish).

When I opened her Christmas present I found this beautiful table.

She did the inlay herself, sanded, stained and assembled.

You can't imagine how thrilled I was to receive such a wonderful present. One that is so cleverly and skillfully made with such love.

Thank you my darling daughter. I adore this table. It will be perfect in the Manor.

I will post pictures of the parlor as soon as I can take them.

Hugs to all,

Susan

Happy New Year!!!

All the best in 2010. May all your mini and full sized wishes come true!!

Hugs,

Susan

See my new house at: 862 Ocean View Drive

The bedrooms - 862 Ocean View Drive

Mostly Lundby with some Reac, Petite Princess and found items added.

The kitchen & view of the roof

More views of the living room

Welcome to 862 Ocean View Drive

Please join Better Doll Homes and Fake Mini Gardens for a tour of one of the most interesting houses in Susan's collection.

862 Ocean View Drive is a delightful house, built in the second half of the last century and deliberately decorated by Susan herself.

The soaring, high-ceilinged living room is enhanced by a Le Corbusier white leather sofa and an Eames Pony Lounge Chair (both from Reac).

Opposite the Eames Lounge chiar is a lovely sea green Swan Chair, also from Reac. Between them sits a Petite Princess table by Ideal.

Across the room, on each side of the Lundby Stereo is a MacIntosh Hill House Chair from Reac.

Beside the sofa is an Eames Elephant Chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1945, and nearby is an Eames pony chair.

The agate coffee table and most of the vases are by Susan. Other items are as found.

The family room, just below the living room has a pair of Bibendum arm chairs (Reac), and another Eames Elephant.

The coffee table and Buddha are Petite Princess by Ideal, as is the tea cart by the china cabinet.

The red floor lamp is Renwal, the dining room suite and floor rug are Lundby. The wood cabinet, fireplace tools, cloisonne vase and glass side table are found objects. The black and white lamp is from Bozart.

The kitchen has a W. Germany green cupboard and fridge, a Lundby stove and chairs, and a found table.

The bathroom is by Bozart.

More tomorrow!!

Hugs

Susan

All I want for Christmas is a doll house

I hope Santa brought all of you what you wanted for Christmas. I must have been a very good girl this year because I found an incredible doll house under my Christmas tree.

A local shop that specializes in mid-century modern items had been advertising this doll house on craigslist for several months. I was interested, but controlled myself and stayed away from the shop ... until my sweetheart and I drove by a few weeks ago and there, prominently displayed in the window was the house.

"Oh, look! It's in the window! Turn around. I need to see it!" My sweetheart, who is a kind and amiable person, turned the car around and pulled up in front of the shop. I explained to him that I had seen the doll house on craigslist, but felt that the shop owner was asking too much and I had no room for it anyway. I thought that was the end of it, but when it came time to exchange gifts there it was. I was genuinely surprised, very excited and very touched. No one had ever given me a dollhouse before. I felt like a kid at Christmas. LOL.

The house is an A-Frame, mid-century modern, and is beautifully handmade. The tall chimney, the paths to the two outside doors and the floor of the balcony are made of a 1960's floor tile that resembles field stone. At some point in my past I lived with this tile. I think it was in the house my family lived in when I was in high school. It does look like fieldstone if one hasn't lived with it as floor tile. I think it is quite effective.

The house has a large raised living room with soaring ceilings and a full height fireplace. The huge A-Frame window and lovely front deck look over the ocean, I am sure - although here in Toronto I guess it looks over Lake Ontario. Or maybe it is in the mountains and has a spectacular view of snow topped peaks.

There is a staircase on each side of the fireplace. One leads down to the kitchen and the other leads down to a large family/dining room. A second large, full height fireplace is in that room.

The kitchen and bathroom are to the left of this room (left, if one is facing the fireplace), and two bedrooms are at the back. The bedrooms are below another large A-Frame window at the back of the house.

The kitchen stair has a burgundy carpet on it, and there is evidence of the same carpet in the living room - gone now. Perhaps the whole house was carpeted, it's hard to tell. It seems that wallpaper has been torn off the bathroom walls. Despite this and a few other places where wood or trim is missing the house is in fantastic condition.

There are roof pieces that attach with dowels. Both pieces are there for the living room section, but there is only one for the back section.

The house looks rather like a barn with the roof on. See the picture below.

The house is surrounded by a large lawn, made of that astro turf stuff people put on their patios back then.

The house has the numbers 862 over the front door. I wonder if it was based on a real house.

My Sweetie included the tractor with the house. I guess he knew that the doll family wouldn't want to cut that big lawn with a push mower.

This picture shows the house from the kitchen side with the roof on. The first picture of this blog is from the family room side with the roof off.

I had a lot of fun deciding how to furnish this house. That is coming up in my next blog.

Hugs,

Susan

Merry Christmas to all!!

Like most large cities, Toronto's downtown department stores feature Christmas windows. I love the ones that have been at The Bay for the past few years. I just want to climb into the windows and play with the contents as if it was my own doll house. It is not 1/12th scale though. The figures are between 15 and 20 inches high.

The windows tell the story of Christmas Eve, starting at the North Pole where the elves are getting the sleigh ready.

Time is running out in Santa's workshop. Less than 15 minutes to midnight. Santa has his list all ready to go. I checked - my name is on it.

In the village everyone is preparing for Christmas Eve. The lamplighter is busy lighting the lamps and the carolers are singing. One little girl is drooling in front of the sweet shop - Visions of sugarplums indeed.

Father and Mother are putting the final touches on the tree and the mantle. The children tried to stay awake, but have fallen asleep in the parlor, all except one who is peeking out to see what she can see.

At the end of a long night Santa arrives back at the North Pole where Mrs. Claus has a feast waiting for him. The elves are so excited and happy to have him home and to hear his stories of how his trip went. They have prepared a Welcome Home banner.

Anyone familiar with the Hudsons Bay Company (established 1670) will recognize the Hudsons Bay coats on the Elves and the Hudsons Bay blankets on the mice sleeping in their Hudsons Bay matchbox beds. Sorry the picture of the mice is so bad. It is the only close up one I have. The mice have their own little house under the floor of the Victorian parlor.

If you get a chance to visit Toronto over the holidays check out the windows for yourself. The Bay (main store) is in the old Robert Simpson department store building at Queen and Yonge streets. The windows are on Yonge closer to Bay Street.

I wish all my wonderful friends in Blogland a wonderful holiday season and everything good in 2010.

Love & hugs,

Susan