Modern Mini Houses

Get out the vote!

2012-03-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

Bookmark this link and go vote once a day: about.com.
You can read about all 6 finalists here.

Come on modern miniature enthusiasts, we can do better than 2%!!! Get out the vote!

May the force be with you.

A not so long time ago, in a galaxy very, very close...

It is a period of changing guards. Rebel
bloggers, striking from less followed
blogs, are trying to win their first victory
against the Victorian Empire.

During the battle, Rebel bloggers managed
to get MiniModern.blogspot.com on
about.com's Readers' Choice Awards
for Best Miniature Blog 2012.

The Empire's followers have been
voting every day, but it's not too
late to change the outcome. Your vote
(once per day until March 21) can bring
modern miniatures to the galaxy....

Sponsored by the M3 Super PAC (Modern Miniatures Movement) with absolutely no coordination with finalists.
idea stolen from LeftCoastMini :P

My new dream house

2012-03-04T13:52:00.003-08:00

Modern MC blogged about an amazing cat retreat inspired Nomad Home dollhouse she's having built, and Pepper inquired if she'd see these dog abodes on www.dogisagod.it. Oh Heavens, the Transparent Dogs House is definitely my inspiration pic for the next dollhouse I want to build. Thank you Pepper!

(image from www.dogisagod.it)

Camelot! (it's only a model)

2012-03-04T12:08:00.002-08:00

How cute is this house on etsy by EmmyNHiros? Too bad it's so small, but still cool to look at.
(all images from etsy seller EmmyNHiros)

I'm a Giant Challengers

2012-02-20T11:47:00.001-08:00

I am seriously blown away by the talent and creativity from Emily Henderson's I'm a Giant Challenge. I was busy working on my challenge so I missed out on following the progress of everyone else. I'm still trying to catch up. I built a page to showcase all of the challengers I could find with pictures and links to their websites. I tried linking directly to their dollhouse posts, please feel free to send me any missing participants, URL updates or any changes: modernminifan (at) gmail.com

Please check out all 79 participants here. Below is just a taste of the talent the challenge brought out:

I just love these kitchens, I could cook in these all day long. [left] Whiteowl: found — be still my beating heart. Are you kidding me, this is miniature?!? Unbelievable. I am blown away. [middle] Change of Scenery — I love all of your choices for this room and your whole house is gorgeous. [right] TinyFixation — I've blogged about here — I adore that chandelier and copper hood, and the cork inlay floors are pretty killer.

The creativity was abundant. [left] Call of the Small created this Rad Pad out of magazine file holders. [right] Lemon Cadet hollowed out an old iMac to make this cool abode. I'm hoping some other people will finish their ideas from shelves and boxes (*wishful hinting* you know who you are.)
[left] Onshore — the shoji screens and woodworking on this Teahouse are just incredible. [middle] Chinoiserie Chic — I love the patterns and prints Beth used in this house. I had no idea there were so many Chinoise miniatures this cool. [right] Asa Pearson blew me away with this ultra modern dollhouse design; the finished house is a beauty. You have to check out the lighting and cross beam ceiling in the man cave.

Two pieces I wish I had thought to make, are this incredible desk from Little Victorian and this gorgeous bathtub by Black Bird Has Spoken. I'm so jealous.
I love the bold use of color in these houses. [left] Make mine Mid-Century, [middle] My Mod Style and [right] Warm Hot Chocolate really brightened up their rooms with some vibrant colors. I'm kind of intimidated by color, but these rooms really inspire me go to bold.

Here are some bedrooms I really like: [left] This Magpie's Nest, [middle] With Two Cats and [right] Fade into Bleu.

[left] I really love Nicole's color palette for her whole house, GORGEOUS! — Making it Lovely. [middle] Morgan's A-frame and furniture are UhMazing — The Brick House. [right] Debra's father had built this mini green house an accessory for the dollhouse he built for her and her sisters, but years later now her daughter is playing with it, along with the fantastic renovation Debra made to the main house — Cocoon Home.

Above are just a few photos of people's work. Please go here to see pictures of all of the participants for the challenge. Here is the website list of the 79 participants I could find so far.

Emily's Original Homies

Inspiration Queen Emily: Style by Emily Henderson ~ www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com
Morgan: The Brick House ~ www.the-brick-house.com
Erin: Design for Mankind ~ www.designformankind.com
Orlando: Homme Maker www.hommemaker.com
Corbett: girl domestic ~ www.girl-domestic.com
Jenny: Little Green Notebook ~ littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com
Nicole: Making it Lovely ~ www.makingitlovely.com
Kirsten: Simply Grove ~ www.simplygrove.com

The rest of us that want to be her homies (listed alphabetically)

A Joyful Girl ~ theknowlesexperience.blogspot.com
a living space ~ a-living-space.blogspot.com
Annie's Oblations (pre-challenge) ~ anniesoblations.blogspot.com
ASA Pearson Designs ~ asapearson.blogspot.com
bijougirl ~ amandaconley.blogspot.com
Black and White and Loved All Over ~ www.blackandwhiteandlovedallover.com
Black Bird Has Spoken ~ blackbirdhasspoken.blogspot.com
BluBabesCreate ~ blubabescreate.blogspot.com
Cali Rezo (pre-challenge and ongoing) ~ www.calirezo.com
Call of the Small ~ call-small.blogspot.com
Carmen Jessee ~ carmenjessee.com
Change of Scenery ~ changeofsceneries.blogspot.com
Chinoiserie Chic ~ chinoiseriechic.blogspot.com
Christy Crafts ~ christycrafts.blogspot.com
Cloudy Purple Sky ~ asukas.blogspot.com
Cocoon Home ~ www.cocoonhome.com
The Contented Renter ~ thecontentedrenter.blogspot.com (please build it!)
Copy Cat Chic ~ www.copycatchic.com
Cowboy Bunny ~ cowboybunny.blogspot.com
Design Thoughts ~ www.designthoughtsblog.com
Fade into Bleu ~ fadeintobleu.blogspot.com
Finding Eliza ~ findingeliza.com
Fleurishing ~ www.fleurishingblog.com
Flippin' Dollhouse ~ flippindollhouse.tumblr.com
The Frippery Factory ~ fripperyfactory.wordpress.com (come back, I want to see what you do with the box)
Giginstudio ~ www.giginstudio.tripod3d.com
Go Haus Go ~ www.gohausgo.com
Holly Recommends ~ hollyrecommends.wordpress.com
The Honey Hut ~ thehoneyhut.blogspot.com
House of Lovelock ~ houseoflovelock.com
JWK Style ~ jwkstyle.blogspot.com
KathieB's Minis (pre-challenge) ~ kathiebminis.blogspot.com
Keepers ~ facebook.com/pages/Keepers/123865814323216
La Vita Petite ~ lavitapetite.com
LeftCoastMini (pre-challenge) ~ leftcoastmini.blogspot.com
Lemon Cadet ~ lemoncadet.blogspot.com
Little Dash ~ dashislittle.blogspot.com
Little Victorian ~ littlevictorian.blogspot.com
Loganberry Lane ~ Loganberrylane.blogspot.com
Make mine Mid-Century ~ makeminemid-century.blogspot.com
Marcus and Rach ~ marcusandrachpond.blogspot.com
Michelle Corvino: Gnome Homes ~ picasaweb.google.com/106618329473965977306/IAmAGiantGnomeHomes
MiniMinimalDesign ~ www.flickr.com/photos/67276108@N08/
Modern Mini Houses (that's me) ~ modernminihouses.blogspot.com
My Mini Mod Pod ~ minimodpod.blogspot.com
My Mod Style ~ mymodstyle.blogspot.com
My Recession Kitchen ~ www.myrecessionkitchen.com
Noted Home ~ notedhome.blogspot.com
OneFortyThree ~ onefortythree.com (additional Instgram photos here: statigr.am/one_forty_three)
Onshore ~ onshore-again.blogspot.com
Opal Weekends ~ opalweekends.blogspot.com
Petite Plat ~ petitplatbysk.blogspot.com
Pinky Creations ~ pinkycreations-pink.blogspot.com
The Project Corner ~ theprojectcorner.blogspot.com
Redesign ~ www.reddezn.com
Silly Eagle Books ~ www.sillyeaglebooks.com
Snow Fern ~ snowfern-clover.blogspot.com
Sophie and Lili ~ sophieandlilihandmade.blogspot.com
Stringfellow Art ~ www.stringfellowart.com
Summer Plays House ~ summerplayshouse.com
Tales of a Tumbleweed ~ www.talesofatumbleweed.com
TinyFixation (Large and in Charge) ~ www.tinyfixation.blogspot.com
This is Kara B. ~ thisiskarab.tumblr.com
This Magpie's Nest ~ thismagpiesnest.blogspot.com
This Posh House ~ thisposhhouse.blogspot.com
Warm Hot Chocolate ~ warmhotchocolate.com
Whiteowl: found ~ whiteowlfound.blogspot.com
With Two Cats ~ www.withtwocats.com
Wonders Will Never Cease ~ wonderswillnevercease.blogspot.com
wonderland.5 ~ www.flickr.com/photos/wonderland5
Here's the "I'm a Giant" flickr group to share photos: www.flickr.com/groups/1772598@N24/

Again, please send those that I have missed and I am eager to add them. modernminifan (at) gmail.com

Thanks for the inspiration everyone! See all here.

(all images from respective websites)

"They didn't have your size"

2012-02-14T02:29:00.000-08:00

Here is my submission for the Gem & Jewels and FDQ photo contest Maryann Roy blogged about. I have to say, this wouldn't have been possible without the help from my amazingly talented brother, Chris Hornbecker, Photographer Extraordinaire. What a difference lighting makes (and a good camera)! My brother taught me a ton about perspective, lines, filling the space, hard and soft light and cheap suggestions for building my own light set up from the the hardware store. This photo uses his professional lights, but I'll blog about my new lighting set up as soon as I build it. Click on the image to enlarge and really see the photo in its glory. When you compare images 1 and 2 in the close up mode, it is night and day from what a photographer can do, and what my current skill set is.

Modern MC was kind enough to loan me some posable dolls (thanks again!!). The left photo was my initial set up, but my brother suggested the the black was too dark for the photo and the couch was too big. So I swapped in Dr. Who dolls, new furniture, and I moved the bookshelf of rings to be more prominent in the scene. We took out some clutter and some lamps that added distracting lines, and eventually ditched the couch and moved the couple to the front.

Then the magic happened, adjusting the lights for the perfect "natural light" coming through the window. Changing the focus on different elements in the room. Getting all the shots for post production; yeah people, we mean business! The ring he is holding is actually in the girl's shadow so it looked dull. After getting the main shot, we popped her out and adjusted the lighting on the ring to get more sparkle out of it. Then worked some photoshop magic with masking the different layers with the best lighting and focus for the elements we wanted featured. There were 5 images combined together to create the final image. Thank you Big Bro, you are the best!!

Besides having a blast working with my brother on this, it was really fun setting the room up. I dug up a lot of old memories searching through my jewelry. Rhinestone earrings from middle school dances (when I was 13) were added to the lamp to make a faux crystal chandelier. I discovered the two etched glass jewelry boxes from my grandmother that worked perfectly as tables. The bookcase of rings is my favorite feature, I was short on rings and luckily my Dad's girlfriend let me raid her collection and I filled it up with hers and used her earrings in the bowl on the side table. I thought using the rhinestone bracelets to create a hearth in front of the fireplace turned out pretty cool too.

Here are the 35 pieces of jewelry in this scene.
1. Ring on edge (1)
2. Large earring in front and ring on right (2 & 3)
3. minimodernistas bookcase with 16 rings in it (19)
4. HBS lamp with 4 earrings (23)
5. small jewelry box for side table
6. large jewelry box for coffee table
7. bowl of stud 9 earrings and pendants (32)
8. two rhinestone bracelets to make hearth (34)
9. my engagement ring (35)

Accessories are PRD Miniatures, minimodernistas, Reac chairs, HBS side tables, Modern MC and Mad for Mod.

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you share some mini love today.

I'm fixated

2012-02-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

Not sure where I've been, but I just discovered TinyFixation's blog large and in charge. One word, WOW! Her commentary is hilarious and her skills are incredible. On top of completely gutting and wiring the house, almost everything in the house is handmade or re-furbished by Meagan. I'm still in awe of the talent to come up with these designs and execute them so well. The kitchen is incredible. I love the cork floors she made. The mirrors on the wall over the banquette are a great accent to that AMAZING chain chandelier. And check out the details on how she made the copper hood above the range.

The story of the house she is renovating is a kick. I highly recommend starting at the beginning of her blog and reading all of the details. It's a fun ride. She started her blog in October, after being inspired by the I'm a Giant Challenge. I am seriously in awe of how much time she spent trying to meet the "deadlines" for the challenge. If you don't have time to read her whole blog then jump to this post with most of the finished rooms for the challenge. Totally impressive.

If you read older posts, you'll find some fabulous step by step details on how she made some of the furniture, accessories, floors, lighting and even real granite counter tops and actual glass window panes. I'm still in awe of how she transformed this clunky electric range to a gourmet gas range.

I'm stealing Pepper's #4 new years resolution of trying to catch up on everyone's blogs, but so far I've been completely fixated on this one.

This is seriously the coolest kids bed I've ever seen. A swing, slide, loft, what's not to love; and the light fixture is to die for. The master bedroom is just fab, there's a great tutorial on how to make the mirrored nightstands here. I love the arc lamp in the living room and the coffee table is so cool, you can see the inspiration for the table in this post here. So many great details, check them all out at: tinyfixation.blogspot.com.

(all images from large and in charge blog at tinyfixation.blogspot.com)

"Welcome Home" Lounge

2012-02-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

Back in December when I met Maryann Roy, she surprised me with this gorgeous credenza and these fabulous barrel style chairs. The blue is almost a perfect match to the Tiffany's blue in my Zig Zag shelving unit by PRD Miniatures. Thanks so much Maryann, I am loving them! Sadly, these are the last 1:12 scale pieces she made and it might be a while as she's pretty content (and busy) in her Barbie size world. (Minimodernistas makes 1:12 scale barrel chairs if you're dying to get your hands on some.) Maryann Roy sells fabulous 1:6 scale items on her blog here: maryannroy.wordpress.com.

This is the hallway room in my Antrim that I have been trying to find a purpose for. I think the chairs and credenza really make it a cool lounging around area. I'd hang out and read a book here.
I picked up a few goodies from CW Lubin Wood Turning on etsy; the two wooden candlesticks at the the end of the credenza, chrome metal vase on middle shelf, and the tall green vase on the upper right shelf.

Da deets: Maryann Roy: chairs, lamp, credenza, beads on middle shelf. PRD Miniatures: Zig Zag shelving unit, TV, SLICE vortex side table, square glass beads. Accessories: Re-ment, Bozart, orchid by fortunate island minis, Gilbert Mena round wood turning on 2nd from top shelf, mini dream world, CB2 ornament cut in half, dollhouse shows, craft store and ebay finds.

And the winner is...

2012-01-31T20:21:00.000-08:00

HBS/Miniatures.com announced the winners of the 18th Creatin' Contest today. I was really impressed by the competition and how the winners transformed the Fascination Station Kit. There are only 30 kits left so if you wanted one...

You can read all about the winning projects and see more detailed photos on HBS website here: miniatures.com. Currently they only have the top winners up, but they are uploading photos of First Time Entry Winners, Honorable Mentions, and all other entries as fast as they can. My Fashion House won a nice First Time Entry prize, so that will be on their site and also in the March HBS/Miniatures catalogue.

Grand Prize
“North Creek – A Century Later” Michelle Miller, Howell, MI
(pictured above)

First Place
“The Old West” Joyce Bishop, Hendersonville, NC

Second Place
“Ted Cairns Chevron” Louise Stedinger, Florence, OR

Third Place
“Deadwood Stage at Chugwater Station” Roy Simpson, Lubbock, TX

I'm looking forward to seeing all of the entries, the creativity was definitely flowing.

(all images from miniatures.com)

Evening on ebay

2012-01-30T00:27:00.000-08:00

It's too cold to work in the garage tonight, so the Fashion House is on hold. I ended up getting sucked into ebay instead and I thought I would share. Here are some of the gems that peaked my interest. Some of the prices are high, but many have "make an offer" available. As with many large 1:12 scale dollhouse many listings are local pick up only.

Ebay seller demantaur is parting with two incredibly detailed, fully furnished, and electrified houses. Both are local pick up only near Frederick, Maryland. This first house is a top loader with the roof on hinges. I love the panel molding and the plexi bathroom. The pool is phenomenal. Some serious hours were logged into making this a work of art. Check out all 130 photos on photobucket or the ebay listing here.

The second house demantaur is selling, in another impressive one-of-a-kind. The bookcase in the hallway of the two story brick house is impressive. Again, the bathroom here is really cool as well. Gotta love plastic. You can see all 69 pictures on photobucket or the ebay listing here.

I would LOVE to put a modern interior in this Western Log Dollhouse Kit "MONTANA BUNK HOUSE". I can just imagine a high end ultra modern cabin nestled in the mountains near Vail or Breckenridge. Dreamy.

I really love the shelves on this Vintage German Puppenstuben Store Front. I'd be tempted to take it apart just for the shelves.

This one is unusual indeed: Hand Crafted One Of A Kind Unusual Wooden Doll House. Local pick up only in Reading, PA.

A used Villa Sibi in Greenwich, CT is up with option to ship.

There's a Tomy Smaller Home and Garden in pretty decent condition, there may be a warp on the shorter part of the roof, but the second floor is not warping, which happens to many of the Tomy vintage houses. It is 1:16 scale, you can see an old commercial on youtube here.

This one needs some work, but the brick Vintage Chicago Bungalow is the same bungalow style house my great grandparents owned. I didn't know them, but we visit their old house whenever we're in Denver.

I love the copper awnings on the white Stucco Pennsylvania custom house. It also has a cool cross beam ceiling and the molding and windows are nicely finished.

Okay, this kit is extremely cutesy, but I love the roof design and the windows. Strip away some of the bubblegum decor and add a little industrial modern and I would call it home. Sadly, its small; at 43 cm tall, I'm guessing it is closer to 1:16 or 1:18 scale. Boo.

Mad for Mod's Mid-Century Modern dollhouse has starting bid of $295, local pick up Carmel, IN. Check out her blog for more close up shots.

A used Emerson with furniture is up with local pick up in Baltimore, MD area.

(All images from ebay listings. Click on links above to see more ebay details.)

Anyone up for a doll and jewelry challenge?

2012-01-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

In the current issue of Fashion Doll Quarterly magazine is a really cool article about Maryann Roy's display that she built for “Gems & Jewels” jewelry store in Australia. Below are some amazing pictures of the jewelry store display. FDQ and "Gems & Jewels" story are hosting a contest with some cool prizes. For the contest all you need to do is incorporate real jewelry and any kind of doll into a miniature scene.

How about these for some inspiration:

You can read all of the details and prize information on Maryann's blog here: http://maryannroy.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/diorama-photo-contest-get-published-and-win-a-fabulous-prize/ or you could order a copy of the FDQ magazine here.
First place is a doll shaped charm crafted by Gems & Jewels and valued at $675.00! (Choice of charm will be chosen by Owner, Suzy Allan)
Entries are due via email by FEBRUARY 14TH (Valentine’s Day). Read all the details here.

(images are from Maryann Roy's blog maryannroy.wordpress.com
*Set photography by Phoebe Morley: www.pmorleyphotography.com.au
*Charms photographed by Greg Karslake

Maryann Roy window display

2012-01-27T20:52:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays, I was able to break away from the family for an afternoon to drive out and meet Maryann Roy. I am a huge fan of her work, and was very excited she invited me to her home. She is an absolute doll in person and it was pleasure to meet her in person. I got to see some of her amazing collection and see how she works behind the scenes. Very inspiring.

We drove out to Torrington together to see the holiday window display she had built for a fabulous little boutique, Brazen Betties. You can see more photos and read about it here: maryannroy.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/holiday-window-display-revealed/. The display was really eye catching. I love anything that helps showcase miniatures to a new audience and this did it with a ton of glam to boot. Hats off Maryann! Hanging out with you was a highlight of my trip. Good luck on future window displays. Looking forward to seeing them.

(top two images are from Maryann's blog maryannroy.wordpress.com)

I could be a Barbie Girl in this Barbie World

2012-01-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

One of my readers, Maureen, sent me this great link to Jamie Kelly's modern 1:6 dollhouse. Jamie is a photographer and painter that loves making furniture, bedding, clothes, etc.
She modified this dollhouse that originally had all the same size rooms, moving walls around and adding windows and doors. Most everything is a combination of things she made or picked up from thrift store and garage sales, with the exception of the cabinetry and some gifts from friends and her sister.

Most of the wall art is her own artwork to scale. Jamie learned how to bend plexiglass. She's planning on creating more plexi pieces, hopefully some bar stools, coffee tables, platform beds, end tables. Good luck Jamie. Can't wait to see what you come up with next. The photos are outstanding. It's nice to see what the professionals can do.

Thanks Maureen!

(all images from Jamie's website www.jamiekellyart.com)

Hey Tanya from Shoot from the Hips, I want to see your dollhouse!

2012-01-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

I saw this DIY Modern Dollhouse on Apartment Therapy. Look familiar? After seeing made by Joel's dollhouse, Tanya and her husband were inspired to build one for their son. According to Apartment Thearpy the plans they used to make it and details on how they made the furniture are up on Tanya's blog, Shoot From the Hips, but when I go to her blog its an invite only blog, and says to contact the author for an invitation. Boo!

Tanya, can help out a modern mini addict, I would love to read your post, http://www.shootfromthehipsonline.com/2010/05/secret-project.html

Congrats, it is a gorgeous house, I know a lot of adults that would like to play there, too!

(news from Apartment Thereapy image from www.shootfromthehipsonline.com)

Mid-century Modern Dollhouse on ebay

2012-01-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Déjà vu. I was staring at this house on ebay trying to figure out why it looked so familiar. A little searching and oh yeah Mini Mod Pod! Recognize the bedroom? I love the interior walls; the bathroom is my favorite.

House comes unfurnished, but move in ready. If you live driving distance from Carmel, IN, I would definitely check out this pick up only mid century modern dollhouse. Having just built a house, I think the starting price of $335 is definitely worth it.

(all images from ebay listing ebay.com/itm/Mid-century-Modern-Modern-Dollhouse-/140685440460)

Update 1/27: now starting bid is $295 on new listing. It's still listed as pick up only, but if you are willing to pony up for shipping contact Mad for Mod on her blog and see more interior pictures here: http://minimodpod.blogspot.com/2012/01/for-sale-on-e-bay-spread-word.html. New ebay listing: ebay.com/itm/Mid-century-Modern-Modern-Dollhouse-/140689921076

Maryann Roy shabby to chic DIY tutorial

2012-01-14T13:24:00.000-08:00

(Carol, I know you're going to love this one!)

Maryann Roy has a really cool DIY post with details and directions on how she resurrected this shabby Barbie furniture into stylish mid-century modern chic. The furniture is 1:6, but great tips for any scale.

(all images from Maryann Roy's blog maryannroy.wordpress.com)

Fashion House Tour

2012-01-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

So, yeah, the staircase is my favorite part of this house. It's made out of one inch acrylic bar with polished ends from TAP Plastics. I blogged before about the gluing jig I used to assemble the staircase. I used Seal All to glue the stairs to each other and the 3" x 5" one inch acrylic landing. Pillows are minimodernistas and chairs are CB2 igloo chair ornaments, gift from Modern MC (on sale for $0.50). Large verde plant is PRD Miniatures. I'm not positive what I want to do for the front door, so for now I'm using Callsmall's trick of deco tape on the plexi wall. I wanted the front of the house to have a grand, open feel, but I have to find a way to make it look more realistic.

Here's a look at the stairs through the side window over the landing. Then moving around the side we'll peek upstairs into the bedroom and bathroom.

Painting, rug, magazine rack over tub, bed and bedding by PRD Miniatures. Laptop by lilu. Small pillows on bed by minimodernistas, as well as boxed shells over loo. Tub and loo are IKEA. Magazines are X10NY. Remaining items are Kaleidoscope House, ebay and dollhouse show finds, along with gifts from MyRealitty and mini2b. The tub is tucked into an alcove I built for it. I'm debating between sliding doors or a hinged wall to cover the opening.

I used deco tape and masking tape on the window and door, sprayed with several layers of glass etching paint, then removed to add some privacy. The door actually works, the frame is made of styrene. I need to add a handle, but I was really excited it came together. It took over an hour to build; measure twice, cut once. CB2 Reed chair ornaments painted grey (on sale for $0.95. Thanks again MC!) Ribb Chaise is PRD Miniatures, gift from mini2b along with topiaries as well. Accessories AG Minis and Mighty World.

The working sliding doors head into the great room. I glued the mirror pieces together to add a little glitz. I have tons of extra pieces so if anyone wants one stay tuned, I'll blog later when available. I think its time for a give away. ;) The Essex Kitchen from PRD Miniatures was built for my Antrim, but fits great here too. I had purchased a kit from Elf Miniatures, but time did not allow me to finish. I'll blog the kit build later.

My original design called for a half bath next to the stairs, but I didn't have time to finish. The red parlor came together instead, so I'm not sure I want a half bath there now. Coffee table is Peter Tucker. Sofa, pillows, rugs, ribbon lamp, silver lamp, clock, green IKEA style bookcase, and grey slant bookcase are all minimodernistas. Kitchen, bar stools, chairs, paintings, frames, decorative accents, carpet tiles are PRD Miniatures. Designer chairs are Reac. Sideboard is AG Minis, gift from Doris. L'arc de triomphe from Modern MC along with TAP Plastics black and white boxes in green bookcase. Accessories from dollhouse shows, hobby shop and arts and crafts store.

A Happy New Year for Modern Mini Houses!

2012-01-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

As there have been so many new modern houses on the market, I wanted to show the additions I made to my Where to Buy Modern Dollhouses page. I have over 50 modern houses pictured, check them out when you have some time. Thanks to Modern MC for always finding and sharing new houses.

The Bauhaus Dollshouse by Louise Putman comes in different colors and with choice of tinted or clear sliding plexi doors. Edward House is the new and improved Emerson House by brinca dada. MiniTown Loft Kit by HBS Miniatures has a lot of potential and is their 2012 Creatin' Contest Kit.

Newcomer The Contemporary Home in Miniature introduced three houses this year: The Solent Reach, The Harbour Heights and The Quayhaven.

This year brought us some new Barbie modern dollhouses. The Minimalist by Miss Schumetta and Miniko Doll House by Miniio.

Under Custom, Commissioned, OOAK builders, please send me more modern builders you know with websites. I added Erik Goddard www.erikgoddard.com. I have more to add, and will try to update soon.

In the Budget Friendly Finds section I added two new DIY projects. Made by Joel madebyjoel.com. Joel's website has some great ideas and plans for building your own dollhouses and furniture. Check out his video making a dollhouse on the Martha Stewart Show. Four Bad Apples fourbadapples.blogspot.com. Check out this blog to see how Adrienne and her daughters made this house from scraps of wood from the throw away bin at her local home supply store.

Please send me ones I have missed at modernminifan at gmail.com, and I will add them to the growing list. I'm looking forward to what modern mini houses will surprise us this year. Keep on building!

20-30% off Sale @ PRD Miniatures

2011-12-31T19:48:00.001-08:00

Paris and Lisa Renfroe are kicking off 2012 with a storewide sale up to 30% off until January 10th at PRDMiniatures.com. I am drooling over the new Cole Entertainment Console from PRD Miniatures. I could design an entire room around that red; the suspended wire in the metal base is simply blowing my mind. The new LCD Flat screen TVs are really cool, and I'm digging these Nested Coffee Tables.

Paris has added a ton of new accessories, picture frames, driftwood sculptures, and more under the Decorative Accents section of his website, that would look great in any room. I think I need one of everything. You can check out all of 100 plus new items on PRD Miniatures.com here.

(all image from PRDMiniatures.com)

I'm a Giant crazy person

2011-12-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

It has been a mad dash to the finish line, but for now, all I can say is PHEW!!!

After more snafus (I'll tell ya later), the Fashion House was in one piece Tuesday night (the 13th) at 11pm. I ransacked all of my minis and started decorating. At 2am, I tore the garage to pieces trying to find my mini rugs (we moved a few months ago and I haven't unpacked everything yet). After 20 minutes of pillaging, I found my rugs in the bottom of the last box. Sigh. After many variations and changes these are the final rooms I came up with. Most of the minis are PRD miniatures or minimodernistas along with accessories I've made and other ebay/dollhouse show items. By 4am I was able to take pictures (I'll post more later) for the challenge and contest. Then I cleaned up the giant mess before the kids woke up at 6:30am. After 2 hours of sleep I packed our bags and the kids and we flew cross country for the holidays. I am still tired. I wish I had more time with the house, but I won't see it for a few weeks. I will post more details when I return, as internet access is limited out here in the sticks.

Emily, thank you for the motivation, but I'm so glad the challenge is over. HBS Miniatures, my contest submission is on its way.

Now to enjoy visiting family for the holidays. I'll post more pictures when I can.

Giant Tears

2011-12-11T01:25:00.000-08:00

Since my last update, I finished cutting out the second story walls and floor. It took about a week of nights in the garage after the kids were asleep to paint and add the windows.

Thursday night, I was finally ready to assemble. I glued and clamped up the ground floor. First problem - my sliding doors are 1/8" but the wood from the kit was just shy of 1/4" so the upper track I added to hold the doors in place, snapped off when the doors overlapped to open. I'm going to replace two of the four panels with 3/32" and that should give enough room for everything to move smoothly. The big disaster came the next morning. The glue didn't hold. It cracked when I moved it and one wall fell down and another was disconnected.

I assumed I didn't clamp well enough, so for the second floor, I clamped the heck out of it on Friday night. I used almost every clamp we had. But come Saturday, despite being super clamped, the long wall was only connected to the floor a quarter of the length. After some Giant tears, I read the back of the wood glue bottle, and it recommends 45 degrees or higher. It was definitely closer to 40 degrees in the garage, so I think it was too cold for the glue to set properly. Tonight, I brought both floors inside and am praying the warmer temperature will set the glue properly this time.
At this point I figured I would be a lot further along. I'm not sure I'll finish in time, but I haven't thrown in the towel yet.

East Bay Mini Meet Up

2011-11-27T11:26:00.001-08:00

NEW DATE

It's been a while since the last Bay Area meet up, and Doris (minimodernistas) just moved to town, so if you are near Oakland next Sunday, December 11th and want to join us for lunch or coffee email me at modernminifan @ gmail.com (remove spaces).

Carol, I promise we'll meet up in the East Bay again when you are back.

Email me if you can meet up with us and I'll send you location details.

Gluing away...

2011-11-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

The last two walls of the main floor are done. Framing the windows is taking a lot longer than I expected, but it is looking better than I imagined so that's a plus. I still have no idea what I'm going to do for the door, but I have to get building the second floor. I'm worried the plan was too ambitious with the time remaining, but I'm hoping I can pull some late nights to get it finished. Clock is ticking.

Update on the Fashion House

2011-11-26T08:42:00.000-08:00

My husband came up with the great suggestion of finishing the walls before I assemble the dollhouse. Paint is finally dry and I'm starting to put in the windows. The windows are much easier to install on a flat surface, and once walls are finished it should be pretty quick to glue the house together.

I bought some styrene strips that I'm cutting to size to make the windows, along with custom cut acrylic window panes from Tap Plastics. I really need to get a glue syringe for the small spaces. It's globbed out a few times and smeared on the "glass" so I'll have to figure out how to clean that up.
My lack of painting skills and color choice has been problematic. I painted all of the interior walls white before deciding on the exterior. I used a textured black paint that looks like concrete for the exterior, but I managed to get several black spots on the white when moving from my painting area to drying area. So I had to sand and repaint most of the white walls. UGH. I hate painting. For the exterior trim, I gave up and used a black marker instead of paint; finally a step where I don't have to wait for paint to dry.

Two walls done. Several more to go. These two won't connect, but I propped the walls up to feel a bigger sense of accomplishment. I knew this was going to take some time, but waiting for paint to dry has been slooooooooooow.

Dylan House & Furniture + Free Shipping on sale at Fab

2011-11-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

Hey hey, brinca dāda is on Fab.com. The Emerson sold out but the Dylan House is selling for $164 with free shipping to the US and includes the furniture.

"brinca dāda’s Dylan House is inspired by the minimalist masterpieces of Paul Rudolph and Tadao Ando—it has a concrete-and-glass feel combined with the breezy openness of a beachfront home. It features floor-to-ceiling windows and five living spaces on three levels: a living room/dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and even a roof patio. But what’s a house like this without the proper decor? We’re throwing in a free set of 23 pieces of ultra modern matching Dylan furniture—a $15 value—as well as free shipping!

Assembly required. Only non-toxic and lead-free wood stains and paints used. Suggested for children ages 3+. Furniture set includes dining set, bedroom set, living room set, kitchen appliances, bathtub, commode and a patio set. Additional furniture sold separately."

All details from Fab.com http://fab.com/sale/2028/

Makeshift tools of the trade

2011-11-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

We don't have a table saw or jig saw, so my husband has helped me set up makeshift jigs for our router to cut windows and trim wood. I've made a few mistakes, but I have to keep reminding myself, "it's just a dollhouse". For now its working out, but I am realizing how having the right tools makes all the difference.

I picked up this metal gluing jig from Earth and Tree Miniatures, and it has been really useful. I'm making the staircase out of one inch acrylic bar. At this rate it's going to be the best part of the house. For now I'm calling it the Fashion House. More to report after paint dries.