Fireplace

As soon as I saw this fireplace in a dollhouse store in Denver this summer, I knew I had to have it. It surprised me that I wanted it, actually, since it is more traditional--I have been dreaming about a retro/modern brick one for my Doll Domiciles Contemporary house, which is under construction--but I just liked it. And the price was good too: $19.99!

I have not used it until now, but it has been on my mind. I then realized why: it strongly reminded me of the stone fireplace in our summer house when I was growing up. That one was a darker grey stone, but the profile was similar, and it even had a wooden mantle. This room is arranged in a completely different way than our cabin, which had dark wooden panels and country plaids, but it managed to make so many good memories come flooding back.

Let me know if you've done some creative fireplace work lately -- would love to see your ideas, especially as inspiration for the Doll Domiciles home. Here's a picture of the house in progress as a refresher!

A bit tricky, eh? I hope to go visit the house again soon to check its progress!

I hope lots of you out there are busily working on your scenes for the Call of the Small/Cubebot Challenge! There were 10 lucky international readers who were the first to respond on my post, and free Micro Cubebots are on their way to Canada, UK, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Finland, Spain, and Italy! Can't wait to see what they do! Remember, the winner gets a $200 gift certificate to the amazing design store AREAWARE! Submissions are due on December 1 to minibotchallenge(at)gmail(dot)com. If you don't already have a Cubebot, AREAWARE is now offering a 20% discount on their site; use the promotional code MINIBOT upon checkout and have fun shopping!

Credits: Fireplace is from Norm's Dollhouse store in Denver; couch is minimodernistas; side table is from miniatures.com; rug is handmade by The Shopping Sherpa; cat tower is Re-ment; light fixture is vintage German; flooring and wallpaper are all from the Paper Source. Accessories are beads, Playmobil, Michaels, and vintage eBay finds.

The time it took me: 1 hour, five minutes

Contemporary Dollhouse by Doll Domiciles

Just because I have absolutely no room for another doll house probably means I should commission a 1:1 scale house instead of a 1:12 one. Unfortunately, this is not practical in the least! On somewhat of a whim, I asked some carpenters to build the Contemporary Dollhouse by Doll Domiciles using an original copy of the plans. (I actually have two copies of the plans -- one bought on eBay after searching for a long while, and one purchased at a dolls house store, found under a pile of dusty plans for $7.50!)

I expected them to laugh me out of their shop, but they were intrigued by the design and offered to take it on at a leisurely pace. The house has been in their shop for over a year now. I know, crazy. They work on it when they can using scraps. So it's totally green project! ;) 

I wanted to share some photos of this wacky house as it is coming along. These first photos show it in the very early stages. I was quite surprised when I saw it because it was closed off on the sides and did not match the plans. Lots was wrong with it. 

That roof trim has no place here, guys

The doors to nowhere...??

HELP!

I pointed out all the problems and then left them alone for a while. Nothing like a crazed doll house lady and her house ideas!

I visited the house again last weekend and it is now coming along in the right direction.

The roof raises on each side for additional access

Here's the other side!

I want to do different flourishes on the front balcony as in the plans, and of course none of the finishing elements are there yet. I'd love to use actual stone for the bottom portion, too. Certainly a ways to go, but it's been a fun ride so far! I'll be sure to post additional updates and photos when I can. Maybe next time I'll bring some furniture for a test drive.

I'd love to hear your advice, feedback, and comments! Also, please let me know if you have ever seen a completed house, or if you know any more about the plans, the company, etc. I've done lots of web searching and have not turned up much.