Because the interior of Hummingbird Cottage is facing me on a daily basis of late, I took some photos this morning. A bit moody, but I like them. This dollhouse has been photographed and photographed again. It’s been published in two magazines. So I think some moody, sometimes slightly blurred photos are just fine, if only for a change of pace.
Besides, I’m proud of this 6 year long renovation.
I also look at all of this as prep for the found-at-the-dump dollhouse renovation which I’ll be heading into after the first of the year.
Some of you are new to the blog, so I’ll talk a bit about the furniture and accessories, but you can get it all in detail under Hummingbird Cottage on my navigation bar.
The living room. There’s not enough room for the Christmas tree in this space, which is why it’s in the den.
The sofa came from Italy, the chair from a dollhouse vendor online. The table was in a bag of dollhouse furniture and I painted it. The dresser is a vintage Petite Princess piece. The mirror was a gift from a reader. I had the shutter in my stash. The stair runner was from an Etsy dealer as was the rug. So was the sign on the wall. The pink pillow was also from an Etsy dealer.
The fireplace was a gift from my husband and it’s made of plastic. I painted it and now it no longer looks like plastic! The andirons were from my stash and I painted them black. I got the logs from an online dealer and the Roseville pottery was gathered from various sources. I love, love, love it. The window frame is from a bashed cabinet. I can’t remember where I got the painting over the fireplace (I think I bought it in a miniature shop) and the little painting was from my friend, Barbara.
The kitchen. The cabinetry in the kitchen was obtained from New England Miniatures, which is sadly no longer in business. The tray, cutting boards, cookie trays, plates and rug were from online sources. I made the backsplash from brick I had left over from the bedroom. I made the curtain under the sink. I made the refrigerator from a wooden box. The other bits – tea towels, canisters, bowls, graniteware, and pitchers were gifts from blog readers. The microwave came from a dealer in England. Chairs, table and hanging pendant lamp were found online. The corner shelf, which you can barely make out, was made from a kit.
The AGA stove was found online and was a gift from my husband. It’s made by Reutter. I made the shelves above the stove from various bits I had in my stash. I made the pot hanger from a mini curtain rod. The copper pots were found online. The copper kettle was a gift from Barbara, as were the Fiesta pitchers on the shelves. I found the plates from wonderful Etsy dealers, as well as the mixer. I made the roman blind. And the floor, of course.
The den. I made the Christmas tree. The plates on the wall have a bird theme and I gathered them from various Etsy dealers. I found the Shiny Brites, mug, sofa, and platter online. The vase, books, wine bottles, afghan, and McCoy pottery were gifts from readers. The little ottoman was made by a blogging friend – it goes with a wicker chair that I had to move to the bedroom while the tree is up. The singing bird (McCoy) that is in the cabinet was made by a blogging friend in honor of my very own singing birds that are on my piano.
The sofa is from an online dealer. The coffee table was a gift from a fellow miniaturist. I painted it white. The barely seen print on the stair wall is a mini Maxfield Parrish that I framed.
The office/studio. I made the desk and the wing chair. I found the desk chair in an antique shop. I made the crate under the desk. The rug was a gift. I made the wall cabinet from a kit and I also made the hooks on the wall. The dress form was plastic when I got it in a bag full of minis from a reader of the blog. I painted the base and covered it in linen.
I made the pinboard from my stash, the shutter was also in my stash. I think I got the map from Michael’s. The tin and book were gifts. And I got the laptop from an Etsy seller.
The table and stool were found online. Wrapping paper, basket, ribbon, ironing board, yarn, and sewing machine were gifts. I bought the copy of To Kill a Mockingbird from an Etsy seller.
The bedroom. The wicker chair was a gift from reader. She made it. I won it in a giveaway, lucky me! The bed (including linens) was also made by another blogging friend and came to me all the way from Australia. I had the bedside table in my stash. The lamp is vintage Petite Princess. Some of the paintings were gifts, others were my own finds. I bought the chair online (one of my earliest purchases) and I painted it and recovered the cushions. I got the gorgeous rug from an Etsy dealer. The books were found online, the box of macarons was a gift from the same lady who made the bed, and I scored the shoes from a miniaturist at last year’s IGMA show. I found the ottoman on Etsy.
The painting on the wall over the stairs was a gift. Another vintage Petite Princess dresser sits against the wall (I have three of them!) The mirror and vase were gifts. I bought the frame in a miniature shop. I still have to insert some photos.
The bathroom. I found the sink unit online and painted it red. The mirror came from a compact. The rug was found online. The hand towel, soap dish and flip flops were gifts. I made the little white chair. The tub and toilet were in a bag of miniatures my friend Heidi gave me. I repainted them.
I made the shower curtain from linen. The pie safe/cabinet came from a miniature show. It’s filled with towels that I made from wash cloths. The jar filled with sea shells and the wooden jar were gifts.
I didn’t take photos of the rooftop garden and potting shed because that area needs to be cleaned up.
Again, if you want details and links, they can be found in a series of “Who. What, Where” posts that are listed under the Dollhouses/Minis tab on my navigation bar.
Gosh, I love miniatures!
Happy Monday.
Claudia, I just LOVE seeing posts of Caroline’s house. I never tire of it. My dad does model railroading, and has the same attention to detail that you have with your dollhouses. And I love seeing the cabinet from Aunt Rizzi in your den:) We both loved seeing your little houses. I actually bought a dollhouse from a charity auction a year ago. It needs so much repair, and I don’t have the skills that you (or my dad) have, but I’m slowly trying to put it in order. Not sure if it’s my thing or not, but I haven’t given up yet.
Rizzi was such a wonderful person and friend!
Go for it, Karen. I knew nothing about anything dollhouse when I started on this one – and it was in bad shape. You’ll learn as you go. If you ever have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
I will! As an aside, my mother’s name was Caroline, another thing that endeared Rizzi and I to the house. Mom was Aunt Rizzi’s older sister.
Love that. My middle name is Caroline, named after my grandmother, Caroline Elizabeth Locke Wright.
:)
Thank you, Claudia, for the comprehensive tour of Hummingbird Cottage…I love the details and your sourcing and ingenuity. I don’t want to start another hobby, mostly because I have no more space and so much invested in my current hobbie, so you fulfill my need to see miniatures. The only miniatures I’ve attempted were ones my daughters and I put together for their school projects. I’m especially proud of the Little House on the Prairie cabin with sleeping loft that we cobstructed out of shoe boxes, cardboard, fabrics and found objects!
That’s how most of us started out. I made many little dollhouse out of shoe boxes!
It’s always fun for me to see the dollhouse. Considering all the different places you’ve received pieces from, whether gifted, purchased, or handmade, it truly looks, how a gathered over time English cottage would look. Caroline is privileged to be able to live there! ;)
I hope she appreciates it!
seeing your dollhouse always takes me to my happy place – I absolutely love it. A friend of mine was recently gifted an amazing dollhouse which had been in her family for over 75 years (made by her grandfather) – a huge, two story white farmhouse. Lucky me, I get to help her decorate it – a fun project for next year.
You’ll have such fun, Liz!
your love of miniatures shows; great work, claudia (and to everyone else who can make realistically-looking things in such teeny sizes)!
kathy in iowa
I do love them, Kathy.
Claudia, thank you so much for your posts the past few days..my husband and I are in our sixties and have had a rough time lately. But we survived!! We have family, friends and each other. We have much to be thankful for…have a wonderful holiday!
I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been having a rough time, Lovenna. Sending you wishes for a new year that is filled with happiness and peace.
I have two questions. What is the rent and when can I move in?!!!! This is so me and comfy cozy. I honestly think I was born in the wrong decade because Caroline’s style is my style! It looks beautiful!
Caroline’s stylish house is much more stylish than my own! But let’s face it, it’s cheaper to furnish a mini house than a life-sized house!
Caroline is very fortunate to have such a wonderful interior designer! Such details! You should be very proud.
Thank you so much, Melanie!
Absolutely lovely! I have forgotten my love for dollhouses. Merry Christmas!
Dollhouses are so special. Thank you, Billie!
Twas good to be at Caroline’s again. Missed that lovely cozy home. And every time you do a “miniature post” I thank the Universe I never even knew this existed as a hobby/lifestyle [LOL] until now, because I can’t even fathom what I would have spent in time & money if I’d learned about it in my 20s or 30s. Oy! Of course, I would have had 10 times the fun & enjoyment out of it. But I had enough trouble keeping my spending under control with the little I collect now – cookbooks & baskets – so I might well be in the po’ house now if I’d known about miniatures in my youth. Hope Caroline gets a dusting of snow for a white Christmas, but only a dusting! LOL. Have a great week! Peace. 🎄
#Resist
#ProtectMueller
Yes, it is very easy to sink a lot of cash into miniatures. I tend to splurge only very rarely. And that’s why I take my time rehabbing a dollhouse – because I don’t have the funds to do it all at once and I like to find a great deal for next to nothing!
The attention to detail just blows me away.
Perfection!
Thank you, Monica!
It’s all so very charming! Just perfect.
Thank you, Shanna!
It’s this dollhouse (and Claudia), that inspired me to stop being so nervous about jumping into working on my own dollhouse! This is NOT an inexpensive hobby … I had the house, I had the stuff – but I was so afraid I’d make a huge mess out of everything! Basically, I was frozen with fear! Claudia patiently answered my dozens of questions, and encouraged me to “just do it”! I can now say I’m fully invested in this miniature hobby, and I regularly post my progress on my Instagram account. I should probably name my dollhouse Claudia Cottage :)
You are too kind, Debbie. It was and is my pleasure!
Oh, to have something that exquisite to look at every day. The detail you’ve included in that beautiful little house is incredible. You should exhibit it somewhere. One of my favorite parts of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam was the room with the miniatures. So, keep including pictures here so we can enjoy it again and again.
I will. I do love it!
I always enjoy a tour of Caroline’s sweet home. Your love of miniatures shines in the attention to detail and the sweet memories you have of great finds, made treasures and gifts from friends and readers. Hugs.
Thank you, Linda!
Totally fabulous, this wonderful dollhouse. I love how you work the paintings, prints and maps. And the fact that someone MADE that wicker chair blows my mind! I love your details and you can tell the care and love you’ve put into it personally and that it reflects careful shopping and wonderful gifts. Perfection!
I know – I can’t imagine making that chair!
Thank you so much, Jeanie.
I so admire your creativity and talent with miniatures. Each of your homes is so on point with decor, and deeply personal in expressing the individual “owner”. The new modern house is really developing nicely. I had a question: being so steeped in the arts and Don being a musician, was wondering what kinds of music do you listen to at Christmas? Do you like traditional, old standards like Andy Williams an Dean Martin and Bing Crosby, or modern favorites like Jim Brickman or Kenny G or none of the above? I’ve just figured out how to use iTunes on my Mac and my cats and I are loving the instrumental Christmas “chill” playlists. But sometimes I hanker for a good-old fashioned carol with organ and choir. If you feel like it, I’d love to read a post about this. Does Don play for you during the holidays? Will he take requests for posts? LOL. Poor musicians–always being asked to play for free. :-(
We tend to listen to the popular Christmas music of our youth; Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams (my favorite), Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Robert Goulet…with some Carpenters thrown in and a few more current artists. Love the Manhattan Transfer Christmas Album, Diana Krall’s Christmas album, etc. My all time favorites are: Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson/Boston Pops), The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Andy Williams), and The Christmas Song (by any artist, but especially Nat King Cole.)
No, Don doesn’t play for me during the holidays – at least not special Christmas music – but he does noodle around on the ukulele and guitar, which I love.
I will never tire of seeing this house!
Thank you, Nancy!