I’m a little late getting to this post because Don and I were chatting for a long time about our careers and the paths that led us there, the people who mentored us, the connections we made, the full circle moments…it was amazing. We only stopped because I had to write this post, Don had to use the bathroom, and he has phone banking training this morning. I did have it but I decided I’m more comfortable with text banking. I moved that training session from October 4th to tomorrow at 4 pm. So, we will have finished our respective training sessions by the end of the weekend.
I was thinking yesterday about the problems with scale in this antique dollhouse. My 1:12 furniture is too big. 1:24 would be too small. 1:16 might be right, I thought, so I grabbed some of the Petite Princess (by Ideal) furniture I had upstairs in the office and tried a few pieces in the living room.
Bingo. Petite Princess furniture was glitzy and sparkly and some of it is too much. I’ve used the white 3-drawer dresser in Hummingbird Cottage because it somehow works there, but that’s the only piece that translates to a different scale. I have another sparkly chair like these two (in gold) and a wing chair as well.
Here’s the wing chair on the screened in porch.
Of course, I don’t have to put anything in this house, it’s perfect as is. But I somehow feel the need to add some furniture here and there. It feels lonely just sitting empty. I’d love to leave most of it as is – yellow walls, red fireplaces – but add a couple of pieces of furniture (or more) to each room. A rug here and there, a painting on the wall…signs of life.
I was excited when I realized that scale worked perfectly. I could attempt to reupholster the chairs. That would be a challenge, but if it worked, it would transform the room.
I’ve talked about Petite Princess furniture before on the blog. Do you remember it? I loved it, I looked at the ads for it incessantly and I wanted my mom and dad to give me some for Christmas. Nope. Mom was not on board for that. I don’t know why. Maybe she suspected I’d get bored with it. I never forgot about it and years and years and years later, I found a couple of pieces in a local antique shop (the dresser and the gold wing chair) in their original boxes. I was just starting to work on Hummingbird Cottage. I snapped them up. Then a reader sent me some of her Petite Princess furniture and another reader sent me some as well. Now I have a nice little collection, some of which can be used in various spaces. My mom would have gotten a kick out of me amassing a collection in my fifties and sixties!
I have some ideas for the Modern dollhouse as well and I’ll share them with you tomorrow.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
those conversations are fun to have,
i think, and helpful (at least for me) … the road not taken, gratitude for help along the way and all that. and you and don can reminisce about how your career choices (and God’s great plan) led you to each other! :)
always fun to see your dollhouses and hear about your process. glad you found furniture in the scale you like. i didn’t realize there were so many choices (1:12, 1:24, 1:16 …), but glad they’re out there for you. reupholstering those chairs sounds tough, though. i wonder … could fabric paint work on those blue chairs …? whatever you decide, i am sure it will be great.
also glad that you changed your volunteering to something more comfortable for you. it all helps.
lazy start here, but that is soon going to change. want to get the grocery shopping done before it gets hot outside and (much more than that) i want to see members of my family!
happy saturday.
stay safe and well!
kathy in iowa
There’s also 1:48 and 1:144 and 1:6!
No, the chairs have glitter on them. Ultimately, paint won’t do it.
Enjoy your Saturday, Kathy!
Stay safe.
Upholstering sounds like the perfect plan. Good luck!
Thanks, Regula!
Stay safe!
Some people collect refrigerator magnets, some collect dollhouse furniture! My mom collected just about anything! I did for awhile — now, not quite so much, but I enjoy the collections I have. (I still collect royal commemorative memorabilia — mugs, plates, tins, cards, print ephemera. My favorites include a mug from Edward VII/Alexandra period, a King Edward VIII coronation mug and a program from the Queen’s coronation. I wish I had dollhouse furniture to send you! I love the Petite Princess things — especially the wing chair. I like the idea of having something in the dollhouse. It just warms things up. Lovely.
Thanks so much, Jeanie!
Stay safe.
You might want to reconsider using paint. I had a similar item (a box covered with a very glittery fabric) that was looking a bit tattered and out of place in my home but worked so well for my colored pencils etc. so I took sandpaper and dulled the surface and in some cases, removed some of the glitter. I vacuumed it good and then I used a regular craft paint with a textile medium in it. I dabbed it on and it came out looking really nice. What “glitter residue” that was, left only helped give it a bit of a textured finish which I didn’t expect but really liked. You could try it and still ultimately reupholster them if you didn’t like the results. I can’t imagine trying to reupholster something so small. Good luck.
Thanks, Ranee.
But I did make and upholster the wing chair in Hummingbird Cottage, so I think – hopefully – I could upholster these chairs, which are less complicated. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do, though!
Stay safe.
Maybe decoupage? Hand sew little chintz slipcovers? Oh to be able to focus on something other than this pandemic and the OM in the white house. All I have accomplished today is going early to the grocery store and racing around the aisles trying to get what I think I “might need”. I envy you and Don having the ability to be able to be so introspective. My husband and I tiptoe around one another lately. We seem to be enduring life now and not enjoying it. No excuses, but I have to make the effort. Thanks for the diversion….keep the photos coming.
Oh we go through periods of enduring life. But then one of us prods the other to gain some perspective. We help each other out that way.
Stay safe, Maria.
I love your doll houses and the joy they bring you and many of us! I do remember you talking about the Petite Princess furniture. Fun how some things we loved as children never leave us. Its a quiet Saturday here and I’m enjoying it completely.
So glad you’re having a good day, Linda!
It only took me about 50 years to get that Petite Princess furniture!
xo
Stay safe.
Such pretty furniture. I’d never heard of that line of dollhouse furniture but then my dollhouse was metal with plastic furniture. I had little brothers so my parents knew our toys needed to stand up to a bit of violent handling :-)
I’ve been getting lots of texts asking how am I going to vote. It never occurred to me they could be coming from an actual campaign rather than simply political groups or polling organizations fishing for my voting info. I ignore them because I never, ever, ever tell anyone how I vote. It’s pretty ironic considering part of my old job was working with the Marquette Law School poll staff.
Take care.
Kay
I had a metal dollhouse with plastic furniture, as well.
I was raised not to tell people how I voted (like religion, it was a private thing) but I have no compunction about that anymore!
Stay safe, Kay.
Out of the blue last night I received a text from Eric Trump asking for campaign donation! I replied No way in Hell. I had not been on any Repub websites and delete Facebook posts on DT. Hope I don’t receive any more!
Oh, heavens! I love your reply, Dottie! I was getting phone calls from the Republican National Committee a few months back, but I ignored them. They’ve since stopped.
Stay safe!
Chatting with one’s spouse, a lovely way to start the day. I’m glad you switched your training to something you’re comfortable with. Thank you again to both you and Don for actions. I always wondered what 1/16 scale was for–it looks great in the house. Also, feels good to know the place with have a few touches of home, it was clearly so lovingly made. I thought of you yesterday afternoon as I had a sudden need to dress the two tiny beds in my works in progress and was digging thru the leftover quilting fabric. It’s all cotton, so a little flat in texture, but it felt great to be shopping in my own supplies. So glad I kept small pieces certain fabrics. Looking forward to what will come from those sparkly pieces. Stay safe!
1/16 was used – is used – a lot in Lundby houses that are made in Sweden. I’m going to search for some of that furniture, but much of it is modern and boring modern. It will be interesting to look for things I think work in the house.
I kept some of my quilt stash, as well! I’ve used it on a wing chair and most likely will use some of it in the English Cottage. I’m so glad you’re having fun!
Stay safe, Nora.