Part of our view when we sip our second cup of coffee together in the morning.
I was entranced by it this morning. One of my greatest pleasures when I lived in cities was walking by apartments and houses in the early evening. I would get a glimpse of the interior life and style of that particular dwelling. A flash of a red wall, or gorgeous drapes, or a glimpse of bookshelves – I wanted to know more about the people who lived there. I still have that curiosity about the way people live, which is why I like Instagram and design magazines and books like Hotel Chelsea and The Maverick Soul and Bibliostyle.
Back to the mini studio: I imagine myself walking by this dwelling, seeing the guitar on the sofa, the Beatles print on the wall, getting a glimpse of a fireplace, of records (what does he listen to?), a dog dish (!) and a comfy sofa and Eames chair. Who lives there? Who uses that space?
That is the lure of dollhouses. You get a glimpse of a life, a style, of the taste of the imaginary owner of that house. It’s also the reason I would never have dolls residing in my houses. I want to imagine the owner. I don’t want some doll that frankly never looks all that real lounging on the sofa. This is not to say that those who make and design 1:12 scale dolls aren’t enormously talented – they are. But, for me, they never look quite right. And also for me, I have a vivid imagination and seeing a doll limits my vision. For example, I have an idea of Caroline. I could tell you things about her. But, I don’t have too many ideas because I like to keep her ‘free-flowing.’
Since the mini studio was made for Don specifically, I don’t need a doll. I just imagine a mini-Don.
I’m not sure who the owner is of the vintage white dollhouse. That’s still to be determined. Same for the modern dollhouse and the ‘newest’ vintage dollhouse. Or my rescued-from-the-dump dollhouse. That makes a sort of sense as I’m still working on all of those dwellings.
Speaking of which, this afternoon I am going to go upstairs and start painting more stone for the exterior of the rescued-from-the-dump dollhouse. I’m thinking of naming it Dove Cottage, not be be confused with the famous Dove Cottage inhabited by William Wordsworth. “Dove” because I love doves – as simple as that.
To make the painting less tedious I’m going to listen to some podcasts. I’m very into podcasts about books and reading.
Happy Sunday.
