In December of 2018, just five days before Christmas, I saw this at a local antiques mall:
I was stunned. I couldn’t believe my eyes. This is a big dollhouse. $75????
As is my wont lately, I posted it to Instagram and asked everyone if I should buy it. This is what happens when you’re alone and you’re not sure what to do. Of course, the responses were many and all to the tune of “GET IT!!!”
Then I called Don. We decided that it would be a Christmas present from him because one of the things he had ordered for me was tied up in a foreign country and would be a couple of weeks late.
When I looked inside I saw a craftsman style fireplace and bookcases. I couldn’t believe my good fortune!
After a struggle getting it down from it’s high perch and into my car (almost impossible) I brought it home. I knew just what I wanted to do with it for a Christmas picture. I immediately staged it on the porch.
Made for Christmas!
It sat in the den on top of the china cabinet for quite a while until I started decorating the living room. This is a handmade house. It’s folk art – one of a kind. It has one large room and two tiny rooms. The wood is thick and heavy and the finishes are dark. I am reluctant to mess with it, as I respect the time and craftsmanship it took to construct this gem. Anything I do with walls, therefore, will be temporary.
I had this love seat on hand. I like it here.
The rugs are from my stash, the table was a gift from Barbara, I made the hooks on the wall, and I purchased that little chair from eBay – it had been in my stash. The wallpaper is also from my stash and I quickly cut it and put it up with tacky wax. Eventually, I will do a better job of it because I like the way the wallpaper looks here.
The bookcases need books and vases and little collections.
I envision this as a small house on a lake. It’s a getaway home, very spare, but cozy. I’m not sure yet how I’ll handle the the other two rooms. They’re very tiny and they have two doors each! Yikes. But I’ll figure it out.
