Bunny

After accidentally purchasing 2 different items... twice, I realized I needed a system. Stuff that I've bought to be used in a future house or a house still under construction gets safely packed away (bubble wrap, original packaging, etc) in a large rubbermaid box in my guest room. If it's in a box, I write the item name on the outside of the box so I can find it easily. Then, I have a spreadsheet that has separate tabs for types of items.. tables, chairs, beds, light fixtures, kitchen accessories, etc. And I list each item along with any relevant details (manufacturer, color), any style keywords (art nouveau, victorian, midcentury modern, etc) and in many cases, the measurements. I learned quickly that it's a huge pain to have to dig out something just because I'm wondering if it would fit somewhere or if it's too big/too small for a particular room! Sometimes I buy pieces that I wind up not using. In which case, I'll either sell them on eBay or they might wind up being gifted to my nieces for their dollhouses. And sometimes I start buying up pieces that I know I want to use someday, because they're no longer being made and I'm worried if I don't buy them when I can... I'll miss out. I also tend to keep a lot of photographs of more interesting or unique pieces on my phone. I like to play matchmaker with my furniture and wallpaper/floorings to "audition" different combinations. And I'm always surprised by how much I wind up disliking a specific wallpaper/furniture pairing that I thought would be perfect, or wind up loving one that I randomly tried on a whim! I also have a habit of keeping a newly purchased item out sitting on the shelving unit in my living room for a week or so, so I can enjoy looking at it, before I pack it away!

I'm impressed! This looks really well done!

Wow!!! Can't wait to see what you do with it!

So happy to see the forums back! We have been under shelter in place orders for about 6 weeks now. My job allows me to work remotely, but I suddenly have about 90 -120 minutes back in my day by not having to commute in to the office. I've been spending a lot of that time on miniature projects. I'd been planning on making some needlepoint rugs for my dollhouse for a while, and so my days now include at least an hour of needlepoint.

I'm excited to see what you do with your Fairfield! I browsed your instagram; you're quite talented!!! Someday, I'll attempt working in 1:24 but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Oh my goodness, this is so cute! I love the mixtures of colors and patterns! Every time I look at your pictures, I see something new. I think my favorite thing is the spinning wheel and loom in the craft room.

Thank you! I just hope I haven't bitten off more than I can handle!

Hello, everyone! I’m a lifelong miniature enthusiast, although I’ve taken a 10 year leave of absence from larger projects primarily due to workspace and time commitment issues. Over the past decade, I’ve done the occasional small project such as room boxes, but I’ve been itching to get back into actual houses. Big, beautiful houses. I LOVE large projects. I got into miniatures when I was a little girl. My dad’s hobby was woodworking and we built a dollhouse together as a project. It was great father/daughter bonding time, and he taught me so many techniques, how to use various tools safely, etc. My dream since childhood has been to have an enormous, fancy, over-the-top Victorian dolls house. (Sadly, the house I built with my father was more of a colonial farmhouse — not what I wanted and not what I picked out, although I do cherish the memories.) I was a history major and I’ve always been fascinated by so many aspects of the Victorian era. I’ve had this concept in my head for the past 7-8 years to build a late-Victorian era hotel that secretly operates as a high-class and very discreet brothel. It’ll be PG, but due to being a brother there will be so many glorious possibilities for over-the-top decor. Everything will be gilded, beaded, fringed, or otherwise blinged out. And this is great justification to have multiple fancy bedrooms, decorated in different themes! I’m envisioning London, circa 1887. I’ve been looking for the right house for the past few years. Obviously, I wanted something big. And I have a strong preference for something front-opening, due to a couple of overly-inquisitive cats. I also like the visual link the doors give with the Dutch baby house cabinets. I came close to buying the Cottesmore (Barbara’s Mouldings) a few times. Love the house, but with the basement it was just a little deeper than I have space for in my living room. I am also really inspired by the Featherstore Hall Hotel that Julie Jackson did with the Cottesmore, and I wanted to do a different house to make sure I didn’t inadvertently copy her amazing creation. I also considered the Darlington (by Majestic Mansions) which is open on both sides but could easily have hinged panels attached. But ultimately, I finally settled on the Buckingham (by Dolls House Direct). Gorgeous, enormous house. I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. It’s more Georgian in design than my vision, but has lots of nice big rooms, a fabulous grand staircase, and it’s front opening. And it’s certainly not unheard of for a Georgian-era building to have had some renovations and remodeling/redecorating done to “modernize” it for more Victorian tastes! There may be a bit of kit-bashing in my future, I’m still playing with sketches and ideas. I’m still a little horrified with how much I spent on the kit + shipping, but I’m really excited about the possibilities. The kit is sitting in my front room, and I’m itching to get to it. I’m hoping I can make a good start over Thanksgiving, taking advantage of having time off from work. In the meantime, I’m happily puttering around with wallpaper designs and paint chips, needlepointing rugs, and daydreaming about themed bedrooms… Marie Antoinette/Versailles? Tudor? I’m looking forward to sharing and learning from everyone!