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What are your pipe dreams?


abloom

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Today I drove by an old four-square house that cried out to me and has me thinking of a build that's just way beyond my skills. I grew up in an old (early 20th century) foursquare house that had seen better days. By the time we lived there it had been converted into 2 apartments and lost a lot of its original glory. But it was still an awesome house to me then, and now (in my memory; it was torn down long ago). It had a great front porch and entry hall, old staircase, a sleeping porch upstairs that had been enclosed to make another bedroom, and best of all, a magical mysterious attic (probably once a servant's room) with dormer windows on 3 sides and all sorts of little storerooms and closets - one with a door and interior window that made a perfect playhouse! I would so love to recreate it in miniature, maybe restored to something like its earlier self. The challenge would be how to see into all the layers of rooms and porches. I'm actually thinking I would make a base and sturdy corners, and have all 4 exterior sides (including porches, dormers, etc.) removable, attached by magnets. I've seen houses with one wall done this way but never all 4, and I've never even tried a scratch build. Well, I can dream. And I wonder what magnificent, improbable houses others have dreamed up but not attempted to build ... so far, anyway. 

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Well one of my pipe dreams that I might actually get around to is doing a second Lily in egg-carton brick. Have got the Lily, have amassed quite a few egg-cartons, haven't got the time to start! :p

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1 hour ago, WestPaces said:

I want to do a James Rennie Macintosh building one day.

 

At one time Dolls' House Emporium sold a kit, furniture and the Charles Rennie MacIntosh family of dolls for his family home.  I used to lust for it, but never had the $$$.

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11 hours ago, WestPaces said:

I want to do a James Rennie Macintosh building one day.

 

 

10 hours ago, WestPaces said:

Oh, and a warehouse conversion too! Oh, and....

Yeah, my list is long, too. Another one is an old newspaper office with the printing pressroom upstairs. (The Brimbles would be perfect!) It would need antique typewriters, phones, file cabinets (those I could make, maybe), printer's chests ... oh and a huge old press ... no problem!

The James Rennie Macintosh sounds pretty challenging, but how cool would that be! And I love the warehouse conversion idea. We used to have a loft office in an old warehouse, what a great space. Old brick walls, high ceilings with exposed beams, tall windows ... so much gritty old history and romance. You should defnitely do one!

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3 hours ago, Sweet said:

I think it will take me two years to finish my dollhouse but if I wil contunue this hobby I want something like this:

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Wow, that would be amazing! In real life I like older houses, but for some reason I love the Modern miniatures. That's a cool example, too. I'm guessing whenever you finish your current house, you'll be wanting to start another one ;)

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I would turn my entire basement into a dollhouse world showcased with sets of themed houses together from different eras.  Of course, not only is money and size an issue, but my cats would not be happy if they lost their family room/playroom.

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I would actually love the opportunity to have another go at the Beacon Hill. I just loved that kit but I had originally gotten it for Maya so it was never "mine." I know there are probably better made kits out there like the ones from Dolls House Emporium but the Beacon Hill is so pretty. I'd love to redo it with all the upgrades like good windows and stairs, lighting through and through including some chandeliers and really pretty furniture. It would all be mine, mine, mine too lol.

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My muse has been absent for a while ... but I think she wants to dabble her toes in the water again ... meanwhile, at least I can dive in here for a dip in the mini pool when I like.

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I would be happy just to finish one of the 7 dollhouse projects that I have started over the last 10 years lol. I am always looking and buying more things to go inside my houses without having one finished; totally addicted!!!! I really just wanted to have one house in each scale. Maybe this will be the year!

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6 hours ago, melva said:

I really just wanted to have one house in each scale.

What an interesting display that would be! The toy and miniature museum in Kansas City used to have a display showing a single chair in a variety of scales that was fascinating. I don't know if it survived the renovation of the museum.

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Ok, you need to be really careful when talking about pipe dreams. One that I just casually mentioned here - not my childhood home, but the Brimbles newspaper office - reached out and took a death-grip on me. I found some steam-punk wheels and gears to make a printing press out of, and now I've gotten fired up and started a gallery. I know, I know, my Hansel and Gretel witch house and Willow tavern are waiting for me to finish them before I start another project. (Luckily, I'm still psyched about both of them.) But then new ideas come along and it's like a compulsion!

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Old press ...

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... and stuff I found to make a mini one. 

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Wow, that looks great Holly, and I am thinking of doing some interior brickwork like in the inspiration photo. I think it will add to the industrial look of the print shop. I've made brick out of egg cartons before but not sandpaper. I'll have to experiment with it. 
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  • 2 weeks later...

I’ve got a number, but a longstanding obsession has been to create a 19th century large house with ALL the proper servants’ offices, as they were called. About 50% of the square footage of such a house should have been service areas. No one ever does them. I would want ALL the associated servants, too. How amazing would that be???

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