Orange Victorian, source unknown

Victorian Painted Ladies

I had always thought the Victorian Painted Lady originated in San Francisco, and that is partially true. That’s where the term was coined after the second world war. The gingerbread on a Victorian house has always inspired outrageous color schemes, and that goes back to nineteen century England. What wonderful dollhouses they make!

It’s All About The Gingerbread

If new technology drove innovation in Victorian architecture, nostalgia was the inspiration for plundering past designs. By the mid-nineteenth century, handcrafted decorations were not the only choice. Mass production allowed anyone that could afford to build a house to tack on any sort of corbel, bracket or gable they wanted. Painting these appendages a different color helped each to stand out in the crowd of decoration.

The desire to have a Victorian home spread throughout the British Empire and its former colonies. Clusters were built wherever cities were expanding or being rebuilt after disasters, natural and manmade. Think San Francisco after the earthquake or Atlanta after the Civil War.

(more…)

Singapore Airlines cabins – No Detail Is Too Small

Miniatures In TV Commercials

Isn’t great that dollhouse miniatures are attracting enough attention that creative minds on Madison Avenue are bringing the 1:12th scale world into popular culture? These four short videos show a great way to deliver a sponsor’s message, wire a miniature box to receive that commercial and a really great room in which to watch it.

Singapore Airlines

The “No Detail Too Small” title of this video is an indication of the skill the miniature artisan has in creating the seating arrangements for an Airbus A380 double-deck airliner. There’s a sub-title to this commercial: “Singapore Airlines cabins in 1,000 hours and using 100 envelopes.” Wait ’til you see the number of patterns the artisan uses, just for 3 seats. , the next time I go to Singapore, I want to book a “suite.” (more…)

Will Hunt’s General Store

Will Hunt’s General Store

Josje Bouwt’s Slaapkamer

Creating A Color Scheme

If you are starting a project from scratch, without a photograph from which to work, creating a color scheme can be a daunting task. There are so many choices, especially with contemporary and modern dollhouses. Where does one start?

(more…)