LIVING ROOM
One of the first things we thought about was how to connect the various levels with each other. We wanted the doll house to look like a real house. We chose an elevator to bring you from street level to the apartment, but for focal interest we made a staircase from the living room to the bedroom. The photo above I submitted to a doll magazine, Fashion Doll Quarterly, for a diorama contest and won second prize (money to spend at a doll store!) with it.
Just as we had started building the doll house we went on a vacation and visited Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. In the gift shop we bought the black and white seed bowl and place mat that functions as a throw rug in the living room, and we pretty much decorated the whole living room around it. On that same trip at Hubble Trading Post in Arizona we bought the owl kachina on the left side and Navajo sand painting in the middle. Brian wanted to see if he could make a kachina himself, and that resulted in the eagle kachina on the right side. The ceramic bowl with lid at the bottom I had bought many years ago at a Wereld Winkel ('World Store') in The Netherlands. The beaded moccasins are from action figures, and the woven basket on the top shelf is made by a Native American artist that we met at Tehachapi's Go Native! days. The rest, including the display case, is handmade by my husband and me.
In hindsight I often think we are crazy. All flooring in the doll house is veneer strips that you would usually iron on furniture edges, or if you're me you spend hours ironing them on the floors of your doll house. For that glass jar on the mantle Brian ground some different color rocks and I poured it into a tiny bottle in layers. The fireplace is some plastic pieces inserted in a backdrop of kitchen splash tiles. The fire itself is hot glue covered in sparkly glue, on small pieces of real wood branches. The wine rack is a watch box with push pins for feet with two plastic inserts with holes to hold the bottles. Many toy brands make wine bottles. The cat is a repaint from an action figure set. Magazines are easily scanned and miniaturized from real magazines. Here you can see a little bit more of the spiral staircase, it has one large bolt at the center with wooden steps separated from each other by nuts. The hand rail is a piece of irrigation tubing, and the metal posts on each step holding up the hand rail are parts from Integrity Toys doll stands.
On the other side of the room you'll find Agnes, the owner of this apartment (repaint by Park). The couch, coffee table and liquor cabinet are all made by Integrity Toys. The totem pole is from a train store. Agnes' father was a highly decorated veteran (medals from action figures, photo is of an action figure made in the likeness of actor Ed Harris; flag and medals display cases made by Brian). Agnes is related to the Kennedy's and has a wedding photo of JFK and Jackie, and a dried flower from Jackie's wedding bouquet. 1 WTC is one of those metal thingies you put together from a flat piece of metal.
For the holidays the doll house is decorated. The mantle and chair hand rail are wrapped in greenery and lights, and reindeer decorations can be found everywhere. At first I had a repainted plastic chair in the living room that was okay, but then my Dutch friend Sandra gave me this awesome miniature Ikea Poang chair - I have that very same chair in my office! The red candle on the coffee table is a real candle and holder from a card that Brian and I received for our wedding.
Agnes collects reindeer, just as I do. From left to right: first, third and fifth pair are Hallmark mini ornaments, second pair is cheap plastic mini deer painted gold, and Brian made the awesome wooden pair (he made the same deer in larger scale for our own house). Usually a wooden hummingbird ornament hangs over the display case, but for the holidays that is replaced with silver antlers (broken off a stocking holder reindeer - never throw anything small away).
The most recent addition to the living room is a wood-carved raven mask by a Native American artist that Brian bought in Vancouver. On top of the cabinet is a condor figurine that I bought at the California Living Museum in celebration of the California condors.
Of course my dolls have pets too, and Brian made a scratch post/toy for the cats.
I collect Hallmark the Beauty of Birds ornaments, and my dolls collect their miniature versions. Knitted hat and shawl by doll friend Kathie. Poor Eugenia is forever waiting for the elevator.