Wednesday 17 April 2013

GOD IS IN THE DETAILS ( parlor is finished? )


 Back in the mid 1970's,  I  began dating my future husband who took it upon himself to "educate" me in what was considered "good design" according to him and from his viewpoint as a "professional".  He hadn't been out of design school all that long but he did have a 'good eye' and he definitely did  have Talent!  A whole lot of talent and even though I was not always the willing student, I was schooled about what was considered noteworthy.  I recall one date when we went up to the local university and he spent the whole afternoon taking pictures of... an egg!  Egg on the wall, egg on the grass, me, ... holding an egg.... The whole afternooooooon!!???  I couldn't see the point of it at all, but that is because "I" didn't fully appreciate the singular beauty of the Shape and the Form and the Simplicity of  THE EGG.!????   Well, what can I say except we were both very young and every thing was 'artsy- fartsy' and often made no sense even though it was all the rage to 'DO' art.  That was an memorable afternoon which I've never forgotten, but here is another thing he told me which I think is much more interesting....
                                                        "GOD IS IN THE DETAILS"  

Mies van der Rohe a world famous designer from the early 20th century is credited with this particular quote.  When I was told this I didn't know exactly what it meant and so it was explained to me, that it is in the minute details of everything that supports anything.  In other words "even the grandest project depends on the success of the smallest components."   You can see it in how the whole of nature operates.  From the tiniest bug to the biggest mammoth, every little thing is hard at work doing their assigned job, supporting the TOP of the food chain from the BOTTOM.  Details!  So why am I telling YOU all of this?  Because although this was all new to me then, when I was totally green and didn't know "nuthin  'bout  nuthin," I came to know and understand how this translates into miniatures in a Big Way.  When I decide to make a room or a shadowbox or even a vignette, I load in all available materials to start rounding out the details of the story and that means -                                                              
                                           ACCESSORIES!  ACCESSORIES! ACCESSORIES!
There is this funny quote from the 1989 movie STEELE MAGNOLIAS where one of the characters says to her friend,
                   "The only thing that separates us from the animals, is our ability to Accessorize!"

To me accessories are the key to making the mini space feel lived in and inviting.  They are the DETAILS that breathe the life into inanimate objects and make a house, a home.  So I chose to emphasize them and think of them as the adjectives that make a plain story more exciting to read and become involved in.  For #43, I used a lot of clichés from the novel to relay the feeling of the Victorian-style cottage by the sea. If it wasn't for the electric lamps and a few other tiny contemporary accessories, this would look just like something from the 1800's.  It is in a kind of is limbo, straddling the centuries.  So here are the pictures of the "finished" parlor of #43 GREEN DOLPHIN STREET.  There are just a few little things left to do but I wanted to get this posting out, so they will have to wait.  I hope that you will enjoy the tour of this ONE room ( so far).  There is still so much yet to do on the rest of the house but I would like to show SOMETHING that  IS FINISHED!  Enjoy!

Do come in!
Needlepoint cushion by my friend Pamela Grant who used to send me packets of them  through the mail back in the 80's.  I painted the chair frame that used to be a mahogany to look like a fruit wood and then had to reupholster this chair 2 times before I got it right.  It is filled with bird gravel on a bed of sponge.  I wanted it to look like it would be cushy and comfortable to sit on for a while. Tai the cat usually likes to hang out on it, but has switched chairs for today.
I placed the lovebirds William and Marianne, where Tai the cat can't reach them.  They can get the sun and have a fantastic view of the sea, and the little merchant vessel "The Green Dolphin" out in the harbor.  The open Bible on the desk is marked at Psalms 107: 23-30

"They that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters;
These see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep....
... He makes the storm calm, so that the waves therefore are still.
Then they are glad because they be quiet;
so He brings them to their desired haven."
Here is a sewing chest of unknown origins but signed GL.  I'm sure that I bought it in Seattle back in the 1990's.  All the little drawers open and both of the rounded ends of the top, lift up!  In the novel, Marianne was a superb with a needle and sewed her own clothes and did outstanding needlepoint.  This sewing chest is very useful and slides nicely into the story.
The chair is one of a pair that I bought last year also in Seattle from a vendor that sells also on Ebay.  I made one of the chairs shabby and you can see it in the post 

"Shabby Dabby Do" (Jan.23 2013)
I haven't done Anything to this chair, it just the way I bought it.
The bellows in the log basket actually works!  The folding screen is something I made from a picture in a magazine and then I decopaged it onto some matt board.  The glass in the window is the acetate that used to enclose the self-healing craft mat that I use to cut on.  I had saved it and when I cut out the shape of the insert, I noticed that it was NOT perfectly clear.  It is kind of watery looking like old imperfect glass used way back when.  It was dumb luck.  I could change it but I like it this way.
This is an arm chair that used to have canvas inserts on the back and also on the side panels which I removed and replaced with the fabric that you see now.  I never liked the chair the other way and it banged around from box to box until I eventually lost the side panels altogether. I think that I will probably put some kind of trim on the arm chair to fuss it up a bit more.... what do you think?  I stuffed the seat cushion with bird gravel to make it a bit saggy and imperfect.  I'm pretty good at imperfection.  I have NEVER been able to ANYTHING without messing it up somehow. So if I mess it up deliberately then I can say,  "I meant to do that" and it gets me off the hook!  Close ups with the camera can be quite embarrassing.   The silver service is wonderful!  I forgot that I had it.  I was reading a posting from Ilona, of MiniMumLoon ( March 26,2013) and she was talking about white being too strong for flowers and that cream would be better especially for photos and when I reviewed my pictures she was right, the white china set was like a bull's eye for the camera.  The contrast was too strong.  "What would be nicer would be silver."  I thought, and then I remembered I HAD a silver service and I had posted it at the very beginning of my blogging career, in 'More American Country' ( Dec. 28, 2012)  It is by Ken Chellis and I have been holding onto it for many years.  I am glad that it has now found a permanent home.  The little china teacup is from a set that I bought from an antique store.  It is from a set by Kaiser.  The set had 6 cups and saucers with a matching serving platter and a coffee pot and lidded sugar and a cream pitcher.  Somewhere are 2 cups and saucers from the set, that have been lost  and are waiting to be found.   I have looked everywhere for them but not found -Yet.
                                                                                  (sigh)
Nate is giving Tai the cat, an "I'm the boss of you," look.
Tai doesn't seem to be too concerned about it at all!
" Oh, No, you're not" he purrs
Here is an overview of the fireplace wall.  Now let me tell you what happened.  I had the 2 wall lamps stuck on with Blu Tack and when I removed them they left a greasy blue/ black mess that would not come off clean.  So I got a little water and began to rub and rubbed a hole into the paper. Then it turns out I had RUN OUT OF WALL PAPER!  I was so mad at myself.  
Back to Michael's craft store and hit the sale and found cardstock in a lovely warm beige that was only slightly deeper than the original paper and at 16 cents a sheet, sale price!   I bought 5 sheets and used 4 in the room.  I am very happy with it, it's even better looking than what I had before and more durable. Once it was installed, I proceeded to dirty it up a little to make it look older but not too shabby.
The ceiling beams are lengths of balsa wood that I painted cream and glued to the white card stock on the ceiling.  I added the dark smudges along the length of the beam but I haven' touched the ceiling itself.  Now this must be corrected because dirt does not stop only on the beams, does it?
It is another thing on my 'to-do' list, make the ceiling 'dirtier.'
Details of the dressed mantle.  The french style clock is from a belt toggle a button on the back and a clock button on the front and then a good dose of Tripple Thick which heaps up and stays rounded so that it looks like a glass casing on the clock.  I made the candlesticks from a stack of beads and the candles from cut down cotton swabs filled with fine grey wire and glue.
The 'china' sheep are from a railroad scenery store.  I painted them and added the flowers and lots of clear nail polish to make them glossy.  The sheep are used to reflect a time in the novel when William and Marianne are settling down as sheep farmers in another part of New Zealand;  The 'country of Green Pastures'.  I made these little sheep ornaments many years ago and only just remembered them again.  The little 'capodimonte' style flower pot, I also made and it sits in the middle.
A closer look at the details.
Picture frames are also buttons with picture inserts and a thin bit of acrylic over layed for glass
the doily is laser cut paper from Dale R. Kendall.  Love them!
A good look at the fireplace from Bespaq.  I stained the wood to look pickled and then finished it with an oil based product called Age-It that I have had for AGES!
I also lit some matches and blew out the flame and then held the smoke under the mantle to try to get some smoke markings and there is just a little bit but that is enough.
The fire screen is re-painted from the reddish color that it used to be and the button that is covering the center hole is of a little anchor.  I cut the center foot that used to be part of the medallion off and I think that it looks much better.  The fire is not as raging as it used to be only because the I have worn out the batteries!  Not to worry Marisa, I shall have it stoked again for you very soon!


I felt that having these daisies in the room was important since one of the main characters in the book is
named Margarite which is translated from french origins as "daisy flower." I have no idea when or where I bought these flowers but I love the blue and white of the china and I am glad that these now have a home as they were also taking a beating after kicking around in storage  boxes for who knows how long!  The tile floor was a humbling exercise.  They are made from decoupage scrap-booking paper onto matt board and then cut by hand and glued individually onto the wood floor.  I sealed and aged and stained them over and over to try and disguise the mistakes I made.   I can't cut a straight line and I didn't lay them as straight as they should be either.  Because they were not all square they had to be RE-CUT before I glued them down.  What a job!  Even after re-cutting them they were still not square.  Did I say that I Always mess stuff up!?  When I see how beautiful the floors are of Giac and brae and Josje and Sab and (the list goes on) who are all so meticulous and precise.....  Okay, so I can't sew and I can't lay tile either!  Fortunately the rug covers a multitude of my most obvious errors.


This is another of the unfinished things in the parlor.  I ran out of an ink cartridge just after I made the test copy of this area rug. This it the photocopy of the rug on copy paper.  Later, I shall print it out onto cotton fabric and then use that instead.  Oh, about the curtains, they are as stiff as boards!  I used the foil back method that I used previously on "Foiled and Foiled Again" (Jan 2013)  I hadn't planned on having a ruffle on the valance.  I was going to use a swag but once I started making the curtains things changed on me.  I had sewn brass rings to the top of the curtains and then couldn't figure out how to incorporate a swag, too.  So I opted for the ruffle.  I sewed it on.  I had to glue the rod finials to the wall because the board that lines the walls inside was very dense and I couldn't drill through it without tearing a big hole into it and so I went the easy way and used Quick Grip and so there they are.  It is probably the weakest feature in the room.  They do however look home-made and cottagy.
                                                             I never said I could sew!
   After I  got the wall sconces installed I realized that I hung them lower than I had  originally planned.  Now I am fretting about it.  Little mistakes like this are maddening.   The last time I tried to correct a mistake I made, I made it WORSE!
I shall leave it for now and see how much it bugs me later.
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS!
I don't go in for doilies on furniture in my Real Life but  I like them in miniature.  This is by Dale R. Kendall.  They are laser cut paper and I bought them at the Seattle Show this past March, just during the last minutes before the show closed, and I am glad I did.  I used another one on the fireplace mantle and also a paper napkin that is on the tea table is a Dale R. Kendall piece.  I really like the blue and white china that is in this little space.  I would like to add some more, if not here in the parlor, perhaps in one of the other (not yet made) rooms.
***
 The following photos are the First, second and the Third transformations of the living room in the $20, Arthur dollhouse from the thrift store.
I like to see how the different stages evolved hope you do too!


Stage 1                      
The first installment,  everything in and all the wires everywhere!  Windows are held in place with blue tack.  Nothing on the walls except primer.

Stage 2 
The second transition, some changes in accessories but most of the furniture is in the same position as originally outlined.  

Stage 3
Stage 3, Lights are on the wall and the fireplace is now extended from the exterior wall for a little architectural interest.  All the lamps will be in operation once I get them all connected to another transformer.  The transformer for the wall lamps is only 6 volts which makes the bulbs dimmer.  I tried a 12 volt transformer and the lights were way too bright!  I shall see what kind of light the other 2 will emit.  It would have helped the interior shots if they were all up and running but I just didn't feel up to doing it right now.  I'm bushed.  When I say I'm 'bushed', I am saying that I am tired but I wonder if it translates to 'I am a shrub', in another language? 
 ( That would be funny!)
******
Well that is it! 

 I do so hope that you enjoyed the tour of the parlor. 
 Thanks for stopping by
and please,
 come again!

elizabeth 

46 comments:

  1. Very thought provoking start of your blog. When you said "even the grandest project depends on the success of the smallest components", it made me realise some of the things I am making are very lacking in detail and I need to revisit them. Your project is so full of amazing accessories and detail which gives the room a 'life'. It also has a hint of orange and birds, two of my favourite things. I love the needlepoint cushion on the chair. I've just picked up a second hand copy of the book and look forward to reading it.

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  2. Hi Sharee! How wonderful that you were able to find a copy!!! I am so surprised and so pleased and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do! In the photos what makes it look orange is the terra cotta color in the floor tiles and the tea stained fabrics that I used for the chair upholstery and the curtains. The fire in the fire place also gives it a orangey look. Again, this is not the color scheme that I had originally thought I was going to use, but I really like it. When it came time to select a color for the door, it was cream. The cream looked awful. Then I chose blue and the blue complimented the orangey tones and was subdued enough to not hog the spotlight. This room has taken me on a journey, a wild ride up and down.

    And it is not over yet!

    elizabeth

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  3. Beautiful! Your attention to detail has made this room come alive. I love how you explained every part of it. I just wish I could make your pictures much bigger, as I love looking at all the intricate work you have done. Great blog!

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    1. Thank you Isabelle Ante! I am so glad that you have enjoyed this space! I know that as a small property manager you are always on the lookout for new homes for the 'smalls' that you meet, but I must tell you that this place is already occupied. A woman has moved in and I think that she is planning on staying put for a long while! But enjoy the pictures and I'll keep you updated as to what happens next!
      Thank you for the compliment!

      elizabeth

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  4. It is very beautiful and so complete, and it is the details and your reflections and thoughts that makes it great.
    You also have a tasteful way to put things together. To dare to have different colors and patterns together, it's really interior design at the highest level.
    You are so right about the details, or accessories. You have gone to a "good school" and got it learned at an early age and in a fun way.
    I have to fight a lot to be in the detail, I am as a person much more on the target, to finish the room and less on the process, so I practice really.
    A very beautiful and charming room.
    Hugs
    Wyrna

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    1. Hello Wyrna! What a beautiful compliment ant what a loving way you express yourself! Thank you! I did go to a "good school" and as I say I was not always a willing pupil! hahah I never thought too much about it then. l always loved doll's houses, even as young child and when I became an adult, I was surprised that adults played with them too. I have learned by hit and miss and try again. I am happy that the finished product is pretty and that you appreciate it!
      Thank you!

      elizabeth

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  5. Hi Elizabeth! It was only last night that I managed to get through to you. There was something with blogger. As I have said before, I have never seen an Arthur room so well appointed. You have such a beautiful collection of furniture and accessories and I love how you have positioned everything. I love your silver service. I would never have known the rug was paper had you not mentioned it. As for your tiles, I think you did a very good job. You have accomplished what you set out to do which was to create a modern Victorian room. I can very much appreciate the amount of work you have put into this room. It truly is one of a kind!

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    1. Hi Lucille, my reply got bumped down a bit so look for it under ginnisminis!

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  6. Well Elizabeth, I felt so at home during my tour I almost sat and had a bite from the delicious cake waiting to be eaten and even pick up one of the books under the desk to read.....the cosy fire reminds me of my childhood before England went smokeless and started installing gas fires everywhere....I could feel the tingling in my toes mmmmmmmmmmm xx

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    1. Hello Virginia! Thank you for that lovely compliment! I always know that when it strikes a cord or reminiscence that I have a successful project! I appreciate it so much when things that are in the background are noticed and commented on. The books under the desk are Mutiny on the Bounty and Moby Dick, 2 very loooong novels and you will be here for awhile, so set yourself down for as long as you like and pour yourself a fresh cup of tea and I'll slice some more cake!

      elizabeth

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  7. Hello Lucille! Thank you for all the kind words! It is funny to me and perhaps you will agree, that when the space is entirely empty it seems to be very small! When I brought the Arthur home from the thrift store, I was confounded by the lack of space inside. Once work began in earnest and things started piling in it was amazing how much the tiny room could hold! The more I put in the bigger the space grew visually! What it boils down to is how the eye can be "tricked." When a space is blank, the eye has nothing to focus on so it looks in then quickly away. When things are in a space the eye grabs it and then the thing next to it and then next to that and so on. The eye lingers longer and moves about inside so the room appears to be bigger! They use this trick in Real Life when trying to sell a property they have professional designers 'do up' a show home.
    I am glad that you like the tiles Lucille, honestly, I have to tell you that they look better on camera than they do in reality! hahha I am grateful that the paper rug looks the way it does and hides the majority of them. I am picking up a new ink jet cartridge today and this time I am buying spares!

    By the way, I hope that you are feeling better. Your comment left on Kilmouski and me, had me concerned. Take care of yourself, Lucille you are a dear lady and I count you as a special friend of mine.

    elizabeth

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    1. Thank you so much for your concern, Elizabeth! I very much appreciate your kind words to me. All is well! Just a passing storm and then the sun came out once again as it always does. I always talk myself out of these things. That's what we have to do and it works for me. Regarding your response to me, everything you said about a blank space was very interesting and encouraging. I love how you have filled up that room and yes, it is a small room, but one would not think so seeing everything you have put into it. You staged that room as a professional person would have. This is not so easy to do but you certainly gave a most helpful lesson. I also count you as a special friend, Elizabeth! Take care!

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  8. Hi Elizabeth! I love reading your blog post and I love to answer on it, but I have a bit of a problem: my knowledge of the English language :D! Reading is not a problem, but I know too less English words to explain what I really want to say. Often I use the words fantastic and gorgeous, but if I do that, it comes from the heart. Translation of every unknown word from Dutch into English also takes a lot of time.
    Now about your post: this room is very cozy and after you showed us all the details in this room and after you told their story (which also is important) you brought this room alive :D! It is very brave of you to tell us what went wrong, you learned from it, I agree with that. Thank you so much for sharing, I have enjoyed to travel with you in this room!
    I also want to say thank you for your comments on my blog :D!
    Hugs, Ilona

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    1. Hello Ilona! Thank you so much for leaving me this comment! You know MUCH MORE ENGLISH than I know Dutch! I speak the truth! I often use the same words over and over too and so do we all! But I understand your dilemma and for all my Spanish readers, All I know is HOLA! so I try to use it whenever I can. The store where I work is predominantly Asian and the few words I know are insufficient and they often get a chuckle when I say something wrong! I think though that they appreciate the effort that is made to connect and that is how I also feel, so don't be shy, I know where you are coming from.
      With regard to your blog! WOW! How many times have I said THAT about YOUR work which is superb!? From my heart Ilona, your work is AMAZING!

      elizabeth

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  9. Hi Elizabeth! Your Room looks so warm and cozy and just Beautiful! I LOVE your accessories... from the silver tea service to the little sheep on the mantle!! Thank you for sharing so much of your techniques and sources... it can be difficult to realize that someone made something that looks so expensive and "professional"! Passing along tips like how you made your candles is very inspiring! You have given so much thought to the contents of this room... and have such a sure way with arranging everything.... I wish I could curl up by that fire with a cup of tea and a book... it wouldn't mater how cold or rainy or miserable the world outside was... Inside all is warm and peaceful! You have created a Gorgeous room!

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    1. Thank you Betsy for you lovely words! It makes me so happy that you feel so comfortable in this little room. You know one time I had a doll's house in an exhibition and I was standing by watching the people that came to view it and nothing pleased me more than what I heard them say about wanting to 'live' in it. I even heard a man make that comment to his wife! I think that this must be my signature style "Comfortable". When I put something together, I am always mindful of MY comfort. I think "now what would I like if I was living here?" IN RL when I am home, I always wear a pair of slippers because my house is not well insulated and my feet always seem to be cold, so I put in a pair of slippers in the mini house too. The
      same goes for the tea pot because I always have a pot going on the stove and the books and the Bible because I love to read and to learn about God. I eat cake too, I LOVE CAKE and flowers! Roses are something that I grow a lot of in my garden as well. Of course, I also make sure that what I like will FIT INTO the scene I'm doing, if it doesn't then I find what does. So if you are having to fill up space in The Folly, then imagine what YOU would like to read, eat and snuggle into as well as what your mini people would enjoy. It makes it more personal and will be your own stamp on the space. This technique works, and I have been making spaces a long time! They are FAR from perfect but they are ALL comfortable.

      elizabeth

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    2. Hi Elizabeth! I have to chuckle because we share so many preferences... (slippers all year, tea all the time, Books and books, Roses ... I Adore Roses... and cake.... not to mention warm fires because I get cold easily... ditto uninsulated house!) No wonder the room feels so appealing! I have been so involved with building the houses that I haven't really gotten to the accessorizing stage... and I think I am building for the Little People... so I am trying to make appropriate choices from their point of view! I have a lot to learn and really appreciate your experienced viewpoint... and your style!!!

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    3. Hello again Betsy! I think that we DO think alike because when you said" it wouldn't matter how cold or rainy or miserable it was outside... inside is warm and peaceful" that is EXACTLY how I feel about this space. As a matter of fact, I felt at times when the weather outside was so wet and blustery as I was working on the parlor, that I was 'cocooning' inside the space. The room was becoming a butterfly while I was mentally wrapping the cocoon of it around myself! How weird is that!?
      And as to style, I think that there are so many different ones that I admire, including yours. I like how Marisa of Stienworks referenced a "ratty old bathrobe!" I have several but I have a favorite and even if I get a new one, I always reach for the comfortable one first! That is how I would describe my style! Thank you Betsy for showing me that there are other kindred spirits that seek the same kinds of familiar territory as I do.

      elizabeth

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  10. Good afternoon Elizabeth....
    I should have known when you emailed me at 3:00am that you had posted. Had a busy day, and thought I would check...Yeah! Such a lovely room. I love the way you describe each section. Truly verbal "yum". I do agree with you that the wall sconces do seem a bit low, but only because you mentioned it. Your description of the decorating process is so informative. Thank you! I learned a little more about you yet again, and each time it is more and more interesting and truly wonderful.

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  11. Good evening Fats! Yes I was up till the wee hours fiddling with those wall lamps and just as I expected I messed them up! I was able to move the right one a little higher and went to adjust the left one and SNAP! Off it came in my fingers! ARRRRGH! Another problem! and I didn't get it sorted out and mended until very early in the morning just about the time I answered your e mail! The lights are working fine, IF I don't touch them so I am going to have to go and buy another one as Back up just in case the mended one decides to quit on me. Did I say I was " finished" with the Parlor! HAHH!

    I wish!

    elizabeth

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  12. It's wonderful! Very detailed. I like everything, but the little cage is amazing.
    Bye, Faby

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    1. Hello Fabiola! Thank you for your compliment and yes the little birdcage is amazing! I haven't showed it up close but the shape is not only very pleasing, but there is a little door in the lower right corner that swings open and closed. There are 2 teeny tiny lovebrids sitting side by side on a little perch that are obscured from view by the exterior framework but are visible if I stick my very BIG head into the the space! Although no one else can see them clearly, I know that they are there and it gives me much pleasure to know that the little cage is appreciated by you too.

      elizabeth

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  13. Hello Elizabeth,
    It is FANTASTIC! what a wodnerful room. You did an amazing job. I could not agree with you more about the details. It is the difference between a miniature room that looks like a set and a miniature room that looks like a real life room. It makes all the difference in the world. Accessories tell the story of who lives in the house. It is the most important step in my mind and I think you do it to perfection. You might have had a few setbacks, but you overcame them all and the room is just right...thank you for the tip about blue tack. As for the floors, with your skill you could do anything and don't you dare doubt it! I have to go look at the pictures again, because the rooms are so full of beautiful details...it really tells a story. Wonderful Elizabeth, your artwork is always a pleasure to see and your words always put a big ol smile on my face.
    Big hug,
    Giac

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  14. Hello Giac! You are way too generous about you belief in my skills, and any woodworking! Almost every cut that is in this room is a straight cut, done with either a hand saw or a craft knife or scissors. What I would like to be able to do is angled cuts with lovely cornices etc., but it involves too much math and you don't know how much waste there is because I can't seem to measure accurately! My brain won't go there and when I try.... well lets just say that wood filler and spackle are my 2 best friends! Even the straight cuts are not straight and I tried, I really did. So Giac, my friend I shall leave the super and most amazing wood crafting to you and know my own limitations. ha! But I thank you for your faith in me nonetheless. I am so happy that you like my work, and as I told Besty/Daydreamer, I am really good at 'comfortable'.
    About the blue tack: The reason that it left a nasty mark was because I used old nasty left over stuff that has seen better days! Fresh clean blue tack would not have made such a mess but I HAD to see what the lamps would look like on the wall and so I reaped what I sowed. I think that most of my confrontations during the process were because of my own impatience and the outcomes were because of ME. Yes, I did overcome them but if I had taken more time perhaps I would not have had them in the first place! But since I made the mistakes and rectified them, I have to say that the end results were not only better than what I had originally planned but I found that I CAN think outside the box when I have to. That was worth its weight in gold to me.

    Big Hugs Back!
    elizabeth

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  15. Oh Elizabeth! It is so gorgeous! You nailed the details for sure. It is so cozy and welcoming. All your accessories support your design for sure!
    P.S. The wallpaper in my house is metallic silver brushed with white making a light gray. And then the trellis is metallic silver.

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  16. Hello Caroline! Thank you for stopping by and for your most appreciated and welcomed compliment. I was beset with challenges with just this one room, but it has become one of my favorite spaces (in retrospect ) that I have done.
    I wonder, do you have a favorite of all the lovely little cottages that you have done and are doing? I know that each project presents its own problems and provides its own solutions but there is usually one or two that remain close to your heart. I know that this tiny little house, if it keeps to the theme and the objective will be my favorite. Well, that is what I think for now, maybe the next room will change my mind! Ha

    elizabeth

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  17. It's a lovely room that feels really welcoming and relaxing, and looks like you had a lot of fun putting it together (although blue-tak stains on wallpaper are NO fun at all!).

    Thanks for your nice comment re the French kitchen, yes that is a (fake) pantry on the back wall. And in spite of how it looks in the pic - which seems to have distorted a few things in that first shot - it really is quite straight up and down ;) As for what's for dinner, I suspect whatever is on the menu at the nearest bistro, Emily doesn't cook I'm afraid - except perhaps for a bit of scrambled egg now and then - the cookbooks on the shelves are just for show ;)

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    1. Hello Norma! Thank you for stopping by! If scrambled eggs are All that Emily can cook, then I bet they are the BEST scrambled eggs in town! I was viewing a woman who has a T.V. program devoted to French Cuisine and on one particular program she made scrambled eggs FRENCH STYLE, I watched intent on learning the secret and then tried what I saw her do and they were THE BEST scrambled eggs EVER! I made them for a family brunch and all the guest raved about them and wanted seconds. So never mind that Emily can only cook eggs! To cook an egg well is indeed a crowning achievement.
      And Yes I did have an enormous amount of fun putting this room together, but there were some very difficult moments that made me think I was going to go Crazy with it. I suppose that is par for the course with any project.

      elizabeth

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  18. Totally enjoyed hearing how you worked on everything. Especially lighting a match to get the smokey look, good you didn't set a fire in the fireplace too, LOL! Love all the details and your descriptions, I remember looking in a house you had on display in Vancouver and couldn't believe all of the DETAILS you incorporated. Love your blog. Mini Hugs, Jean

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  19. Hello Jean! It is always a pleasure to hear from you! Thank you for your comment! When I was striking the match I had to keep remiinding myself to BLOW IT OUT FIRST! hahah! Sometimes I operate on automatic pilot and don't always think about what I am doing in my desire to just get it done. So I've had some close calls. Anyway, all is well that ends well. Now on to the next room!


    elizabeth

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  20. bonjour Elizabeth, je découvre ... un peu votre blog, je reviendrai !!!
    J'aime beaucoup ce que vous faites, tous les accessoires sont très bien choisis et sont aussi joliment mis en scène !
    A bientôt ! rosethé-Minima

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  21. Welcome Rosethe' and thank you for your lovely comment! I am so happy that you like it and I am glad that you like the way I have staged the room. That was the Most fun Part! I was blessed that I didn't really have to go shopping for anything other than in the storage boxes and drawers where so much of these little things were waiting. Now they can breathe again!

    elizabeth

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  22. Hi Elisabeth, thank you for following my blog and for leaving such kind comments as you just did. I will gladly follow your blog too for it is beautiful. Your style is luxiourious and cosy at the same time; just lovely! Greetings form Liduina.

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  23. Hello Liduina! I love your blog and I am happy to be one of your followers and I am so pleased that you are now following mine too. Welcome and thank you for your really nice comment. Luxurious and cosy do not often go hand in hand but I can see what you mean, when you say it. During the time of Queen Victoria, everything was very plush and ornate; always a lot of visual stimulation within a room, much like mine. But this cottage is small and so the things inside close it in to make it feel cosy and at the same time opens it up visually to make it appear larger than it is. Very interesting to me at how that works.


    elizabeth

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  24. Absolutely perfect! Even knowing it a mini, it is hard to believe. A result to aspire to. :)

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    1. Hello Christine! I am so happy that you came to visit and also that you have become a follower! I am so glad that you are enjoying my cottage as I am certainly enjoying your Hollyhock Cottage. I love the fact that you have now put in some hollyhock flowers in the front garden and I have plans to incorporate some seaside greenery once I get a bit farther along. I read that you gave yourself 3 years but Real Life happens and plans have to be altered so keep going with yours because I am enjoying the ride and so are all of your other readers.
      I believe that you have based yours on a book or an author just as I have done and they are both set in England too. So we have much in common already. Thank you for your very kind comment and we will both keep encouraging each other towards the end. Because I am a BIG procrastinator too! haha

      elizabeth

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  25. I am in love with the daisies... They look so real and the detail in them is impeccable! :)

    toddlindsey.com

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  26. Hello Lindsey! Yes the daisies are really pretty and I did them an injustice because I didn't straighten out the tiny petals before I took the picture so they look like they are not as fresh as they should. Details!!!!
    In the daisy family, my favorites are camomile and they can be found in my neighborhood growing through lawns and so close to the ground that they look like a fairy carpet of pink tinged with white. I would love to have them grow like that in my lawn but all I get is the dreadful buttercup and that is never welcomed.

    elizabeth

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  27. oh my goodness this was a fun post to read. Your husband is correct- "God is in the details" and all of your details make this room so wonderful! I keep going back up to the pictures to take another peek after each paragraph-so many fantastic things to see! Beautiful work- I would love to sit in this room and have a cup of tea ♥

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  28. Hello Kim! So nice to see you here! How is the weather in your part of the world, are you still snowbound? Today we had sunny weather and I did a wee bit of garden work after walking the dogs this morning but there is still a chill wind in the air. It was nice to come into the studio afterwards and play some more with the Parlor and fiddle with a few little things that needed my attention. I made a cake server for the silver tray with the cake slices on it and fixed the daisy petals that had been crushed with the amount of mishandling that they've had to endure and fixed the key in the lock at the front door. So nothing is ever really "Finished." it is Always on stand-by waiting for another bit of play.
    I am delighted that you like this room Kim and of course you are Always invited to stay to tea and try some cake, I made it myself.

    elizabeth

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  29. I often had trouble telling whether I was looking at a miniature scene or a real life room.:)

    Excellent work!!!

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    1. Hello Evelyne! Thank you so much for that lovely compliment! There is no higher praise than that for a miniaturist! I have a DEEP fondness for this little house and this room is the heart of it. Thank you again!

      elizabeth

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  30. I agree with you and like everyone else I thought it was a real room in your home but I think it was because everything was not perfect ..thats what brought your room to life..everytime I see it I hear Margaret Rutherford's music from Murder Ahoy or Murder Most Foul..if your room were perfect I wouldn't hear it's vibrance..you've nailed it Sister!

    Hugs
    Marisa

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  31. Hello Marisa! Thank you for your most welcome comment! I took the opportunity to google Margaret Rutherford's Miss Marple and Yes! the music is vibrant and jaunty! I watched the intro into Murder Ahoy! and there is Miss Marple walking from the dressmakers across the street to the school like academy that is surrounded by a low stone wall, she walks up the walk towards the front door that has a lantern on the stone exterior similar to what I have done on this mini stone cottage! I had also planned to do a low stone wall as the front garden with a path leading to the iron front gate! I am so glad that the plans inside my head were something that is in keeping with an actual English stone cottage! I can see too that you and I are on the same page with this project. When I finally get to doing the bed and bath, I am determined to do a "ratty old bathrobe"( a la' Marisa,) somewhere in the scene! hahah

    elizabeth

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  32. I think I have just spent hours here in your blog and yes, I could use some tea and a nice comfy seat in this lovely parlour of yours :). Actually this is not my first time here at this post but I think this time, I manage to find the time to leave a comment instead of spending it all admiring the details :)

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  33. Thank you Sans! I am glad that you have come for a visit after your wonderful holiday that I have been reading about! I don't have any 'stinky' mushrooms but I do have some cake and a hot cup of tea right here waiting for you. ( smiles) Now, will that be one lump or two?

    elizabeth

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DO OVERS! a Glencroft Living room redecoration

    Back in April of 2022, I made up a storyline for my Glencroft renovations, which went something like this...   "After due considera...