Translate

Friday, July 1, 2011

Friday Inspiration: The Thorne Rooms

If you  ever make it to Chicago, by all means spend a few hours at their magnificent Institute of Arts and have a look at the incredible Thorne Rooms.  These miniature rooms were the passion and creation of  Mrs. James Ward Thorne, a Great-Gatsby-era heiress.  She hired the finest designers and artisans of the day to create these superb settings of mostly European and early-American interiors.

I have a special affinity for Mrs. Thorne as we both seem to share a special love for the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries.  We've both also been accused of fudging 'period correctness.'  For personal, aesthetic reasons, of course.  --maybe 'they' wouldn't have placed matching, marble urns atop twin demi-lune tables in 1795 but perhaps 'they' should have.

Mrs. Thorne's taste was exquisite.

When I look at the blank, bare plywood walls of Merriman Park,  I can only dream!

Well, I guess one has to start somewhere.  Right?  I really want the Entrance Hall to be spectacular.  Like a Thorne Room!  But, because this is my first dollhouse, I am a little overwhelmed by the 'technical difficulties,' for lack of a better term.

Particularly the whole wiring thing.  I thought I had it "all coordinated in my mind," as Edie Beale used to say.  But stuff keeps coming up, like maybe I should put plugs in the ceiling so I can remove the chandeliers if I ever need to move Merriman Park from Point A to Point B?  I'm afraid to move forward because I just know I'm going to make a costly mistake:  ("If only I had done it this way instead!")

Just wish I didn't have to experiment on Merriman Park.  Guess I should have started with a Cape Cod cottage, or something!

2 comments:

Evelyne Martin said...[Reply]

There are no mistakes, John, only learning lessons... And even if you had indeed started with Cape Cod Cottage, believe me: there would be lessons to learn with Merriman! :)

This is a GOOD thing! If we could know all there is to know, life would be boring. But the quest for knowing, though sometimes hard and frustrating, is what makes life interesting. Nothing like that a-ha! moment...

Besides, who's to say Merriman will be your last project? Something tells me it's just the beginning. ;)

You are making a WONDERFUL job with it. Keep going!

John said...[Reply]

Of course you are right, Evelyne. Now that Merriman Park is 'finished,'I can better appreciate what you wrote. Thank you for commenting.