I started a new project --a room box. Sorry about the rough, cell phone photos...but I'm working with what I got, so don't judge me! It's all pretty rough-hewn, right now but I guess this is how it all starts, right?
The room is based off one from 18th-century South Carolina from the Period Room collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts that I have long admired. At the museum, you can walk between the doors that flank the fireplace and they have the two adjoining spaces decorated as a dining room on one side and a drawing room on the other. They're so incredibly beautiful! Years ago I used to live across the street from the museum and so I practically lived there --in fact I often used to stroll through these rooms pretending I lived there --I know...silly, dorky me...
At Christmastime, they decorate the rooms for the holidays and costumed docents give you guided tours. I memorized their spiel in like, five minutes and I SO wanted to be a guide.
"Hello! Welcome to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Holiday Tours through the Historic Period Rooms! My name is Mrs. Betty Beaverhausen and I am wearing a period costume in the romantic, Regency style from the world-acclaimed Guthrie Theater!(Twirls to appreciative murmurs). This is my tussie-mussie!(presents silk flower bouquet and brings it to her nose, inhaling deeply) Mmmmm! There were often rather --shall we say?-- odious aromas back in The Olden Days, so ladies of the period often carried a fragrant tussie-mussie to disguise these --shall we say?-- not very pleasant smells! (takes another deep whiff) Mmmmmm! Let's continue on to our first room, shall we?..."
Here's some lovely music for you while you type your comment. MAJOR attitude at 1:59! Do NOT EVER disrespect a castrato with your rattling tea cup while he is onstage serving Baroque realness. As my BFF, RuPaul says, "Oh NO, she better DIDN'T!"
Thank you SO much for the verbal museum tour re-enactment, that made my day. I laughed so hard all the stress of the day just drained away! You have a gift with words, as well as with miniatures.
Hi John, Your blog is so fun! I'm SO glad I found it again! Your roombox is already looking so elegant. I can hardly wait to watch your progress on it. Why couldn't you have been a guide at the museum? You're obviously a natural at it, and that would have meant you could have lived there even more! :-) Were there male guides too? xo Jennifer
Hey John I am sooo excited about your roombox project. I'm thinking of doing one as well, I love the idea you can have them on a shelf, all framed. Like a room within a room. Are you like me, I thought it would be easier to break it to Scott to say I was doing a room, rather than another whole house ;-) I can't believe how much you've done already! You've been a busy bee!! I really like the symmetry of the doors, and I see you've done your trademark custom windows. The depth of the wall really makes a difference - you could see that in Merriman. And it's great to what looks panelling? I can't to what your colour scheme will be, are you painting it? Have a great weekend Si Ps I reckon the mussie-tussie is due a resurgence !!
I am curious about that roombox, it already looks so good. For me it looks like you came to an empty palace, mansion, which was left alone for years, you loved it and now you try to restore it to look like in it's old glorious days.;) Can't wait to see more soon! Big hug Ewa
Good Morning John! I LOVE the Bones of this room!!! Lucky you to have lived so close to the Original that you Could Pretend you lived there! I had a similar experience in a very run down building next door to The Victoria Mansion in Portland Maine when I was still a young twenty or so! I daydreamed so much about that building!!! My cupboard House is very loosely inspired by it... I really look forward to seeing the next stages of this room! You have Such an eye... such Flawless taste... This will be a pleasure!!!
Hello John! I am happy to see you working on another project. I was having withdrawal symptoms after Merriman Park was finished. I so wish I could be a fly on the wall watching you work. I could learn a lot!
I am so happy you have another project. I was having withdrawal symptoms after Merriman Park was finished. I would love to be a "fly on the wall" and watch you work. I could learn so much.
Your room looks in balance ALREADY, John, no matter what you do to it further your basics are good; I can imagine this becoming another eye-candy-room. Luv the fireplace.
I don't want to know about the hole in the ceiling yet, like to be surprised :) And actually, the pics are very good! Big hugs, Gee
It's already impressive - like a room in a palace being remodeled after a fire, it clearly has good "bones" and I can sort of mentally "fill in" what the room may look like when it's done.
I've done a few room boxes but they are NOWHERE as impressive as this!
Mrs. Betty B. made me laugh so hard I got tea all over my laptop. Calling my next dog Betty Beaverhausen! Best dragqueen name ever! I like how you always put in these faux spaces behind all the doors to create dept. Hug AM
HiJohn, I have been following your blog for a while now and really enjoyed reading each post.You are a great designer! I love your new roombox. It'll be "grandiose" as we say in French.
May I ask the size of the box? I am thinking of a new project in a box and I can't decide about the size. Your help would be much appreciated as I work alone and don't know any miniaturist in Thailand doing similar project. You can email to me at patrickduclou@gmail.com or answer here. Thanks a lot, Patrick
LOVE the room box and the period, one of my favourites, you have already put in some lovely details, that fireplace is gorgeous!
I'm sorry I missed your last post, the flowers look beautiful. I agree with you on the large numbered parties, often its easier than small numbers, its the same amount of work for 20 as it is for 50 and not much more to double it. I bet you had a blast...I so wish I was there!
Oh John, the music is just wonderful, as for your roombox well if I were a tour guide I' probably be a lot like Suzanne Sugerbaker pushing people along with my crochet purse and given them snappy answers to their questions. (good thing I'm not a tour guide)
I love making things and have a huge interest in architecture --especially Renaissance, Baroque and Classical styles. This is my first dollhouse project which I intended to use as a diversion from the maddeningly long, Minnesota winters.
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27 comments:
Wau it's amazing for the beginning imagine when you finish. Congratulations. Cunha
Thank you SO much for the verbal museum tour re-enactment, that made my day. I laughed so hard all the stress of the day just drained away! You have a gift with words, as well as with miniatures.
Hi John, Your blog is so fun! I'm SO glad I found it again! Your roombox is already looking so elegant. I can hardly wait to watch your progress on it. Why couldn't you have been a guide at the museum? You're obviously a natural at it, and that would have meant you could have lived there even more! :-) Were there male guides too? xo Jennifer
You always begin with such dramatic foundations for your structures. There is no where to go, but gorgeous from there! :-)
You got your wish.....you are our guide and I look forward to seeing more!!
Hey John
I am sooo excited about your roombox project. I'm thinking of doing one as well, I love the idea you can have them on a shelf, all framed. Like a room within a room. Are you like me, I thought it would be easier to break it to Scott to say I was doing a room, rather than another whole house ;-)
I can't believe how much you've done already! You've been a busy bee!! I really like the symmetry of the doors, and I see you've done your trademark custom windows. The depth of the wall really makes a difference - you could see that in Merriman. And it's great to what looks panelling?
I can't to what your colour scheme will be, are you painting it?
Have a great weekend
Si
Ps I reckon the mussie-tussie is due a resurgence !!
That is already a gorgeous room. I can sure see why you wanted to make it in miniature. I look forward to seeing the colors and way you furnish it.
¡Bien! Un nuevo proyecto! Ya estoy deseando ver el resultado final, seguro será maravilloso.
¡Un abrazo enorme!
You always put a smile on my face:)
I am curious about that roombox, it already looks so good. For me it looks like you came to an empty palace, mansion, which was left alone for years, you loved it and now you try to restore it to look like in it's old glorious days.;) Can't wait to see more soon!
Big hug
Ewa
Oh, so nice project, I will look forward to following you in that.
Hugs
Wyrna
Good Morning John! I LOVE the Bones of this room!!! Lucky you to have lived so close to the Original that you Could Pretend you lived there! I had a similar experience in a very run down building next door to The Victoria Mansion in Portland Maine when I was still a young twenty or so! I daydreamed so much about that building!!! My cupboard House is very loosely inspired by it...
I really look forward to seeing the next stages of this room! You have Such an eye... such Flawless taste... This will be a pleasure!!!
I am so curious about the hole in the ceiling - are we up for a dome? promises lovely.....
Marilyn
Hello John!
I am happy to see you working on another project. I was having withdrawal symptoms after Merriman Park was finished. I so wish I could be a fly on the wall watching you work. I could learn a lot!
Hello John!
I am so happy you have another project. I was having withdrawal symptoms after Merriman Park was finished. I would love to be a "fly on the wall" and watch you work. I could learn so much.
Your room looks in balance ALREADY, John, no matter what you do to it further your basics are good; I can imagine
this becoming another eye-candy-room.
Luv the fireplace.
I don't want to know about the hole in the ceiling yet, like to be surprised :)
And actually, the pics are very good!
Big hugs,
Gee
This is so exciting! I'm so glad to see another project in the works and it is looking great so far!
It's already impressive - like a room in a palace being remodeled after a fire, it clearly has good "bones" and I can sort of mentally "fill in" what the room may look like when it's done.
I've done a few room boxes but they are NOWHERE as impressive as this!
Wow John, how you manage to create such a lush and baroque room...I don't know. Looking into your roombox is like visiting an old castle in Spain....
Hi John, how exciting a new project :D! It looks beautiful right from the start! Can't wait to see more.
Hugs, Ilona
Mrs. Betty B. made me laugh so hard I got tea all over my laptop. Calling my next dog Betty Beaverhausen! Best dragqueen name ever! I like how you always put in these faux spaces behind all the doors to create dept. Hug AM
Hi John,
Thanks for being the docent and giving us some background on the room. Lucky you to have been able to "live" in it!
I love the roombox already--it will be spectacular.
One question--where did you get the 9/9 working windows?
Cheers,
Iris
HiJohn,
I have been following your blog for a while now and really enjoyed reading each post.You are a great designer!
I love your new roombox. It'll be "grandiose" as we say in French.
May I ask the size of the box?
I am thinking of a new project in a box and I can't decide about the size.
Your help would be much appreciated as I work alone and don't know any miniaturist in Thailand doing similar project. You can email to me at
patrickduclou@gmail.com or answer here.
Thanks a lot,
Patrick
Hi John,
LOVE the room box and the period, one of my favourites, you have already put in some lovely details, that fireplace is gorgeous!
I'm sorry I missed your last post, the flowers look beautiful. I agree with you on the large numbered parties, often its easier than small numbers, its the same amount of work for 20 as it is for 50 and not much more to double it. I bet you had a blast...I so wish I was there!
ML Fi XX
Oh John,
the music is just wonderful, as for your roombox well if I were a tour guide I' probably be a lot like Suzanne Sugerbaker pushing people along with my crochet purse and given them snappy answers to their questions. (good thing I'm not a tour guide)
Hugs
Marisa :)
This is a very elegant roombox, I love it. I can't wait to see more.
Geneviève
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