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!