Fall Inspiration in the Retro Kitchen

Long time no see! Bet you thought I had abandoned this here ol' blog didn't ya? Nope. I'm here. Alive and kickin'.

Summer was a blast. So much traveling left little time for play but with the return of cooler weather and the tendency to hibernate I'll have project time again.


Fall happens to be my absolute favorite time of year. What better way to welcome autumn then with some fabulous decor in my mini retro kitchen.

Shall we take a tour?


In the beginning...

My little kitchen cabinets received a fresh coat of moss green paint.  A nice contrast to the fresh white counter & upper cabinets. I intentionally left the stove top bare so that it could double as counter space. Need a stove-just add a pot or pan and voila! Decorative paper backsplash adds a touch of whimsy.

Close up of the adorable woodland friend pattern. I ♥ scrapbook paper!

The sink received the same treatment although I am hesitant to leave the backsplash paper, just not digging it.

Backside of the sink unit offers premium display space-nice bonus!

Nice pop of color in the cherry red stools offers some visual interest.

Dinette set received complimentary finishes. The houndstooth wallpaper is set temporarily on my background wall. Since this is a piece I use frequently for auction photos it will not be part of the permanent kitchen set. One side has the faux wood panels (real wood strips glued to foam core). The reverse side of this wall is my faux stone finish.

My first attempt at accessorizing. Continuing the whimsical theme. Notice the absence of floor tiles?  This floor is the butcher block top to my island that I am now using for photo staging. I'll share photos of my set up in a future post. (too messy right now!)

The addition of a banquette seat in the dining area creates more options for staging. Vibrant pillows continue the color story and lend to the warmth of autumn. The window view showcases my backyard with hints of fall foliage just peaking out of the hedges. The wall unit for now is a prototype made out of foam core. My plan is to make a more permanent structure out of book board for photo backdrops. Foam core is easy to work with but since my studio space is in the basement the moisture is not friendly to this material. (even with a dehumidifier) Not to mention foam core is so light weight that it seems a bit flimsy especially for a piece that will house a bench & display space. The prototype is only twelve inches wide by 16 inches tall. The new unit will be wider & taller and adding a decorative ledge above the window for more merchandising space. (yes, that is a slight reference to one of my favorite designers Christopher Lowell).

Back to building the walls-my first attempt at using book board.

Thank you for visiting!
Stephiejo ♥

Still Busy with Auctions

Working on clearing out excess inventory so that I can customize new pieces. I have a HUGE project in the works that I can't wait to share!

I LOVE this oversized soaking tub. It is PERFECT for the larger Fashion Royalty dolls. Since I am no longer collecting the tall one's I've decided to put this gem up for sale.  Darius is demonstrating how large the tub actually is.

You can see the auction here. *nothing currently available!

I have 42 items listed this week. Already working on next week's listings!

Have a great week! I'll give you a sneak peek soon on my BIG project.

Stephiejo

Shameless eBay Plug

Forgot to mention that I have lots of goodies available on eBay. Mostly larger fashion doll clothes for the 16-17 inch gals. Some really cute Barbie pieces as well. Making room for new OOAK inventory! Take a peak if you'd like:

Auctions

Just some of what I have listed...

Cheetah Print Chaise for 17" dolls

OOAK Barbie size Chaise

Mid-Century Modern Barbie TV Cabinet w/TV & Accessories

Upholstered pin cushion chair

My Scene Party Pad TV Unit & Columns Barbie Size

OOAK Jewelry busts

Until next time...Stephiejo

Tiny Doll Madness

I'm not sure what possessed me to take the plunge but I've gone over to the dark side of collecting. The world of BJD's. Tiny ones at that. I've been fascinated by those enchanting faces and amazing articulation. On a whim I asked hubby if I could get one. He said yes!! So I proceeded to order this teeny, tiny, itty bitty sweet faced Lati. Does anyone know if she can wear Kelly clothes? I certainly hope so! At just under 10cm she will be just right for all the Kelly furnishings & accessories I've seemed to accumulate.  I see a little girl's room diorama in my near future. Now the wait begins.  Did I mention that I'm an impatient individual?

Photo courtesy of Latidoll.

Hubby says the eyes freak him out a bit. I hope that's only temporary! Isn't she stinkin' cute? What was I thinking?

Stephiejo

Taking A Break

From the dollhouse project that is...to work on some auction photography. (seriously-the doll stuff is taking over around here & I need to clear some space).

Decided to take some photos before listing on evil-bay..so without further adieu...a celebration of the warm weather we've been having...

Can you guess what item is for sale in this pic? LOL...

I want to demonstrate how FANTASTIC

this little beach chair is.

I'll post a link to the auction when it's ready.

Now..more play time...

I think my faux stone wall is my most used prop...

it makes many appearances. Can you believe

that it's made from egg cartons & spackle?

Really! I'll have to do a tutorial soon...

All glued to foam core. Folds flat for storage.

Tan scrapbook paper on the floor sort of resembles

the color of sand...and some fake palm leaves

from the craft store add some depth.

The yummy cocktail in the background was taken off

of a cocktail stir stick...(thanks to my handy dremmel tool)

Side table is a candle holder with a Barbie plate on top...

everything else is actual Barbie accessories.

I still have this diorama set up...I'll post round 2

pics along with a behind the scenes shot soon!

Enjoy~

Stephiejo

Dollhouse Project-In Progress

Many moons ago....I purchased a Barbie dollhouse with GRAND plans to customize it. I had visions of an ornate French Country Villa..with European accents in creams...reds...tans...and just a hint of black accent. I had the perfect fabric, cream & black toile. Red & tan plaid. Cream with red roosters. I considered leaving the interior colors as-is. I really liked the red accents and the tan base was workable. This is the set that I started with High School Musical Playset:









When I finally started the customization process I completely changed my mind. (As I often do!) No longer was I enamored with French Country. At least not for this Barbie house. I began looking at the furnishings, accessories, fabric and wallpaper that I already had. That pointed me more in the direction of Baroque or Regency Style. I love the eclectic mix of modern with traditional.




Step 1: Remove all stickers. You will need an entire bottle of Goo Gone for this! Paint the entire house-inside and out a crisp white. Let me tell you now that this process was much more difficult than I had originally anticipated. Four cans of spray paint later (yes-the special kind for plastic) and I still have areas that need to be touched up.









I will warn you-those red french doors are a REAL PAIN. They are warped. Not from the paint-but they originally came that way. Even though they appear to be white you can see hints of red coming through when lit from behind.









Step 2: Pull together coordinating scrapbook papers to use as wallpaper. A word of advice-scrapbook paper is NOT the proper size to use a single sheet for wallpaper in 1:6 scale. However, if the print is suitable it can be successfully installed.




I used a small damask print in this room just under the chair rail:







The room directly above this space I used two sheets of paper-the main body in blue & a large border to incorporate more of the damask:









The base of the window seat received a charcoal grey paper. You can see the black/grey damask on the adjoining wall:









Same charcoal grey adorns the lower wall in the future wine cellar:









The original red support columns had to be removed. They were adorned with the Wildcats logo and I felt that covering them wouldn't work. I used pliers to break the plastic where they were attached at the ceiling. Once free at the top they simply slid out of the bottom. I replaced with these filigree columns I purchased from a thrift store. Originally used to support a tiered wedding cake. They were not quite tall enough which is why they are perched on silver jewelry boxes for the time being. I'll make a more permanent base soon.








And finally a full view of the progress so far:








Yes I am fully aware that I failed to spray the arch on the roof! This piece removes easily for painting. Just ran out of paint!




There is lots left on my to do list for this home!




*Touch up white paint in several areas
*Determine wall finishes for the remained of the upper level & foyer
*Select floor finishes
*Add light fixtures (real & fake)
*Install baseboards
*Build faux side & back walls for photographing purposes
*Sew window treatments
*Build fireplace or display case for lower level damask wall (needed to support the upper floor!)




Until next time...


Stephiejo~

Beginning of Summer

Enjoying the unofficial start to summer...pull up a chair and relax under my new gazebo.

.

I've set the table so we can enjoy some cocktails and snacks.

Hopefully the children won't be much of a bother..they like to take a break from the hot sun to cool themselves in the shade...

I set out the new cushions to commemorate this special holiday...

Can I interest you in a cold beverage?

A cold beer perhaps?

Sorry to see you go so soon.

Enjoy the beautiful weather we are having. Chemo has thankfully finished..I am off to round up the children for lunch. Thank you for stopping by!