When Bee Lan of Singapore first contacted me back in June 2007 it was to commission a dressing table and possibly a matching hat. As the emails flew backwards and forwards with ideas and suggestions I think we both inspired each other and before we knew it 'The Room of Hope' was in the planning. Now, over a year later, the roombox is complete and I am proud to have created several pieces of furniture for it. I am also grateful to Bee Lan for encouraging me to branch out and begin to make dresses and shoes to add to my passion for millinery.
In the following photos you will see the pieces that I provided, alongside work from the very talented Kelly Curtis, Dressed Beds by Kelly, and the creator of the roombox Showcase Roomboxes.
This has been a rewarding commission in many ways, not least for the friendships that I have gained throughout the year!
Please visit Bee Lan's blog for more details of her miniature collection in the Diary of a Quirky Lady
'The Room of Hope'
Seafoam Sofa and Chairs Set
It wasn't easy to find the right shade of 'seafoam' but the customised sofa and chairs blend in well with the decor of the sitting room area.
The Armoire
Handcrafted by David Brown Designed and dressed by Janine Crocker
This was such an enjoyable piece to work on that I can't wait to make another one! David Brown's professional approach to the construction makes it an oustanding piece of furniture and I had a lot of fun thinking up lots of surprises to put inside. The beautiful cream leather travel bag was made by my good friend Jean Boyd of Miniartworks and some of the charming boxes were supplied by Zena of Zena's Petite Boutique. The clothes inside the boxes and all other accessories were made by myself...even the Victorian boots which were quite a challenge!
Dressing table
We tried a couple of different designs for the dressing table but finally settled on palest peach lace over silk. I loved making the little cosmetic bottles and the jewellery stand with it's tiny necklaces draped from the hangers.
Bee Lan was looking for a totally frivolous and romantic set to compliment the beautiful bed that Kelly Curtis was creating. Kelly kindly sent me some samples of the fabrics that she would be using and I was able to co-ordinate a chaise longue, 4-panel dressing screen and lots of luxurious cushions. I even cheekily used a couple of the tiny squares as insets in the cushions (thanks Kelly :) )
Nero Wolfe
This wonderfully detailed room scene depicts Nero Wolfe's office and I was delighted to be asked by it's creator, Nadine Bandler, to provide the small yellow sofa. The sofa was handmade by the skilled British craftsman David Brown to fit the dimesions requested, and then upholstered in Canary yellow dupion silk and trimmed with matching braid. A selection of tiny cushions added the finishing touch.
If you are a Nero Wolfe fan Nadine would love to hear from you - please contact me for details.
The flapper hat and art deco hats were added to this elegant 1920's style hat shop, created by my good friend Lindsey Dangerfield from Kent, England
Another magnificent hat shop, this time Victorian, in a private collection in the USA, both designed and created by the owner. Some of the display hats were provided by Miss Amelia's miniatures
Victorian Hat Shop
Photo by Michael Puff for Dollhouse Miniatures Magazine
I was kindly asked by Martha Puff to provide a sailor hat, a trilby and a bowler hat for this photo to accompany an article on gentlemen's Millinery for Dollhouse Miniatures magazine August 2007
