Hello sweet friends! I've been busy as a bee .... 2 weeks ago I got a package in the mail and it was quite an undertaking! It's my 3rd and most favorite miniature house.... I named her "Summer Rose".... I designed and built it from a kit. The miniature house is called the Orchid by Greenleaf dollhouses. And I'd like to introduce you by giving you a tour of what the last 2 weeks have been and her almost finished look. I have to say, I normally use Real Good Toys dollhouses as they are very sturdy and easier to put together, but I loved the look of this one and was looking for a Shabby Chic feel, so all the pieces and trim work seemed to fit for the look I was going for, so I dove in...Before I continue, I want to tell you a little bit about my inspiration for my little home away from home....
In my mind, this cottage is most likely sitting on a beautiful piece of property on the Island of Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard. She is a few miles walk to the beach, but yet not of a nautical style. Rather, a cozy, simple , shabby chic vintage look. She provides weekends away with best girlfriends and romantic vacations for me and my sweetheart :) She's tiny, but all our needs are met here. That's the simple version of what "Summer Rose" means to me. The name came to mind because Summer is my favorite season and Roses are my favorite flowers. Pretty simple :)
There are lots of pictures on this post , so the rest of the story of Summer Rose and what she means to me are scattered throughout the photos....
Welcome, come on in!
Of course we start in the Kitchen, always my favorite room of any house...This is what you see when you walk in the front door....
The kitchen is a mix of refurbished antiques and vintage pieces..... The sun streams through the windows all day long and the blends of creams, whites and soft pinks look feminine and romantic throughout the day. A seat by the window is the perfect place for morning tea.
Tiny details take this very simple cottage look to a pretty level.... And of course, Roses are abundant... even on picture frames :)
Vintage sinks have always been a favorite of mine and this one was a must for my Cottage...
Summer Rose is also a place where I can cook and bake up a storm, so sweets and yummys are always ready to be savored :)
I adore using colors of every kind , but mostly the colors of Spring and Summer make me the happiest... so anywhere I can add pops of color, I did :)
Vintage accessories and cleaning products from days gone by are simple and still effective for cleaning any cottage :) And I happen to love an oldfashioned label anyway :) For me, it gives a home a real sense of Charm...
This is the wall opposite the sink and hutch ...and where all the baking and cooking takes place :)
I lined the shelves of this wall shelf and the kitchen hutch with left over paper from the DR, it helps to bring in a bit of the roses here and also adds more charm to the kitchen too....
I hope you love this little kitchen as much as I did making it :)
Now lets go to the teeny tiny Dining room... It doesn't need to be large because we eat outside, a lot :) .... Clam Bakes, picnics, dining Al Fresco and all those beautiful summer evenings... But do come in, you never know, it might rain a night or two ....
For any of those unexpected cooler evenings, we have a fireplace.... it's so romantic and cozy to eat by a fire and perfect for those special dinners too!
Even a brunch is perfect here... the Dining room table is right by a big bay window that overlooks the garden filled with the seasons freshest produce and fruits...and the sun pours in through the lace curtains...
I still have a few pictures to hang in here, but I wanted to give you a peek...
I'm going to keep it all very simple though... I want the friends who visit to be the main attraction :) I hung one piece of art in the DR so far and it might just stay that way....I made this little wall plague for above the fireplace because I adore Susan Branch and her books are all throughout the Cottage :)
Now lets head up to the Bedroom and Bath.... This time the roses are in a pastel blue and give a soft backdrop for a relaxing retreat away from it all. I decided that since the house is tiny and the assumption is to entertain outside mostly , that the sitting room can be upstairs. A nice little spot to read in-front of the fire, or create a romantic back drop too :)
The bath is not all the way finished, but again here is a peek :) I have to make those wonderful handmade soaps and stock it full of girly necessities and pretties too :) With a bath that has such beautiful light pouring in, it needs to be "spa ready" :)
And of course, a bed by a window..... My favorite way to sleep....
White cotton sheets are folded and just in from the clothes line with that fresh beautiful scent ....
And that my friends, is about it :) Simple and Sweet , my 2 favorite words....
I still have work to do, but I'd stay here for a weekend without doing a thing except take a walk, garden, cook ,bake and entertain...and put my feet up on the porch without any worries about what those "still to do" things are :)
Here is photo of all the rooms as they are seen from the back of the house....
And if you walk along the outside of the house? You can peek through the window and say hi :) I'll greet you with a glass of iced tea or a glass of wine, depends on the time a day... but then again, it's vacation :)
Here are some photos of what "Summer Rose" looks like from the front ....She will be covered in roses after I buy the new trellis.... :)
Thank you so much for stopping in! Come by anytime!
I don't mean to douse you with a bit of reality, lol, but before I leave, I thought you might like to see where Summer Rose lives .... She might be little now , but if I dream big, she will come in real size too one day :)
Note: The front porch is not finished yet, but I've got some neat ideas floating around :)
Another dose of reality.... The miniature Cottage began as this .... well kind of.... it came in a flat 3" box and with a little stress lol, I put it together...
The last photo {below} was taken at night.... and of course, it was the perfect summer evening.....
mostly because she was finished..... :)
Thank you so much for coming along for my "little" tour!For updates on Summer Rose and little changes here and there and new decorating details etc, I will always link up the new posts about the miniature cottage here:
Click here: Another post with updates on Summer Rose
For the latest, click here: Summer Rose May 2012
It's back to mini making for me and I'm so looking forward to it! I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead and are blessed abundantly!
Love, Cynthia xo
