
Two years ago, while wandering the aisles
at the annual Good Sam Show in San Jose, California,
I spotted the most darling house I had ever seen. It
was this 1/4 scale house by Debbie Young. I was not
at all familiar with 1/4 scale, but instantly knew I
had to have this house, as I had never seen a craftsman
era house before. I thought it was such a wonderful
change from my constant diet of Edwardian and Victorian,
that I swallowed hard, took a couple of deep breaths,
and said, "1/4 scale... how hard could it be, right
I'll take it???
I had just unknowingly found my hobby.
I do miniatures as my full time job. However when I
want to do something fun, I still want to be in my studio
doing miniatures. However, I discovered that 1/4 scale
is the perfect project to take on during a quiet weekend.
It's instant gratification. You can start and FINISH
one of these projects in a matter of days, instead of
months or years. I have to add that Debbie Young's kits
are just fabulous. The bungalow was just the first of
several. Her instructions are easy and clear, her attention
to detail is remarkable, particularly in this small
scale, and her kit are as complete as you could ever
wish for, including even the landscaping materials.
Her darling furniture kits are each designed for the
specific house that they are shown with, and always
are very faithful to the period and architecture of
the structure.
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One of the things I love about
this house is that it is detailed EVERYWHERE.
The front is darling with its' wonderful brickwork,
elevated porch, and highly detailed windows and
doors, but look at the cute brickwork and trellis
on this side.
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Not to be outdone, the opposite
side is just as darling with its brick chimney
and landscaping. The kit included the lawn, low
shrubbery and plants beneath the front window.
I made the hollyhocks from a kit, and the tree
and wheelbarrow with leaves were purchased at
a show.
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The interior features four rooms,
and loads of craftsman details, such as the divider
between the living room and the kitchen, and the
built-in bookcases on both sides of the living
room. The fireplace is also highly detailed with
an inset alcove flanked by a wood mantle. Don't
you love those real hardwood floors??? They were
laid a plank at a time! The exterior stucco finish,
and the wonderful shingles with all their texture
are so realistic!
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Here's a close up of the living
room. Books were purchased on ebay. The tiny turned
table and stone vase at front left are by Jeff
Spera. The potted plant is by Signe Alvarstein,
from the Netherlands, who makes the most exquisite
1/4 scale flowers I've ever seen.
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The kitchen is darling with
it's two tone cabinetry, deep country sink and
awesome stove. Debbie uses a combination of wood
and cast resin in her furniture kits, which are
all super easy to assemble, and have tons of detailing.
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Upstairs, tucked beneath the
eaves is the bedroom. The headboard is a craftsman
style with built in cabinetry. The chair in the
corner is a William Morris style. There is a craftsman
book case below the window that is rather hard
to see and a chest of drawers. At the foot of
the bed is a really cool trunk.
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The bathroom is right next door and is really
spacious! Wish I had this much room in my bathroom!!!
The tub, sink and toilet were cast in resin,
and the small chest and mirror are from wood.
Have you noticed the wonderful wallpapering
through the house? They are also included in
the kit!
Well, that concludes your tour! Thanks for
visiting!
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My Miniatures Page.
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