chellebelle Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I am building an Orchid as a stone cottage to donate to an auction for the Heart assoc. My sister in law is in charge of. It is a black tie event, with very high end items, so I need some wisdom from all of you. I'm a bit worried about how to decorate the house to #1, make it appeal to as many different people as possible, and #2, make it portable. I'm not putting any furnishings in it, as I will not be there to make sure they are all there and how they should be. So, I need to make the interior good enough as is. I'm making a window seat with pillows and cushions in the bay window, and a bed in the upstairs gable. It will have hardwood floors in those rooms, and tile in the bathroom and kitchen. I may glue in the bathroom fixtures if I can find some I like. I'm unsure if I should put in colorful wallpaper to make up for no furnishings, or paint it neutral like for a real life house. To make it easy to move, I thought of nailing or gluing a large picture frame to thin plywood, lay it flat, and glue the house in the middle of it. The outside will have tons of landscaping. Because it's a black tie event, I doubt anyone will be driving a truck, so it needs to be able to fit in a back seat. Usually my brother would deliver the big items the next day with his truck, but he has been battling lung cancer since March. I doubt he will feel up to it. So, any ideas would be deeply appreciated. Thanks, Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Michelle, how nice you are to be doing this for such a good cause~ I think your ideas to build in the bed and window seat are good. It will give a sense of a lived in house, even without furniture. The hardwood floors and tile will add high-end appeal. Are you going to put in curtains? That would also add appeal, I think. You might think about wainscoting in the kitchen. That always dresses up a room. I don't think I'd use any bright colors or large patterns. I'd keep it subtle, thinking that this would be a house to show off high end furnishings -- think Reutter porcelain and Bespaq -- for the collector who buys it. And if someone buys it for a child, it will still have appeal because of your thoughtful details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justmesue Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I agree with Kathie B's advice. Can't wait to see pics of the house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chellebelle Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 Thanks, I love the wainscotting idea! Would skinny sticks work? I have some that are rounded on the ends, but I could cut them off. I am putting drapes in it, and lace curtains, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Michelle, if it's going to become a stone cottage you want to keep that in mind and go for a cute cottage interior. You can use a bright cheerful patterned wallpaper above a wainscot in the kitchen, or a plain white or off-white "stucco" wall. If you go with plain kitchen walls you can use a liightly patterned wallpaper in the parlor/ diningroom. I would put lace curtains in the parlor windows and either cafe curtains or cloth windowshades in the kitchen, and perhaps some nice simple shade in the bathroom. Will the roof be thatch or tile? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corwin Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Great advice the only thing i would add is, try to stay neutral at least a tad, maybe bring in the colors with accents, so they can be changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chellebelle Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 The roof will be slate, and the outside trims will be stained instead of painted. I think I will go with neutral walls and colorful cushions and bedding. I found some fabric that looks exactly like pink tiles with white grout! I ironed it to cardstock, covered it with glossy laminate and went over the "grout" with a stylus, and it looks pretty good. I planned to use it when I do a retro pink bathroom in another house, but I have enough for 2. So, would pink be ok in a cottage bathroom? I guess I'm just getting into a tizzy over this, overthinking everything. I just want my S-I-L to be proud to add it to the other auction items. I tend to be my own worst critic, so I do appreciate the opinions and advice here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 "Black tie" refers to the dress code for the occasion. Forget about that and listen to the kit! Do your best and you will do the kit, yourself & your SIL proud. Now go have fun & trust your instincts. I'd go for "charming" rather than "cute" for a cottage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 If you're going to do a lot of landscaping, I would let that set the tone for the interior...country garden with a shabby chic interior, or topiary and symmetrical landscaping with a formal interior. Don't worry about how fancy the party is-they are still the same people as when they're wearing blue jeans! Just listen to the dollhouse and do what it tells you to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roo Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 How wonderful of you! I think some pictues on the walls would be a great touch. I can't wait to hear how much it brings in! Blessings Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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