I’m beginning to experience what others see in the miniature scale.  You start with a universe of possibilities, and then, working with a filter of small sensibilities, you create a fantasy world. Miniatures are a window to a make believe place but tethered to the earthly by your choices in color and furnishings and who how you imagine living there.

Here’s the bare room as of last Friday.  Since then, I cut a piece of tag board to fit the back wall and painted it with red lacquer.  The new fireplace is made from a square tile sample from Ann Sacks.  This is a perfect illustration of the fantasy part I mentioned, since the sample represents a stone basketweave mosaic that runs about $40 per square foot.

I used a chisel and hammer to trim it to the proportionate size.  eBay had some nice rugs to print, but I discovered one in last year’s calendar from a rug company.  I used rubber cement to glue it and the faux bois chair made from the leftovers of the papyrus used on the long, long coffee table.  A modern original over the mantel and a pendant lamp made from a bead wrap up the remodel so far.

Left to go, of course, is the holiday decorating.  The left hand corner is reserved for the tree—that is, once the annual debate over real or artificial has played out.  Garlands and wreaths are on order to outline the arches, too.  Come back on Wednesday to see the cozy finished project.