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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Let the Fun Begin!

Last night I got serious about the weirdo box. 

I dug through numerous books.  Then I stumbled on one of my favorite books from the 70s.  Bloomingdale's Book of Home Decorating.

I bought it used, about 1975-80.  It isn't really rooms in homes at all.  It is the rooms that they used to set up in Bloomingdale's so that people would see what they could do with the stuff that the store wanted to sell them.

You didn't have to live in the rooms.  You could just walk through and let your imagination run away with you.
This was the first thing I saw on the dust cover and I immediately looked for it inside.  Two page spread!  If I could, I would still like a room in my house like this one.

Multi levels and room for lots of bookshelves and a desk on the upper level.

It is hard to see, but the chair and couch in the front are actually sunken into a pit for your feet.

Behind the basket on the fireplace, the arched hole is to hold logs.

Of course, nobody was actually supposed to set a fire in the fireplace, but is was a nice display area.

Since the photo in the book is of a much larger space, measurement wise, I will have to cut down on some of it.  I am going to try to include as much as I can without crowding it.

After I drew up the plans, Tessie approved....With the amendment of an easy to open door handle, from inside and out.



I am just getting started and Tessie is already taking over. 

The ledge that she is setting on is the highest part of the room, where the bookcases and desk will go.  There will actually be a two foot wall so she won't fall off. when it's done.

The stairs that you see in the bottom sketch will be under where her feet are hanging down.

Now the only problem is getting her to move, so that I can work on it some more.

I am putting this in labels under "Bloomingdale's Room Box"....I didn't think that Weirdo Room Box sounded quite as good.

See you tomorrow.

6 comments:

Véronique said...

Wow!!! Yes! I can see why you'd want a room like that for real! What a wonderful inspiration for that "oddly shaped box". I remember those sunken seating areas. Why did they ever go out of fashion I wonder. And... hehehe... the easy to open handle... Guess she hasn't forgotten you locking her in there :-)

Phyllisa said...

Hi Casey. What a wonderful design
for a room. Yes, I would like a
real room like that too.
I shall keep it in mind for my next house. In the meantime, I am
looking for something to make one in miniature. You have the BEST ideas!
Phyllisa

Giac said...

Hello Casey,
What a gorgeous room. It will be wonderful.
Big hug,
Giac

Deni said...

This is going to be a wonderful story, and making of this house!
cant wait to see it all come into Shape! Thats if and when Tessie will let you get on with it!lol
Love it already!
I know I will learn a lot from this project!

12Create said...

What a fabulous space. I love the little arched stairs with the space for firewood underneath.

Marilyn D. said...

Absolutely wonderful idea! Love it! Whenever I think of multi-level rooms I think back to the stage set of Mary Tyler Moore's apartment in the Mary Tyler Moore show - she had a sunken living room that had low bookcases built around the perimeter that marked the next level up where her dining and desk areas were - and the doors that led to other parts of the apartment. Anyone else remember that? I thought it was the coolest place! Am I showing my age??- Marilyn from Canada