Wednesday, May 3, 2023

The Mini Chinoiserie Dining Room

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My newest addition to my mini rattan beach house is this pair of Chinese panels. The panels are over 100 year old antique Chinese embroidered silk. They feature beautiful exotic climbing tropical plants and even a palm tree. I made them from remnants from an antique kimono.

The wool needlepoint rug is vintage from an estate. It is circa 1981 and dated and signed by the creator.


I located her obituary and found it fascinating. 

Flavia W. Stutz Was Devoted to Town of Gay Head - Vineyard Gazette - August 4, 2005

"Flavia Wagner Stutz died on July 24 at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital. Flavia was devoted to the town of Gay Head, now Aquinnah, where she lived year-round since 1975 after summering there since 1958. She was born in Ames, Iowa in 1925, daughter of a professor who later taught at Cornell University and the University of Virginia. Flavia met her future husband Robert Stutz while both attended Cornell University. They married in 1949 and had three children, Michael and identical twins, Heidi and Cynthia. Robert became a professor of labor relations at the University of Connecticut in Storrs where he and Flavia raised the children, spending their summers in Gay Head.

The family traveled extensively, touring Europe for three months by Volkswagen bus and ocean liner in 1964, and living for 18 months in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 1966 to 1967 where Robert taught at the university and Flavia organized safaris and a return home through the Far East. From 1970-1971 they lived in Geneva, Switzerland while Robert was on sabbatical to study European labor issues.

After Robert retired from the university in 1975, he and Flavia moved to Gay Head to live year-round. Flavia served on the planning board for about 28 years, from 1976 to 2004, working to retain the rural character of the town that she loved. She and Robert were among the founders of the Gay Head taxpayers association that defended the town against the Indian land claim and negotiated the settlement of those claims. After their children grew up, Flavia and Robert continued to travel around the world with close friends until Robert's death in 1998. Since then Flavia and Camille Rose have been inseparable friends.

Flavia had a lively intellect. She was an avid reader, bridge player, observer of local and national politics, and a life-long democrat. Her empathy and humor made her many friends. She loved to spend time at the beach and in the ocean. She had a positive outlook on the world and the integrity to speak the truth. She leaves her three children, Michael Stutz, Heidi Stutz and Cynthia Craig, her son in law Kevin Craig, and two grandchildren, Zack and Tucker Craig.

She will be interred privately by her family in the Gay Head cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Vineyard Conservation Society or to the Island EMTs."

I found this so interesting.

Here is a closeup of the rug.


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My mini dining room reminds me of this dining room I just posted about.


Lisa Henderson Interiors - Coastal Living


I also used these antique remnants to create valances/shades for my miniature chinoiserie garden folly.

 

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5 comments:

  1. Thank you, this is so interesting!

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  2. These miniatures are precious!!! So creative.

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  3. Where do you find these interesting pieces of miniature furniture?

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  4. Where do you locate these cute pieces of miniature furniture?

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  5. Have you ever seen or heard of Miniature/Fairy Gardens? For any gardener who loves doll houses, they are a very fun way to garden. You can make them for indoors or outdoors, and the accouterments can be found that are weather-safe too. Just Google "Fairy Gardens" to find examples and links to the miniature plants, fairies, furniture, etc. to place in them. There are also books on the subject. I've even been to Fairy Garden demonstrations at garden shows, if you are interested in that sort of thing.

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