Saturday, October 12, 2013

Inside Genie's Lamp: The Decor of Fairy Tales III

When I came up with the idea of doing a series of blog posts about what the real world decor of fairy tales would be like, my husband Tom had a great suggestion:  Inside Genie's Lamp.  What a fun idea!

First the most important detail: the lamp itself

There are some gorgeous fancy versions available:

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But ultimately if you're going to stay true to tale, the lamp has to be old and simple.  This one is quite perfect I think.

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Can't you  just picture Aladdin rubbing the grit off the side of that one to get it to shine?

When Tom first suggested this blog post idea to me, I thought it was such a fun idea.  I was surprised to find out that they actually had a special feature on an Aladdin DVD featuring a tour inside Genie's lamp.  So first, for fun, here's Disney's take on the lamp interior.



I love the rug that looks like the treasure trove where Aladdin found the lamp :D



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Here's a hotel that actually created a room based on Genie's lamp.


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And here's a rather Disney-esque kids playroom also inspired by the inside of the lamp.

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But really when I think of the decor inside Genie's lamp, I picture things like below:


Genie's lamp can't have any or many harsh corners, since it's curved, so softening the edges of the room with draperies are a great idea.





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I love the canopy in this Arabian Nights bedroom.  It's very dramatic in a way I think a Genie would appreciate.

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Look at these incredible bookcase niches!

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I would almost sign a contract to be a Genie to get this bathroom:

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Below is a beautiful Moroccan theme bedroom.  I feel like it brings the fantasy of Genie's lamp to life in a doable way for a real home. 




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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

The Snow Queen: The Decor of Fairy Tales II

One of my three favorite fairy tales ever is The Snow Queen.  When I shared the last blog post of Baba Yaga decorating on Facebook, I asked for ideas for future "decor of fairy tales" posts.  Several responses were for The Snow Queen.  I can't argue that. 

The Snow Queen starts with Kay and Gerda in their idyllic Denmark homes.  When it comes to the visuals of this part of the story, I can't imagine anything but the interiors of artist Carl Larsson, even though he was from Sweden. 




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The problems start when an evil mirror is shattered by a group of demons flying around in the cosmos. 

Two choices for the mirror.  High end:

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and low end:
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When Kay is taken away by the Snow Queen, Gerda goes after him, and on her quest she comes to the home of an older sorceress who enchants her to stay in her garden and home, where it is eternally summer. 

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The whole fairy tale has such stunning descriptions, but I think all of us are the most fascinated by the Snow Queen herself.

I picture her home looking like the lighthouses of Lakes Erie and Michigan I've seen that freeze in twisted patterns in the winter months.

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Or perhaps like this:

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Or this:
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This look might not be reproduceable in reality, but this is just how I picture her home:

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Here's how I picture a modern Snow Queen decorating her living room:

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Saturday, September 14, 2013

Baba Yaga's Home: The Decor of Fairy Tales I

I've been horribly remiss, I know.  The Domythic Bliss Facebook page has still been active and enthusiastic, but I haven't blogged here in far too long.  Let's change that, shall we?

I thought it would be fun to do a new series of posts where we imagine what the home decor of fairy tale characters might look like.  With the cold air and changing leaves, Autumn is definitely in the air.  I decided to start this series with a look at Baba Yaga.

Click here to find out about Baba Yaga if you don't know her yet.

Forest Rogers, who has done one of my favorite artworks and sculptures of Baba Yaga, has a *marvelous* Pinterest board with images of her.

Forest's renditions of Baba Yaga:



So let's start with the exterior of Baba Yaga's home.  A few candidates:

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Since Baba Yaga is a Russian fairy tale character, the last dacha is probably the best for her.

Of course a primary signature of Baba Yaga's home is the fence made from skulls.  Two options below:

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Going into the property, Baba Yaga's garden might look like this:

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 A perfect shot of Baba Yaga's interior:

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And what sort of details might you find in her home?

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Forgive me for this one but...well...it DOES strike me as something Baba Yaga would have in her home....

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And finally we have Baba Yaga's mortar and pestle...

There's this fine specimen on Etsy:
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or this gorgeous old specimen:

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There's this lovely carved soapstone version:

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But really, ultimately, I see Baba Yaga using this classic model:

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I'd love to take suggestions for other fairy tale characters to choose for exploring their hypothetical decor styles!