Even tho this sweet little house was released in ’07, it made a big splash in the miniature world when it appeared on the Martha Stewart show in November.  Since every member of the studio audience received a Storybook Cottage kit courtesy of Greenleaf, we hope to see more and more eye candy of this charmer.

This is the Storybook Cottage that Tracy built for a prop for the Martha Stewart show.  Amazingly, Tracy built this house in one day!

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The Vineyard Cottage

The Vineyard Cottage may be one of the most fabulous and dramatic dollhouses ever!   With its ornate gothic trim, it can go from being a light-keeper’s house to a cathedral and everything in between.   If you haven’t seen the interior of this house, you’re really missing a treat.  With a wide open great room on one side and two floors on the other, the interior of this house could easily go from Victorian to modern depending on your interpretation.  I love the suggestion of a loft on one side as well as the potential for it to become a beautiful church.  Really, the possibilities are endless and this unique interior is too good to pass up.  Bash two together in mirror fashion and you’ll open up a whole new world!  Equally exciting to the miniature world is that the kit is available in standard plywood or in birch if you choose the Vineyard Select.

Gina shows us how lovely and elegant the Vineyard Cottage can be!

A peek at the interior makes us want to move in!

The Brookwood

Cheers were heard around the world when the Brookwood was re-released!  Modern dollhouse kits aren’t common, but even if they were, the Brookwood would still be in a class by itself.  The lovely, flowing lines of the Brookwood make it distinctive and gracious. 

I love the sloping lines of the exterior of this house as well as the staggered floors of the interior.  Again, the unique design of this house sets it apart from other kits.  I’m not sure what my favorite feature is on this house.  The three fireplaces that gracefully reach up thru the house are simply gorgeous features for a warm and inviting look.  But I also love the windows arching from top to bottom that give the house such an elegant and gracious tone.  Then there are the skylights that let in so much light thru the whole house.  Did I mention the solarium that can be placed on either side of the house?  And the fabulous deck?  And a hot tub!!  I can’t quite put my finger on any favorite feature because I love them all.  Combined in one house, it doesn’t get any better than this!  I can see this house going from a contemporary setting to the Swiss Alps with ease.  My personal choice is to do a little bashing on this one and take it to the Art Deco period. 

Wendy interpreted the Brookwood as a delightful Arts and Crafts era house and the results have been nothing less than spectacular!

The Madison

Larger than it appears in pictures, the Madison is a real charmer!   It can be sweetly demure in an urban setting, or rustically realistic in the country.  The versatility of this kit is endless. I love the front porch and the way it invites one to come right on in and the sweet exterior lines. It has a quiet elegance.  The two rooms downstairs and the attic upstairs make it perfect for either a house or a shop.  My personal goal with this house is to bash it with an Adams because the two are so compatible together. 

 Linda shows us how perfectly the Madison steps from cute to country.

Sally takes the Madison to the city with this beautiful and elegant modern rendition. 

The Adams

I’m just starting work on my own Adams and it’s such a delightful kit to play with!  This house has the feel of a blank canvas and could be anything and everything.  It’s like that perfect, well loved jacket in your wardrobe…….it can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.  The porch has the ability to be optional, giving it potential for a demure look, or a bold face.  Whether it’s a cute little cottage, a rustic shack, a one room school house, a country post office or a shop, the Adams is willing to work with you for any style.

The Adams made a dramatic come back as this year’s kit for the HBS Annual Creatin’ Contest.  As the contest deadline passes, we’re beginning to see some of the delightful creations from our forum members.  I couldn’t pick just a few to showcase because they’re all so wonderful!  We think everyone is a winner!   

The Greenleaf Bus

The biggest thing in tiny transportation this year was the arrival of Ernie’s Bus!  An exclusive to the folks over at HBS, Greenleaf took the dollhouse to the streets with this unique kit.   I’m a big fan of realism in miniatures and the designers at Greenleaf obviously studied a lot of buses to get the perfect look for this kit.  From the grill to the back door, it’s everything a bus should be.

More than anything else, the most important thing about the bus kit is the way it helped the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.   HBS stepped up during the hurricane season by donating a portion of all bus kit sales to help those impacted by the disasters.  That makes them heroes in my book!

Steve Bailey is another real life hero so it’s no surprise that he offered the use of his Mobile Command Unit to help spread the word.  Click on the picture below to view the video used in the HBS fund raiser. 

Annie's Lobster Shack—Spring fling contest

This year Greenleaf’s Spring Fling contest took a new twist.  Greenleaf created this little kit for the contest but left it nameless.  The winner of the contest got to name the kit! 

The results of the contest were overwhelmingly enthusiastic!  It’s amazing how many different interpretations we saw of this little kit.  We have a whole gallery full of eye candy for you if you click here.  All I can say is “WOW!” 

It’s been a wonderful year at Greenleaf and we’ve loved every second of seeing old friends revisited, as well as making new friends.  We’re looking forward to 2009 and all the things that it will bring.  Most of all, we want to thank everyone who loves, builds and owns a Greenleaf house.  It’s all about you and the hobby you love!

Happy New Year!