ARTISANS CREATE A STUNNING HOMAGE TO THE HISTORIC PALACE OF VERSAILLES IN MINIATURE

WITH EXACTING AND PRECISE ATTENTION TO DETAILS, THE EXQUISITELY CRAFTED MINIATURE DOLLHOUSE OF A FRENCH 18th CENTURY HOTEL PARTICULAR IS A HOMAGE TO THE HISTORIC PALACE OF VERSAILLES AND WOULD PLEASE EVEN MARIE ANTOINETTE. THE STUNNING CREATION WAS CREATED BY HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM KEVIN MULVANY AND SUSIE RODGERS, WHO SPECIALIZE IN ARCHITECTURAL MINIATURES, IT WAS COMMISSIONED FOR ABOUT £70,000 BY AN AMERICAN WOMAN WITH A PASSION FOR FRENCH CULTURE AND STYLE. MULVANY AND RODGERS, OF HOLT, WILTSHIRE, SPENT SIX MONTHS CRAFTING THE FIVE-ROOM MANSION.


THEY RECREATED THE REALISTIC LOOKING MARBLE, STONE AND BRICK-WORK BY USING CLASSIC TROMPE-L'OEIL PAINT TECHNIQUES, GILDING AND FRENCH POLISHING. ONE UNIQUE CONCEPT ABOUT THE HOUSE IS THAT THE ROOMS CAN BE TAKEN OUT AND REARRANGED. COLUMNS AND CHIMNEY-PIECES ARE ADDED SEPARATELY AND ARE CARVED IN LIMESTONE, PLASTER AND RESINS. THE VERSAILLES-STYLE PARQUET FLOORING CONTAINS OVER 5,000 INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF WOOD. RODGERS SAYS: 'OUR PIECES AREN'T LIFELESS MODELS. WE AIM TO RECREATE A REAL SENSE OF ATMOSPHERE; TO GIVE THE FEELING THAT SOMEONE HAS ONLY JUST LEFT THE ROOM. WE RESEARCH THE BUILDING FROM BOOKS AND OLD PLANS, MAKE SITE VISITS TO PHOTOGRAPH AND SKETCH, THEN BUILD THE STRUCTURAL MODEL. THE TOP FLOOR IS LARGELY INCOMPLETE. 'IT'S AS IF A FAMILY HAS JUST MOVED IN AND THE FURNITURE IS STILL IN THE WRONG PLACE', SAYS RODGERS. ON THE LEFT IS A STUDY WITH A CHAIR AND MIRROR. THE MIDDLE ROOM IS THE BOUDOIR AND INCLUDES A MID-18th CENTURY COMMODE MADE FROM SATIN WOOD AND IS BASED ON A ROCOCO ORIGINAL COST £700 ALONE. A METAL CAT IS DRAPED OVER THE HAND-INLAID LIME-WOOD PARQUET FLOORING, THE DIMINUTIVE CHAIRS ARE COVERED WITH SILK AND THE PORCELAIN TEACUPS WERE MADE AND HAND-PAINTED BU RODGERS. THE THIRD ROOM IS THE MAIN BEDROOM, WITH A FOUR-POSTER BED MADE OF INTRICATELY CARVED LIME-WOOD PAINTED CREAM AND COVERED WITH SHIMMERING BLUE SILK HANGINGS.THE BALUSTRADE IS MADE OF GILDED METAL, WITH A WOODEN STAIRCASE PAINTED TO RESEMBLE STONE AND A PLASTER FLOOR PAINTED TO LOOK LIKE MARBLE. THE MIDDLE ROOM IS A GRAND 18th CENTURY SALON, COMPLETE WITH A HARP MADE OF WOOD, CARVED WITH ROSES ON TOP AND STRINGS MADE OF SILK THREADS. AN ELABORATE METAL TABLE WITH A TROMPE-L'OEIL MARBLE TOP IS AGAINST THE SIDE WALL AND TWO PORCELAIN VASES, COPIES OF SERVES ORIGINALS ARE ON TOP. AND A STUNNING PORTRAIT OF A LADY OVERSEES THE ROOM. THE FIREPLACE IS A COPY OF ONE IN VERSAILLES, WITH CHERUBS CARVED ON ITS SIDE PANELS. THE CLOCK IS A WORKING WATCH AND SEVERAL SEVRES-STYLE FIGURINES SIT ABOVE THE FIREPLACE. THE CHAIRS AND LOVE SEAT ARE GILDED WOOD COVERED WITH FROM 18th CENTURY ANTIQUE TAPESTRY AND THE NEOCLASSICAL TABLE IS MADE OF WOOD WITH A CENTRAL PEDESTAL THAT LOOKS LIKE A QUIVER OF ARROWS. THE DINING ROOM ON THE IS BASED ON VERSAILLES'S HALL OF MIRRORS. ALL THE POLISHED MIRRORS ARE OF POLISHED STEEL.