Mid-Century Modern Miniatures

Now that I'm stuck at home for the foreseeable future thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been blowing through tv shows and movies. Recently I began watching classic movies from the 50s-60s which I've always loved, and I've become heavily inspired by the mid-century style. This style usually consists of clean lines which works really well with how I make miniature furniture.

It's also been fun stepping out of my usual style comfort zone which usually consists of rustic, coastal, or antiques.

My first mid-century project was a simple, 2-drawer dresser. For the body of the dresser, I used a thin balsa wood sheet that I cut into pieces.

Once the "box" with 2 faux drawers was completed, I framed the front using coffee stirrers. This made it look more polished especially with the mitered corners.

The last part of the structure was the legs, which I made out of chopsticks. I cut the chopsticks on a slight angle so they would flare out and really look like a 60s-inspired piece.

I would have loved to stain this so that it would look like natural wood, but unfortunately the wood I use is pretty cheap, and tends to look uneven when stained. I have goals of using better wood someday when I have more room to work. The balsa cuts very easily which helps in a smaller workspace.

So instead of staining, I painted the dresser (after sanding) a nice medium brown. I then added the handles which I made out of coffee stirrers and gold crimp beads.

Here are some photos of the finished dresser that now lives in the back of my tiny home! The back side has a tiny nook that is only visible when you turn the house around, but it looks so cozy.