Mattel Modern boxes, courtesy Rosies Too and You
I have a son. And unlike the famous Jenna (J.Crew) whose son famously had his photo snapped while receiving a bright pink pedicure, Fionn is just as well-defined by his dislike of pink and the prospect of having his toes touched at all. This is a short (and probably non-PC) way of saying that there’s probably very little chance of him – anytime soon – enjoying this amazing dollhouse furniture I just discovered by the Mattel company, manufactured in 1958 and sometimes available on Etsy and Ebay.
Vintage breakfront, courtesy The Toy Box
This amazing toy furniture was developed in 1958, a year before the launch of Barbie. But I’m sure Barbie would have loved it. You can see from the top image that this was a limited collection (and a premium one at that, being called “Mattel Modern” from the get-go). The Scandinavian influence is apparent, and it pleases me to no end to learn that a mainstream toy company would have created what us KidRobot fans nowadays call ‘limited edition exclusives’ which may not have appealed to all doll-house-furnishing consumers at the time.
Mid-century dresser, courtesy The Toy Box
Chairs and table, courtesy The Toy Box
As with most niche mid-century modern furniture fashions, Mattel Modern has inspired a Flickr collection. You must visit these images, if just to see the intense care paid to maintain and reupholster(!) some of these pieces.
Sofa box, courtesy Rosies Too and You
Even the packaging is fantastic.
As of today, I found pieces (as represented by the photos above) at the Rosie Too and You shop on Ebay and the Toy Box (in Texas) on Etsy. Pieces range from $15 to over $100, but compared to those silly Vitra collector’s chairs, it’s quite a deal. Keep an eye on them – at time of posting many of the pieces were already sold, but they seem to be popping up quite often.
Any additonal detail to add on the origin of these designs? Anyone out there who’s furnished a mid-century dollhouse? Please write!
