Dolly Mixtures
Monday, July 9, 2012 at 6:13PM Before Barbie, there was Lilli. Lilli started life in 1950s Germany, as the heroine of a comic strip in the tabloid newspaper, Bild. So popular was she, that they eventually produced a doll which no doubt influenced Ruth Handler from Mattel, who went on to create Barbie. Today, while Barbie is recognised the world over, Lilli is all but forgotten. Down in Ramsgate however, Julian Kalinowski never forgot her, in fact he has been busy reproducing one-off replicas, which are eagerly snapped up by collectors. Among them, my partner, Jochen, who, one day last year, got the opportunity to visit Julian, and his extensive collection of Lillis, Barbies and other dolls. He was equally impressed however, by his gorgeous Georgian home, and insisted on the spot that I should be allowed to come and photograph it.
Be warned, this is not your typical sobre Georgian home...
Julian at work
Julian and his partner, Shayne
Julian and his house are featured in the August issue of Homes & Antiques magazine.
Reader Comments (5)
James this place is brilliant absolutely love it. So much personality and colour. The drawing room looks positively tame even with the fushia sofa compared with the rest of the house - love the bubble gum pink and that yellow bedroom is right up my street. The portraits are tremendous although my hubby would disagree (he believe's you should only have people on your walls you know...).
Stunning-what can I say-these photos are utterly divine. The house looks like a bag of liquorice all sorts spilling out ready to be devoured. Such colour, such panache-sucg style. I am inspired!
Perfectly studied as usual James. Such a well judged house The bathroom is such a calm room; bath centred, and sitting nicely on its encaustic tile 'pad', reading materials all around.
Loved the orange typewriter too!
Gosh, do I have colour envy:) I'm just stunned and bewildered in same measure.
Although a 60's baby, as a German, I remember Lilie. Incredible the powers of marketing, right?
Barbie rules the world!
Every shot ha something I want and, honestly, I know very few places where I love everything about every room! This is such one place.
Look at that telephone!!! Those dolls!
Can you get me an invite? Tell them I dig colours.....:)
An 18th century architecture style, Georgian style houses flourished in early colonial America. According to MonsterHousePlan.com's Georgian design feature, the most common building materials used in Georgian houses were brick or stone for the exterior but inside introduced a whirl of muted colors. Common colors used were white, tan, gray and rose, and, later, when color-science improved, brighter colors entered the house palette.