The “Dorothy Gale” room is about celebrating 70 years of magic with the genuine American classic, “Wizard of OZ” as well as the golden years of cinematography. Dorothy’s room is also about teaching children, from ages 5 to 105, values in life lessons through parallels between the movie and the original L. Frank Baum story. And finally, Dorothy’s room is about expressing myself through the early work of my idol, Dorothy Draper.
To set the tone, I placed, Judy Garland’s Gold record “Somewhere over the Rainbow” (on loan from Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota) in addition to a Bang and Olufson TV playing the movie “Wizard of OZ”. I wanted to evoke a “technicolor” charm that inspires visitors to think, “I have a feeling I'm not in Kansas anymore!”
For the heart and souls of the room, I designed a custom made oval area rug representing Dorothy, Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman…four friends on the their journey to the Emerald City. Centered on the ceiling, I designed a crystal ½ balloon chandelier up in the clouds, surrounded by the painted phrase, “There is no Place like Home”.
To the right, is a Sirenuse Hall Chair, 2 Princess chairs and an ottoman. This creates a perfect setting for acting out the chapter “The Guardian of the Gates” from L. Frank Baum’s book. Silver foil Princess Bookcases from the ZoyaB Collection display a stunning collection of Robert Tonner and Madame Alexander “Wizard of Oz” dolls and a complete 14 books set of Wizard of OZ stories. Also, on display is an original 1939 Dorothy Doll, also on loan from Judy Garland’s museum.
In front is a silver foil Cafenero dog bed from ZoyaB Collection and Windsor chair painted with a large flower to represent Munchkin Land. The vanity table is where Dorothy can act out her part of the movie “The Merry Old Land of OZ”. Dorothy’s dresser and nightstands are also from ZoyaB. Collection, lacquered in a shade of green, painted with flowers and with a 1939 styled fabric. For the final touch, I silver foiled the legs and added a silver line on top.
The Focal Point of this room is a full size silver foil Princess Bed from ZoyaB Collection. Upholstered in pink vinyl, this bed sets the tone for most luxurious Italian bedding. Two shams and the flat sheet are embroidered in two colors of pink with scenes from the original L. Frank Baum book.
For my finishing touches, I’ve added, one of a kind framed Needlepoint Art from my Wizard of Oz Collection. Each signature design is hand stitched and beaded by the artist using glistening and sparkling fibers to add a magical touch. Renee’s unique creations will add warmth and joy to any room or occasion and can only be described as “Art in Stitches”. The visual beauty of this needlework is uniquely hers, but what will really move you are her inspirational quotes on each and every piece. These framed Needlepoint art designs will be treasured and passed on from generation to generation…
Through Dorothy’s adventure to Oz, values and lessons were learned along the way. This wonderful story has been teaching children of all ages about courage, compassion and knowledge among other great values, and reminds us that in the entire world, “There’s no place like home…”