Mr. Q’s mom and step-dad, Naomi and Tom, moved back to this area from New Orleans a few years back. They wanted to be close to family again, especially Naomi’s parents (Mr. Q’s grandparents) who are both still with us at 98!
So even though Tom has a serious aversion to cold weather, they moved to a small farmhouse about an hour east of here in the countryside of Wisconsin. Tom had one major requirement, a workshop that could rival the one he had in Louisiana. And obviously it had to be heated! He started from scratch and has been working on it since they got here. It’s still not done, but I thought I’d get some photos when we were out there for Thanksgiving so I could share it with all of you.
Yep, that’s his workshop. Are you green with envy yet? I know I am. How I would love to have something like this to work in all the time! It would be the perfect spot for painting furniture in the winter.
Here is Tom with Mr. Q.
Tom is an artist who works with wood. He can do just about anything with wood, build stuff, carve designs, work in miniature, and so on. He made those doors (above photo) for example, and all of the trim around them. He also carved the plaque with his initials that is hanging about the doorway. Here’s a close up…
Here is a photo of the interior lower level.
Imagine how much stuff you could store in all of those cupboards! I wonder how many dressers I could paint at one time with all of that space? I’m afraid that if I had a space like this to paint in, I would never come inside the house.
The place is heated with a wood burning stove, which keeps it fairly warm and toasty.
The upstairs isn’t finished yet but eventually will include a stained glass workshop for Naomi, as well as a small library/sitting room area.
Tom likes to work in miniature. Here is his own miniature self …
Ha! It really does look like him, right?!
I love this row of miniature boats.
Just look at the detail on these!
All of these are handmade by Tom and I think they are around 8″ long or so.
If we step back outside we can find some of Tom’s fairy houses out in the field.
The detail on these is just amazing. There are furnishings inside and even light fixtures that work.
They are quite fabulous.
When Tom and Naomi moved in there was a barn still standing on the property, but it has since fallen down. I plan to salvage some of the wood for a future project in my dining room, but I may not get to it until spring now. There was also another building on the property that they took down because it wasn’t safe. But they did manage to salvage one outbuilding. Tom used wood from the other building that they took down to add onto this one for more storage area. The half of the building to the right with the door is newly built. Blends right in, doesn’t it?
The other side is graced with some of Naomi’s stained glass work.
Isn’t that barn wood amazing? I’m so glad that Tom saved it!
As you can see, we had a snowy Thanksgiving Day. We also got a few more inches of snow this past Monday.
In other words, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Check back next week when I plan to share my Christmas decorations, as well as the most darling little dresser that I am just finishing up.
q is for quandie 
You have some mega talented in laws. Love those doors and that wood plaque what amazing skills Tom has. And the red barn with that window wow.
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Thanks Victoria! Yep, very talented people!
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Wow, amazing work! Just to give us a perspective, how big are the boats and the fairy houses? Have you asked for a fairy house for Christmas? Thanks for the fun, inspiring post.
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The boats were maybe 8 – 10″ long, the fairy houses are about 2′ high. I’d love to have a fairy house, but Tom puts so much time into them that I don’t think he’d ever be willing to part with one!
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Almost everything Tom does is 1″ scale (1″=1′).
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Beautiful place! I won your giveaway and I got the package last night. Thank you!
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Oh good, I’m glad it arrived safe and sound. Enjoy!
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Thanks for my daily dose of beauty and eye candy. I dont comment everyday but I look forward to your posts everyday.
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Thanks for telling me that Sheri! I have to remind myself all the time that just because people don’t comment, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t enjoying my posts!
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What?!? Tom is amazing! I want a little boat! And my initials carved into a plaque! And a fairy house in my backyard! Does he have a business page you can share with us?!?!
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I know, right? He doesn’t have an line presence of any kind at this point. It’s something he’s thought about, but hasn’t followed up on.
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I am green with envy! How great to have a workshop like Tom’s! His work looks beautiful
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Where have we gone wrong Darrielle, that we don’t have fabulous workshops?!
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Ahem….says the gal with a Carriage house???
Okay show since you live in Minnesota you could use a wood stove out there I will give you that. Lol!
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Ha! Too true Victoria! I do have a pretty fab workshop for the 7 or 8 months out of the year that I can be out there.
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This place is just magical! What wonderful imagination, creativity, and the best whimsy I seen in a long time. It’s all fabulous but the fairy houses are to die for!
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I drool over those fairy houses every time we go out there. They are pretty magical. Tom would like to build a complete fairy town one of these days!
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Are they all constructed of wood? Thanks for sharing. How nice that you get to visit them. Truly special.
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They are constructed of all kinds of materials. I didn’t get all the details, but I imagine they have wood frames. The doors and the window frames are wood with real glass windows. The stone is real stone. I’m not sure what the roof shingles are made out of. But I do know that Tom wants to make his own tiny clay roof tiles for his next fairy sized building, which is going to be a church rather than a house. Clearly I am going to need to share that one with you guys when he finishes it!
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What a crazy, amazingly talented couple!
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I’ll be sure to pass that comment on to them Diane, I know they’ll love it!
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Does Tom sell his mini rowboats?
Thank you, Barb
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I bet he would! Would you like me to inquire about that?
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Just WOW! That was a really fun tour. I absolutely love getting glimpses into how other people live. What artists they are! Ah-mazing workshop, maybe Mr. Q could ask Dad to come help put a woodstove in the carriage house? Beautiful craftsmanship by both of your in-laws, incredible!
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Well … there isn’t an ounce of insulation in the carriage house. I might get a couple of extra months out of it, but in the deep freeze of January and February, I’d probably be hard pressed to get the temps above freezing out there. I would love to revamp that building and add heat, better lighting, an elevator and some huge picture windows so I could turn the upstairs into a workshop … all pipe dreams for now!
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Wow what talented men.Amazing woodwork.
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Thanks Joyce, I’ll be sure to pass on your compliment!
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Such incredible talent. With a workshop like that who needs a house. Thanks for sharing your amazing family with us. Also, I’m so glad Tom was able to save one of the barns. They are becoming a thing of the past. Stained glass window in a barn, I’m sooo envious.
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I say that all the time! The part about ‘who needs a house’ and I ask if Tom is ever going to go in the house once the workshop is entirely done and he has his library/sitting room upstairs. And yes, isn’t that window fab. I also like how it’s made in a quilt pattern, which seems so appropriate for a barn.
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I have no words for all of the beautiful work your FIL has done. My goodness what talent! If I had that workshop I would never go in the house, or need a house for that matter! Please pass on to both Tom and Naomi how very much I appreciated their various works of art.
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I have shared everyone’s comments with Tom & Naomi and they were tickled pink by all of the nice things that everyone had to say. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with them Barb! I know they appreciated them!
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Usually, I read, enjoy and delete….but! Not this post! I can’t quite let it go. The man has mad talent and I love, love, love those little houses. It is hard for me to get the scale, but who the heck cares!! Thanks for your wonderful blog and posts. I always enjoy them, even if I am usually too busy, i.e. lazy to respond. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas! So glad your sister moved close, and it certainly looks like she is putting that bigger kitchen to good use! Cheers!
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Those little houses are 1″ scale. If that helps. In other words, for example, a 7′ door in the real world becomes a 7″ door in the fairy houses. The tall house is probably about 2.5′ tall, but the little cottage-y one is only about a foot tall or so. And on another note, thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment Vicki. It means a lot to me to know that people enjoy my posts! Cheers and happy Christmas to you and yours as well!
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