The New York Times - Thursday, December 1, 1988

The institute supports research in immunological disorders. Money raised from the dollhouse sale will go to its pediatric AIDS project at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

"It's wonderful that a dollhouse, a child's gift, will help fund research that could one day prevent children from being born with AIDS," said Kathy Greenberg, chairwoman of the auction.

The dollhouse was donated by Blayre Farkas, the 10-year-old daughter of Kimberly Farkas, a member of the institute board. Miss Farkas said she gave up her dollhouse because she wanted to help less fortunate children.

More than 200 children in New York have died from acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and the city's Department of Health estimates that about 1,000 babies will be born with the infection this year.

"Christmas in the South" is the theme of the auction, which will begin at 7:30 P.M. Wednesday. The six-room dollhouse, a Southern Colonial frame house with a porch, measures 40 inches wide, 16 inches deep and 28 inches high. It has become an exquisitely detailed showcase for seven decorating styles.

"It's so beautiful," said Miss Farkas. "It didn't look like this when I had it."

Each room has been given a name. On the Southern Comfort Porch, designed by Charlotte Moss, are a tiny copy of "Gone With the Wind," a pair of reading glasses, a chaise longue and a lemonade pitcher.

The Yellow Dining Room by Stephanie Stokes has sterling flatware, crystal glasses, a chandelier, and a doll wearing a green satin evening dress by Anna Poma and a Cartier gold necklace.

In the dressing room Justin M. Baxter's theme, After the Ball, is accented by an Albert Capraro pink silk dress flung over a screen, a miniature Playbill from "Phantom of the Opera" and a vase filled with real miniature pink roses with inch-and-a-half stems.

Almost everything in the dollhouse is functional. Doors open, lamps light and even the jack-in-the-box in the Victorian Nursery pops up. The nursery, designed by Barbara Epifanio of Mark Hampton Inc., also has a rocking horse, white wicker furniture and dolls made in England.

John Stedila's Venetian Library has a fireplace of false marble, a harp and a Christmas tree with plenty of presents.

The Trellis Bedroom, by Cindy Stebbins of Noel Jeffrey Inc., is draped in luxurious cream-colored satin. Ronald Grimaldi of Rose Cumming Inc. found floral upholstered chairs and a Tiffany-style lamp for his Victorian Parlor.

The designers volunteered their time in the past three months to decorate the dollhouse, which they also furnished at their own expense at costs amounting to several thousand dollars.

Mrs. Greenberg said the institute, which raised $475,000 at last year's benefit, hoped to raise half a million dollars this year. She said she expected the dollhouse to sell for $12,000 to $15,000, but even at that price, the designers said, the buyer would be getting a bargain.

"I could probably do a real room for the amount of time I put into this," Mr. Stedila said, "but it wouldn't be for such a good cause."

The dollhouse and about 200 other antiques and works of art are to be shown at Sotheby's, York Avenue between 71st and 72d Streets, Sunday from 1 to 5 P.M. and Monday and Tuesday from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.
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