An ecstatic Mulvaney & Rogers customer taking possession of her commissioned dollhouse.

Mulvany & Rogers

This is one of my favorite images in the miniature universe, an ecstatic customer taking possession of her commissioned (bespoke) dollhouse. Mulvany & Rogers have lots of satisfied customers, but getting such photographic proof is a rare thing.

Susan Rogers and Kevin Mulvany are amazing artisans. They have been commissioned to create such 1:12 scale marvels as the Brighton Pavilion, Spencer House, and Buckingham Palace. One thing I treasure the most is a BBC interview featuring their Parisienne 17th-century “hotel particulere,”  now a very classy apartment above an haute couture shop. When the commercial side of my 1:12 scale life – making accessories and getting them shipped on time – begins to dull the magic of the miniature world, watching two minutes of lovely images and a calming soundtrack remind me what is truly possible with the dollhouse miniature craft I love. Click on the photos for links to other articles.

Spencer House Dollhouse Painted Room

Spencer House Dollhouse

The Spencer House dollhouse is the result of the same three elements that have brought about many of the miniature world’s great dollhouse. First, there must be a patron, someone willing to acquire funds and inspire artisans doing the work. Second, those artisans must be the best in their field. Last, it doesn’t hurt to have a famous building as the inspiration, one that has a long history, yet is relevant to the times. Spenser House dollhouse has all three of these elements.

“Marie Antoinette Slept Here.” A compilation of rooms from some of the palaces and chateau where she visited.

The Marie Antoinette Connection

This six-room dollhouse was commissioned by a California collector in 2009. It is a compilation of rooms in which Marie Antoinette had some connection: Versailles Palace, the Chateau de Bagatelle and the Palace of Fontainebleau, Marie Antoinette was guillotined during the French revolution in 1793.

Mulvany & Roger’s Royal Pavilion At Brighton Dolls House

Royal Pavilion at Brighton

The Doomsday Book. In the year 1085, William the Conqueror pondered on what many rulers through history had. “How much am I worth?” The King ordered that a survey be taken of the value of his realm, the figures to be entered in a ledger. That would be the final tally of his worth, just as if it were Judgement Day. Hence, the title of this accounting. Click on the above photo to read more of how a sleepy fishing village became a favorite escape for London society and the location of an extravagant King’s pleasure dome.

Susan Downing, with Patrick Owens