Meet Mary Payne – Miniaturist

The picture of LoBue’s Barber Shop on my newsfeed caught my eye. The caption “A recreation of Mary’s grand father’s barbershop in Weehawken, NJ.”  got my attention because preserving memories by making room boxes has always been the key in my interest in dollhouse miniatures all these years.

I contacted Mary Payne and got this reply:

“I don’t have much of a backstory for it. I never saw that barbershop. The outside was reproduced from a couple of old family pictures. We have no family members left that remember the inside so I used elements from several pictures of old barbershops I found online. If you want to see more of my work go to [our website]. All my work is photographed and posted by my husband. Most of the stores are memorials [of] family and friends who are gone.”

And what a lot of great work it is. Besides the wonderful barbershop room box, check out the rest of Mary’s basement.

I identify with Mary in that memories, and the emotions that flow from them, are the important part of my being a miniature enthusiast. If I can’t make everything myself or don’t have the time to learn to be a renaissance artisan, that’s all right. I’ll buy the wares of other skilled specialists in the dollhouse miniature universe.

Other enthusiasts have the desire to create museum-quality works of art, making all the items themselves. God bless them! I’m glad they have the drive and perseverance to make these wonderful creations. It shows me what can be accomplished and to show the heights craftsmanship it’s possible to reach.

Each of the room boxes to the right has a link to an expanded view. Click on the photo. It takes you to Mary’s section of the family webpage.

There is so much latitude in participating in the wonderful hobby .. or art form. Pick your spot on the spectrum. And knowing that we can change that niche whenever we want. Its just time and effort … and some skills.

Susan Downing, with Patrick Owens

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I invite you to visit my Etsy Shop where I offer many accessories and pieces of furniture in 1:12 scale.

Ken Haseltine In Two Worlds

Ken Haseltine is well known for his 1/6 scale work, suitable for the Barbie world. I haven’t been able to find much in the way of biographic information on Ken’s work in this world, so I’m making the assumption that Barbi is where the money is. But Ken works in the 1:12 scale world too. Take some time to enjoy some of these works.

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Optimizing Space for an interior designer specializing in small-space living is a constant challenge. I continually research how other designers handle it. Marshall Erb in Chicago has a wonderful way of using space, which is so important when optimizing miniature space.

Look at all the elements in the photograph of a dining room table set in an alcove. Picture how you could utilize this idea in a miniature. It’s a clean way of using more elements without the room looking cluttered, which is so important for modern miniatures.

Go through Marshall’s Portfolio which offers so many ideas for modern dollhouse decorating.
Susan Downing

The Perfect Dollhouse Curtain Fabric

When looking for the elusive perfect curtain fabric, think beyond color. The weight of the cloth and its pattern or weave are critically important.  I feel that when we focus primarily on color and don’t consider the “technicalities” of pattern size and the weight of the fabric, we risk falling in love with inappropriate material. The color is gorgeous, but perhaps the pattern is too large, or the fabric too stiff and heavy.

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