Emerson Dollhouse, with designer Tim Boyle

Emerson Dollhouse

The first time I saw this picture of the Emerson House, with Tim Boyle in the background, I was so excited. Modern lines, plenty of glass for light, stone, and wood for warmth. Now that’s a modern dollhouse; it’s got everything! Seems a bit large in comparison to the designer, though. Maybe it’s the lighting or the camera angle. Or he’s a really small person. Then I read the caption and found … No, no! Barbie world! Oh … darn!

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Dollhouse hand-knotted rugs and carpets by Ludwina Akbulut-Van Oosterwyck

Rugs – The Real Thing

Note from Susan

If you are going to lay out big bucks for a hand-knotted carpet, this guide by Laura and Ludwina will help you know the real thing.

Dollhouse Miniature Carpets And Rugs

By Laura and Ludwina

Rugs: The Real Thing. As in real-life, I cannot imagine a doll’s house without carpets. Carpets or rugs as a lot of us call them, give a warm and cozy feeling to any room. With this guide I do not want to explain about styles and periods, but about the different techniques used to make miniature carpets, with the hope that if you understand the length of time and the level of skill required to make some of these carpets you will appreciate their value. (more…)

It seems the choice is unlimited. But out of all these bolts of fabric, the right one to use in a dollhouse miniature may be missing.

The Perfect 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 an inappropriate material. The color is gorgeous, but perhaps the pattern is too large, or the fabric too stiff and heavy.

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Thorne Room (unidentified)

Mid-Victorian Furniture

Mid-Victorian furniture design continued the practice of reviving and blending old styles. Add to that, increased world trade introduced middle-eastern and Asian elements to the mix. No particular style dominated. Rather, furniture designers drew inspiration from Elizabethan, Neoclassical and other periods. And it could all be done with machines.

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