I have had a life-long love affair with dollhouse miniatures, and careers in art education and interior design. I hope to combine these life experiences to help other miniature enthusiasts get more out of this wonderful hobby we enjoy, a hobby that often reaches the level of an art form. Susan Downing
Chris Toledo dusting the 1920s kitchen his dollhouse, La Cas California
The ABC television station in Los Angeles called Chris Toledo “LA’s Michael Angelo of Miniatures.” Living in Alhambra, California and surrounded by the Spanish/Mediterranean homes that became popular in the 1920s, it’s not surprising this miniature artisan focuses on that style of dollhouses. La Casa California featured here is a great example.
Categories: artisans, dollhouses
Ileana Ottini’s videos on miniature dollhouses
I love videos about dollhouse miniatures. Still photos are great, but when those images are in motion, I feel closer to the original work of art – better in some cases, where the guards and docents keep the lines moving. A source of great videos is Ileana Ottini’s website. There are sections devoted to the Victorian era, a history of decoupage, links to miniature museums around the world.
Here is a portion of an article on Ileana Ottini and her shop on the website Permasol.com (The Traveling Woman)
In Trastevere, a treasure chest of wonders
In Rome , in the heart of Trastevere , you can visit Ileana Ottini , an elegant, ageless girl who, with the enthusiasm of a very young girl and the infinite patience of an old woman, has dedicated herself to the creation and diffusion of one of the more difficult – than what are called “applied arts”.
Applied art – English applied art – is usually identified with a creative process aimed at creating objects of use and furnishing: in this case, Ileana realizes for the pure pleasure of doing, looking and showing.
The objects are naturally on sale, but the purchase is aimed at [pleasures for the eyes].
One of the techniques used by the artist, a singular art enthusiast, is that of the miniature, which declines in many ways: the most important is the creation of room boxes and miniatures scenes, reproductions of complicated environments, and perfect in scale 1: 12. It is thus that in his atelier, in the heart of Trastevere in Rome (“Acid Drop”, 14 via del Moro), you can admire authentic works of art for your lady friend.
Ileana is also the author of a website dedicated to the art of miniature ( www.ottini.eu ), where it is possible to retrace the history of Dolls House from the ‘600 to today, which is a true source of information for fans, in which with female precision Ileana recalls that it is necessary to have multiple skills: “it is necessary to cut, glue and dyewood to create the structures of the house (or room box) and furniture; plaster or paper the walls; spread floors in different materials; sew curtains, tablecloths and towels; frame pictures; mount electrical installations; in short, all the activities that, in a “real” house, are carried out by a series of different workers and specialists. ” …
Click here to read the entire article.
Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House -1
Queen Mary’s Doll’s House – 2
Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle
The Castle di Elaine Diehl
Killer Cabinet, England 1830
Mon Plaisir,Arnstadt (1666-1751)
The Thorne Miniature Rooms
Il mondo delle Dolls Houses nel mondo
The world of the dolls houses around the world
Doll’s House 1800
Miss Pinney’s House
Tate Baby House
Devonshire Villas
The Drew House
Miss Miles’ House
Mrs. Bryant’s Pleasure
Dolls’ house, England, 1890-1910
May Fosters’s House
The Henriques House
Queen Mary’s Rooms
The Denton Welch dolls’ house
The Elkin House
Dutch cabinet kitchen
Mr. Warne’s House 1930
Queen Mary’s dolls’ house – 1887
Mrs. Neave’s dolls’ house – 1840
The Miniature White House
Miniature rooms – Stuttgard – 1890
Henry Kupjack’s Miniature Rooms
Musée Miniature et Cinéma Lyon
Jim Ronan Sévellec
Miniatures Museum of Taiwan
Lo studio del medico
Doctor’s surgery
The Stettheimer Dollhouse
Helena Rubinstein’s Miniature Rooms
Click here to reach Ileana Ottini’s website. I am sure you will find it a valuable resource.
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.
Gerard Klein Hofmeijer at work
Gerard Klein Hofmeijer, a native of Utrecht, The Netherlands, is a classically trained scientist who has admired, loved and constructed miniatures since childhood. Klein Hofmeijer works in a variety of scales between 1:50 and 1:100 to replicate historic buildings, houses, garden vignettes and 3D facades. His work offers a glimpse into the classic Dutch architectural style of the past and Dutch influence on contemporary design.
Kevin Mulvany touching-up the miniature Ham House entrance
Susan Rogers and Kevin Mulvany are amazing artisans, responsible for some of the most expensive dolls houses ever made. They have been commissioned to create such 1:12 scale marvels as the Brighton Pavilion, Spencer House, and Buckingham Palace. One of their latest creations is a miniaturized version of historic Ham House in Surrey which was on display in the 17th-century Stuart manor house during the Summer and Fall of 2016.
Categories: amazing miniatures, artisans, Stuart
