Not your mother's dollhouse
One of the biggest challenges facing miniature artists is the fact that everyone assumes “miniature” means dollhouse — typically a Victorian‑era style dollhouse — when, in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Miniature artists have been around for thousands of years, making designs on pottery, weaving stories into tapestries, forging handles on blades, and applying their skills in hundreds of other ways.
In the 1600s, fine portrait artists began creating miniature paintings of loved ones that could fit in a pocket or locket. Around the same time, “baby houses” started being made, which were the forerunners of the dollhouse. Fast‑forward to the 1900s and the popularization of moving pictures, which would become the movies we know today. It was too expensive to build a full‑size set for a film without knowing exactly what was needed, so miniature set design became a profession. Miniature room design was born.
Today, professional miniature artists continue doing all sorts of amazing things, from car design to architecture and beyond. At the same time, miniatures have become a hobby for an untold number of people, and they aren’t just creating Victorian‑era dollhouses — they’re building all sorts of wonderful things in the fairly new category of “Not Your Mother’s Dollhouse.”
No project Too big. No Project too small. No project too strange.
No Dollhouse Needed
A certain percentage of miniature hobbyists have abandoned the confines of the dollhouse and said a resounding "No!" to the more traditional styles. In today's world of miniature artisans anything goes. A few examples are found below -- such as a miniature funeral home, a camper, and a miniature midway game booth. There are also derelict miniatures being created, which are just as fascinating as "perfect" miniature scenes such as the abandoned greenhouse and flood damaged room below.
Artists have also expanded what's being used to create a vignette, a room box, or even an entire house. Teacups have been turned into everything from homes to ponds complete with wildlife, bird cages house fairies, and ostrich eggs have become tiny rooms.
Today's miniature artists are definitely embracing the idea of "Not Your Mother's Dollhouse."
