Hansson Miniatures Black Leather Arm Chair

For those with a love of dollhouse miniatures, a museum devoted to all things small is a must-see for the miniaturist-at-heart! Consider a visit to these charming miniatures museums during your next outing:

The Great American Dollhouse Museum: Located in Danville, Kentucky this museum provides “villages” displayed in one continuous landscape including neighborhoods, streets and rural land. Visitors of this 6,000 square foot museum can stroll through the variety of avenues and alleys (as if in a real town), peering into the open backs of the homes for a peak at the décor and the lives of the dolls that reside in each miniature home.

Art Institute of Chicago Thorne Rooms: Located in Chicago, Illinois the 68 Thorne Miniature Rooms enable one to glimpse elements of European interiors from the late 13th century to the 1930s and American furnishings from the 17th century to the 1930s. Painstakingly constructed on a scale of one inch to one foot, these fascinating models were conceived by Mrs. James Ward Thorne of Chicago and constructed between 1932 and 1940 by master craftsmen according to her specifications.

Angel’s Attic Dollhouse Museum: Located in Santa Monica, California Angel’s Attic is located in a historic Queen Anne Victorian and features a captivating collection of antique dollhouses, miniatures, dolls and toys.

Toy & Miniature Museum of Kansas City: Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this dollhouse museum boasts the largest collection of fine-scale contemporary art miniatures in the world. This museum contains working reproductions of actual pieces crafted by highly skilled miniature artisans. A great place to also learn about the creation and history of dollhouse miniatures!

Miniature World: Located in Victoria, British Columbia, this museum calls itself the “Greatest Little Show on Earth!” with over 80 exciting miniature dioramas and two of the world’s largest dollhouses with over 50 rooms beautifully furnished and decorated.

Hansson Miniatures Victorian-style Rocking Chair

The Victorian period was an era of luxury and opulence, and a dollhouse nursery decorated in the Victorian period style should reflect the rich and cluttered design of the times. The dollhouse nursery is one of the most fun rooms to decorate in a dollhouse because there are so many opportunities to place adorable dollhouse miniatures in such a small space.

The ideal wall treatment for a Victorian nursery is a wallpaper treatment with a detailed print. You can also decorate your dollhouse nursery with painted walls in jewel tones or rich hues of pink, purple and blue. Also, consider decorating with a combination of these two wall treatments with your choice of paint color on the upper half of the wall and wallpaper on the lower half, or vice versa. Keep in mind that richness in pattern is the key to achieving the authenticity of the Victorian era. If you opt not to go with wallpaper in your nursery, you will need rugs, drapery and bedding in sumptuous fabrics and textured patterns to help achieve the overall look.

In keeping consistent with the Victorian theme, look for curtains in a delicate lace fabric (cream or white-colored) or go bold with more opulent drapery that will hang from the top of the window to the floor. Rugs, miniature crib bedding and dollhouse blankets in rich patterns will help to bring a sense of lavishness to your miniature nursery.

When choosing dollhouse furniture for your Victorian nursery, look for pieces with ornate styles and hand-carved embellishments. Depending upon whether your nursery will be geared towards a baby girl or a baby boy, you can select the appropriate pieces and finish (however, it is much easier to find baby girl furnishings in this particular period style). Added details such as hand-painted floral embellishments or gold detailing will also help to capture your Victorian motif.

Collecting miniature accessories for your Victorian-era dollhouse nursery is perhaps the most fun. Purchase dollhouse toys and other miniature nursery supplies all at once, or add them slowly to the room as your budget allows. Look for classic Victorian accessories including a miniature rocking horse, an old-fashioned pram and a porcelain dollhouse tea set.

Let your imagination take over as your design your perfect Victorian dollhouse nursery!

Queen Anne Dollhouse Kit by Real Good Toys

Are you considering building a dollhouse to act as an elegant accent piece to display in your home? If so, you are not alone. Many dollhouse miniaturists design, build and decorate dollhouses for just this purpose! Nothing makes a more interesting conversation piece than a custom-built, beautifully decorated dollhouse. It’s a work of art that’s destined to become a focal point in your home for years to come. Before you “dig in” to your worthwhile dollhouse project, carefully consider where you want to display this work of art and how much space will be required.

The smallest 1:12 scale dollhouses run approximately 1 foot wide x 2 feet long. Larger deluxe dollhouses run as large as 4 feet wide x 4 feet long. Keep in mind that a time will come when you’ll need to move the dollhouse out of the room it’s located in. Most standard door openings measure only 30 inches wide. You may need to construct your dollhouse in halves, using your door hinges (with knockout pins) or brackets and screws as connector pieces.

Depending upon where you plan to place the dollhouse in your home, you may not need to finish the complete dollhouse. If the dollhouse’s front will be placed up against a wall showcasing only the backside (or the side with all of your dollhouse rooms), consider a rough finish on the exterior. You can also sand and stain the exterior of the dollhouse to match the finish of furniture pieces throughout your home.

Conversely, if your wish to show off both sides of your dollhouse, find an appropriate display stand or table for your project. Place one side end of the dollhouse up against a wall, so both the front side of the dollhouse and the side with all of the rooms are visible. You can also create an “island” display by placing a couple of bookcases back-to-back in the center of a room. This is a great configuration if you wish to show off the details of the dollhouse including miniature landscaping . You may also want to consider placing the dollhouse on a turntable (assuming the dollhouse isn’t too large to rotate and there is enough clearance to turn your dollhouse). For added protection, a glass display box is an excellent option to help keep your miniature investment from dust, fingerprints and the hands of small children.

Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures carries a wide selection of dollhouse miniatures including dollhouse furniture, accessories, lighting, building supplies, dolls and dollhouse kits.

The above blog posting contains excerpts from Robert Schleicher’s Creative Dollhouses from Kits.