When you were little, did you play with a dollhouse that just wasn’t everything you dreamed it would be? So maybe you took cardboard and construction paper and made additions. Maybe you found Christmas lights, wrapped them in tulle to create an ethereal or underwater effect for your mermaids and mermen. Or maybe you converted an old tree trunk and made a Middle Earth worthy hobbit home.
Wherever your imagination took you as a child, now that you are older, maybe it’s time to reclaim that imagination.
And now that you live in an internet connected world that allows you not only to see the wild creations of others, but offers also step-by-step instructions, how to videos, and niche stores supplying amazing miniatures to complete and compliment your one of a kind dream home, you can do almost ANYTHING!
Whatever your taste is, take a look at these 22 thoughtful and AMAZING doll’s houses! And let the world of miniatures engulf you once again.
1. Shabby Chic Simple
Who says all dollhouses have to be pink?! Maybe you live in boxy modern efficiency but are dreaming about white lace and roses on a mossy shoal somewhere. With this charming cottage from Cinderella Moments by Caroline Dupuis, you can welcome this breath of fresh air on a window ledge or side table and dwell in possibilities.
2. A Different Sort of Tree House
Starting from scratch might mean just taking a walk in the woods. A tree stump might just be laying around begging for a second life as a mouse dollhouse. This house by Maddie Brindley can be found complete with instructions at Mad’s Mouse House on WordPress with more information about the craftsman.
3. Striking the right note
One person’s junk is another person’s treasure-to-be! A warped or broken guitar can be the home of fanciful play again. Take a look at Fairy Meadow Miniatures’ guitar dollhouse. For pictures of the work in progress, check out their website.
4. A Grounded Type of Dollhouse
You knew with a reference to J.R. R. Tolkiens’ Middle Earth that I was going to have one Hobbit House. And here it is! You don’t have to fly to New Zealand, but it could take a year to build one just like Maddie Chambers. For more incredible inside pictures, visit Mads Hobbit Hole on wordpress.
5. So you feel like turning Japanese . . .
Like the 80s English band, The Vapors, you might feel like turning Japanese, but of course you can’t. You might not be able to move to Japan or even buy sushi where you live. But you could have your own amazing miniature Japanese doll house! This one is sold as a kit from Billy, a Japanese dollhouse company.
6. Dreams of being a gypsy
Maybe your dreams are of roaming the European countryside as rambling gypsy. With the advent of laser cutting printers, dollhouses can come in any shape or size, like the 8″ caravan from Michelle’s Miniatures.
7. Maybe more mod!
Your style might be more retro or just rainbow if you love Love LOVE this stylish gym. This Kaleidoscope home can only be found on Ebay or Craigslist for the time being, but what a special dollhouse it would be!
8. A mini-modernist on your hands
The opposite of a Victoria doll house that was the idol of my youth is this mini-modern masterpiece. Called the Bennet House on many websites, the secondary market might be the only place it exists anymore!
8. Real Retro
If you don’t mind searching the globe and the timeline, you might find this, the Plattenbau-Hochhaus from 1966. Talk about a charmer! But how could you dare play with this one!
9. Castle estate, take me away!
If capturing another century versus a decade is your thing, and you always felt you would be suited for the royal treatment, then this laser cut castle doll house is your thing. I couldn’t find the kit for sale, but it might be possible to find a video with the step-by-step laser saw demonstration. One can dream and wish upon a star I suppose!
10. True Royalty Only
Maybe you could be a billionaire these days and get something comparable to the exact dollhouse of Queen Mary which was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1924. This picture is of the house’s moving day in 1924. If you want to see the castle in person, you’ll need to plan a trip to Windsor Castle. I think it might be worth it.
11. Very Victorian
If you want a Victorian dollhouse, your choices are innumerable. There are examples of every possible color combination and scale. This is a classic one pictured on several websites. There is sure to be a kit to start with that will make your very Victorian heart skip a beat.
12. Very haunted memories
If that wasn’t scary enough, this won’t be either, because the charming house from Amityville seduces it’s victims into feeling like they are in an ideal New England farmhouse, right before all things go terribly, terribly wrong. What a beauty of movie memorabilia or fan art.
13. Have you heard of Rob Heard?
Rob Heard’s sculptures are dollhouses elevated to gravity defying art! I don’t know if there is any child in the world lucky enough to play within one of these masterpieces, but if so, they are fantastically fortunate. Did I say gravity defying?!
14. Buying a boutique of miniatures
If shopping nonstop is your dream and fantasy, then maybe a London boutique dollhouse is what you are yearning for. This one will be on display at the Kinsington Dollshow in London this May 2015. Just bring the mall home, won’t you?
15. So simple, a child could assemble ANY WAY THEY WANT!
When I came upon her website, I got a little excited. Because not only are the houses attractive, but pieces can be traded out and interlocked. This is a city of Lille. For more, go check out Lille Hussets House..
16. A shoe in
Maybe you have so many dolls you don’t know what to do, so you might need this shoe, or rather, boot house. There are dozens of styles online, and wouldn’t it be a fun challenge to turn a boot into a house for little dolls.
17. Living the Fabulous Life
There were no quirky self-made dollhouses that were also cruise ships, but I have to include the Barbie or Glamour Gal cruise ships because they are sometimes bigger than the dream houses. Some are bigger than children’s bookcases. Although all plastic, they are fabulous, and I miss mine!
18. The artist’s den of dollhouses
I hadn’t thought about it, but recreating an artist’s studio would be amazing. Take a look at Frida’s! The details include prints of her own artwork as well as a miniature Frida in her iconic pose.
19. One that casts a spell
This Voodoo House by Laura Denison is a rich beauty. Instead of scary, it is just charming. For more of her creations you can check out her at G 45 Papers on Typepad. The layering and texture of color and patterns are a feast for the eyes. The little lamps and chandeliers are adorable. Wait! Is that a skull on the floor…?!
20. Fantasy creation indeed!
Frogmorton seems to specialize in dollhouses from the fairy-gnome territory. This one seems to be a living tree house grown by Mother Nature herself for some of her forest dwelling family. For more dreamy designs, look into Frogmorton.
21. Go green! dollhouse
For the environmentally conscious raising the next generation of earth caretakers, some dollhouses are seriously green, employing windmills and solar panels. This Planstoy Green Dollhouse is even supplied with recycle bins for all sorts of materials. Talk about raising the next generation to love their mother earth!
22. In an old house in Paris, that was covered in vines…
I had to pick a stopping point, so the Old House In Paris is it. I own one of these houses and have many of the dolls and furnishings. The book was a favorite from childhood. The movies j’adore! I love that spunky sprite Madeline. So when I came across this dollhouse sitting in a consignment store, I was stunned. They do not sell these in the United States, so I had not seen or heard of them. And I’m an adult and have long stopped watching Madeline’s adventures.
But because I had started reading the books to my daughter, I couldn’t resist bringing this dollhouse into my home with as many of Madeline’s friends as I could find on Ebay! I think I might enjoy it more than my kid, and I do get excited when I find an item here or there. The doorbell works. The lantern lights up. I can get plenty of accessories. And I even have Miss Clavel. And one day I’ll get Genevieve the dog! ….FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN….of course!
Featured photo credit: edgeeffectmedia.com via unsplash.com
