Dollhouses: Tonic for the Soul

By Susan CraterFebruary 10, 2025

I am thrilled to share with you a new journey that I’m embarking on – the launch of our new to the trade design blog, "Design Delights." As the founder of Sister Parish, I know first-hand the importance of constant attention to our design industry connectivity to lift each other up, share insights and thoughts and come together as the endlessly curious group that we are.

Last fall, my husband and I were visiting Amsterdam and stumbled upon the dollhouse exhibit at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. They were unbelievable and fascinating, to say the least. One was oversized - almost a playhouse - and you had to climb stairs to see it on its regal platform. These miniature 17th and 18th century luxury palaces reflect the architectural styles and interior design practices of the day. Wonderful period furnishings, ceramics, and textiles are reproduced in fantastic detail. The aristocratic girls they were made for were apparently supposed to learn the social norms of entertaining, design, and art of keeping a large house through playing with them.

Dollhouse Exhibit at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

Another, entirely different dollhouse exhibit I was lucky enough to see years ago is the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. It honestly has to be seen to be believed and is worth a trip to Chicago to see. Its intricate miniature rooms were created between the 1930s and 1940s by artist and designer Jane Thorne. They show a level of craftsmanship that is beyond any imagination. Like the Dutch miniatures, it is enchanting and easy to lose yourself for hours in these little made up worlds.

Which brings me to the subject of my first post- make a doll house! It doesn't matter how old you are or how busy you are designing real houses, it is a tonic. One of the questions I frequently ask designers is whether they had a dollhouse as a child. Almost all of them had. My childhood doll house was built into a small closet in my room and because of my grandmother was published in House and Garden - definitely my most proud design moment.

Recently I bought a dollhouse for my grandchildren in Millerton at the Millerton Antiques Center for a hundred dollars. This winter I began "decorating." The process was all consuming because it was so much fun and I couldn't stop even when the house was really becoming "over decorated!" I wallpapered it with Sister Parish, of course, made furniture, bought furniture at a crazy antique junk shop in Old Saybrook (if you go make sure to hit the warehouse in the back), and combed Etsy for miniature animals and finds.

What are we as a community, if not grown up children playing house, making magic, and enchanting the world along the way.

Shop my favorite miniature sources (so far) here.

Cheers, Susan