Think small

The London Dollshouse Festival returns to Kensington this May

Above: Miniature Modernism

A lilliput world descends on Kensington on 11, 12 and 13 May as the annual London Dollshouse Festival comes to town. More than 175 exhibitors from all over the globe will be showing their miniature wares to over 4000 visitors. Founded in 1985, it’s an important event in the dolls’ house calendar: collectors come to commission new pieces for their worlds of tiny interiors, while others just come to admire the craftsmanship.
Dolls’ houses don’t have to be chintzy or twee, as many collectors at the town hall will be proving with their selections of amazingly intricate and creative miniature interiors. Although there is a predictable penchant for Victoriana in the dolls’ house world, many mini homes are decorated in contemporary and even avant-garde styles with their inhabitants dressed in real leather cowboy boots and eating tiny sushi. This is a surreal and fascinating world, populated by artists who specialise in making things to at least 1/12 of their normal size, including little taps that really work, functioning kitchen appliances and diminutive blown glass vases.
Exhibitors include craftspeople from all over the world, specialising in a huge range of intricate and unusual miniatures. Everything from anglepoise lamps to Victorian kitchenalia via folding deck chairs, violins, ships in bottles, crystal chandeliers, gloves, coal scuttles, reproduction Old Masters, knitted baby clothes, Christmas decorations, rocking horses and much more can be found, lovingly crafted to 1/12 of their real sizes. There are minute birdcages with minuscule birds inside, tiny diamond tiaras, diminutive pot plants, jelly that really wobbles and an impressive array of dolls’ houses for dolls’ houses (with a scale of 1:144). Some of the dolls’ house dolls’ houses even have tiny working train sets inside. Though festival organiser Charlotte Stokoe says she’s not so keen on that. “It’s just too small for me,” she says. Further marvels include wallpaper, upholstered furniture, fitted kitchens, fireplaces and working clocks.
Many craftspeople who turn to miniatures are jewellers, used to the small scale work and the love, ingenuity and patience involved cannot fail to impress even people who generally think big is best. A few years ago there was a bathroom lady who specialised in miniature loos that really flushed, though sadly she has now retired and nobody is currently doing miniature bathrooms. “They’re quite a difficult thing,” says Charlotte.
Young visitors are well catered for at this year’s show. As well as weekend doll-making workshops and mice hunts, there’s a special display of work by brilliant children’s author and illustrator Lauren Child, who has kindly lent the set of room boxes she made to illustrate The Princess and The Pea, which are guaranteed to charm. Every year, lots of local people walk through the doors with no prior dolls’ house experience only to get drawn into the world of miniatures. It’s hard to resist the appeal of the tiny.

www.dollshousefestival.com