The Dollhouse
flickr; Mid-century dollhouse interior, The Shopping Sherpa via flickr /Artwork: designslinger]
Josh Whedon's television show Dollhouse, has been getting a lot of press , internet buzz,
and perhaps a small, but stalwart, viewing audience. But, that is a topic for another blog. I'm talking about the good old fashioned dolhouse that has been around since at least the Middle Ages.
We all know what a dollhouse is, even if we didn't personally own one. My sister had a
dollhouse that was built by our grandfather, and our uncle built one for my niece. Notice all the female references. When I was growing up, little boys didn't have dollhouses to play with, it was way to sissified. I could help my sister rearrange the furniture, repaint the walls, we even put up wallpaper, but no one built a dollhouse specifically for me, and no one would have ever thought to do so.
I think that's a shame. Perhaps in our more enlightened times there are family units that
don't objectify the dollhouse as gender specific. I would hope not. A young child who is given a dollhouse to play with participates, at a young age, in the decision making process of color choice, spacial placement, and gets aquainted with some architectural terminology. If nothing else, it can make the learning experience fun. And, in an age when it gets harder and harder to keep the attention span of our youth focused, what better way to start teaching the fundamentals of design.
I didn't know at age ten that I would one day be attending classes at one of the premiere
architecture schools in the world. But, I knew I loved taking apart pieces of my sister's dollhouse and putting it back together again. (Sometimes not with great success!) Planting different exterior framing around the windows, and trying to figure out why certain furniture arrangements worked better than others. And, my interaction with the scaled-down version of the world didn't end there. I will never forget the first time I visited the Thorne Rooms at Chicago's Art Institute. I was probably around 10 or 11, and I can remember how absolutely fascinated I was by those historically re-created, miniature rooms. Thirty years, and hundreds of viewings later, I am just as mesmerized, standing there for hours, looking through the framed, glass openings and studying all the details that defined different periods of interior and architectural design.
Dollhouses come in all shapes and sizes, in kits that you can assemble, to pre-made
houses that you can decorate. The designs cover historical periods form Georgian to Victorian to even mid-century modern. There are thriving retail establishments that cater to the dollhouse trade as well as a gigantic collectors market. If you have young children and never thought about having a dollhouse at home, I encourage you to consider it. And, don't be afraid to get your son a dollhouse to play with. After all, it may bring out talents that would have lain dormant forever, and may lead to his becoming the 21st century Frank Lloyd Wright, along with his sister becoming the next Julia Morgan.
viewing, Katy PK via flickr; Thorne Room close up, Benimoto via flickr; Thorne Room, period interior, specialkrb via
flickr /Artwork: designslinger]
Posted by designslinger at 4/7/2009 5:00 AM 
Categories: Architecture, Interior Design, Furniture, Decorative Arts
Tags: Art Institute of Chicago Josh Whedon Dollhouse Thorne Rooms
Categories: Architecture, Interior Design, Furniture, Decorative Arts
Tags: Art Institute of Chicago Josh Whedon Dollhouse Thorne Rooms
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