Home >
barnaclebetty's shop >
Controllable Environment The Davisy House Circa 1886

Controllable Environment The Davisy House Circa 1886

Description

Controllable Environments

All my life I’ve been drawn to dolls houses and miniatures. My dad got me started by bringing me back a tiny little thing every time he went on a business trip. I love miniatures for both art and play, but, I realized a few years ago, that I love them more as a form of relaxation. In the miniature world you can control nearly every detail: from the type of structure, the color & decorating style , whether or not the space is inhabited and best of all what occurs in that environment. You can rearrange things every day if you want to or never change a thing.

Large, expansive dolls houses are incredible, but the ones I really love, the ones I’m talking about, are small, special spaces that can fit almost anywhere.

If you’re stressed about work, home, the world situation, you can still control the small environment on your desk. I prefer dolls in mine. They comfort me. I look at the faces of my dolls and see some intangible quality that intrigues, energizes or relaxes me.

Sometimes months go by before I do more than glance at the little building sitting on my desk, but on that day when I need it, there it is and everything inside it is just as I left it..

One time when my dollhouse really helps me is during the holidays. So many people to please, pressure and stress around shopping, baking and travel, but I totally look forward to decorating my small space. A few decorations go a long way. No big tree here – just a little mantel-top tree, a needlepoint cushion and a paper chain, but when I look inside a whole world full of happy memories is open to me.
I work in the mental health field , so I can tell you this is a totally sane pastime…

I particularly enjoy whimsy, so my little environments are not too traditional. Made from an assortment of sturdy and interesting boxes and decorated with unusual pieces of furniture, some antique and some new, each environment is designed from that childlike place inside me – where nothing is too serious and all is happy.

6" by 10.5" by 2.75" Desktop Dollhouse is also inspired by the Bliss houses from the twenties. This house is made from a very old wooden Sam'l Davisy cigar box.

I covered the front in a light coat of mod podge. I added a facade above from an upcycled plastic packaging piece that came with an office supply at work and covered it in buttons that match the tone of the paper and the box.

The inside is decorated in green with the message "time and forever"

Added on Oct 19, 2009