Category Archives: Miniatures

“One day I’d like a small piece of your work.” Those words floated above our work from somewhere in the mid-70’s until 1982. They were spoken by Marie Friedman, one of the finest miniature craftspeople we would ever meet. She … Continue reading →

Posted on March 10, 2012 by smallhousepress | 1 Comment

The Octagon, Part II: Working the Puzzles

Posted on January 22, 2012 by smallhousepress

Thanks to one of your comments, dear readers, I combed our slide files and found a paltry handful of Octagon interiors–just glimpses of rooms under construction. The dearth of interior shots is a mystery, as we normally cataloged our work … Continue reading →

Posted in Miniatures | 3 Comments

The Ultimate Victorian: The Octagon House

Posted on January 8, 2012 by smallhousepress

Thanks to the frenzy of enthusiasm for Victorian architecture during the 1970s-80s, we had lots of reference materials, largely in the form of period architectural magazines, coming across the doorstep. Plus, our reputation as builders of miniature Victorians brought in … Continue reading →

Posted in Houses, Miniatures, People | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Diving In: The Model A Garage

Posted on December 31, 2011 by smallhousepress

When Allan Davis and Babs Raftery of Mr. Peepers mini-shop in Seattle asked us in 1981 to come up with a project for teaching our aging techniques, we had no idea of how much we didn’t know. They insisted that … Continue reading →

Posted in Miniatures | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

The Port Townsend, Pyrotechnics, and the Deer Revival

Posted on December 11, 2011 by smallhousepress

The Port Townsend, miniature house # 25, was the second of the major houses we built in 1981. It was named for a Victorian seaport on the Quimper Peninsula in Washington State, a town whose architecture deeply influenced our own … Continue reading →

Posted in Houses, Miniatures, People | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

A Warp in Time: The Megler Landing

Posted on November 7, 2011 by smallhousepress

In 1981 we built two of our most elaborate Victorians—the first with a garage, and secret room, the other with a greenhouse–as well as the prototype and 20 shells for our first class. Plus we squeezed in a date night … Continue reading →

Posted in Houses, Miniatures | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Kaboom!

Posted on October 31, 2011 by smallhousepress

Our biggest event of 1980 was the eruption of nearby Mt. St. Helen’s on May 18—not exactly in our back yard, but close enough. At around 8:30 that morning a plume of molten rock blew 80,000 feet in the air, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio, Houses, Miniatures, People | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Pipe Dream of Miniatures

Posted on October 22, 2011 by smallhousepress

For us, the appeal of the 20th St. Emporium commission was the idea of a shop with an apartment above, combining the bustle of public space with the private, domestic life upstairs. Miniatures are never simply about the objects or … Continue reading →

Posted in Houses, Miniatures | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

With a Little Help from Our Friends

Posted on October 8, 2011 by smallhousepress

Being our first commercial building, the 20thSt. Emporium required a jump-start for our learning curve. The three-story structure would include a 7-stool soda fountain and mirrored backbar. To show it off we wanted gold-leaf lettering embellishing the reflective surface of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio, Houses, Miniatures, People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Birth of the 20th Street Emporium

Posted on October 2, 2011 by smallhousepress

In 1980 we seem to have slowed a bit, producing two structures, compared to the 3-4 we completed in previous years.  I sometimes imagine there was a time warp, or black hole, in Seaview that allowed us to make houses … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio, Houses, Miniatures | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments