By Emma Clayton

A CITY trader reclines on the leather sofa of his chic loft apartment, tie loosened as he unwinds after a day at the office.

Beyond the discarded pizza box and mobile phone on charge lies a balcony overlooking an urban skyline. In the designer kitchen a plate of oysters and a Champagne bottle rest on the breakfast bar, alongside a state-of-the-art coffee maker, microwave and an iPod.

Look a little closer and all is not as it seems.

The scene is a 1:12 scale “room box” created by renowned miniaturist Caroline Hamilton, which forms part of one of the world’s finest collections of dolls houses, now on display at Newby Hall near Ripon.

Caroline and her friend and collaborator Jane Fiddick have around 70 dolls houses between them, but their collections became so large that they could no longer house them. The exquisite miniature houses are now on permanent display in former potting sheds, converted using a Heritage Lottery Grant.

Built up over 40 years, the collection features houses of various styles and periods, including an Adam House – Newby Hall is one of Britain’s finest Adam Houses built in the 1690s by Christopher Wren – with a replica of Newby’s tapestry room.

Caroline’s obsession with miniatures began when her youngest child went to nursery school. She set up the renowned London Doll House Festival, which she ran for 20 years, and she has made and furnished dozens of dolls houses.

“You go backwards in the dolls house world; you buy the furniture first then decide what kind of house it’s going to be,” says Caroline. “It starts with a character or a piece of furniture. Each house takes about three years to complete.”

Caroline and Jane build their houses and do carpentry, wiring and wallpapering, as well as making soft furnishings. Period detail is meticulously researched, and each house and its inhabitants have back stories and histories.

“Jane and I have known each other since university. We both had dolls houses as children and re-kindled the hobby when we were young mothers,” says Caroline. “I’ve always been hands-on at home, up a ladder with a drill, and our dolls house work is a mini version of that. It’s a case of learning on the job. You can’t use real marble or wood, because the grain is too big for 1:12 scale.

“We’ve always enjoyed visiting historic houses and like to research architecture and interiors. Jane is good at period detail, I’m a bit quirky.

“While we strive for historical accuracy, we don’t think of ourselves as purely historical model makers. These are the dolls’ own houses and each has its own imagined story – the residents’ individual tastes and activities dictate the décor and furnishings. Mrs Aspi Distra likes flying ducks on the wall and Floozy the showgirl is proud of her mirrored ceiling.”

York Press:

One responsibility of creating a miniature world is the extra housework. Small items and accessories are stuck down down with wax, so dust can be gently blown off without any breakages. When the dolls houses were transported to Newby Hall the contents were stuck down, and the spaces filled with tissue paper.

“We’re in agony when something goes missing,” says Caroline. “We’ve just lost a plate of biscuits, it’s driving us mad.”

While the collection includes some antique toy houses, most are historically accurate miniatures, ranging from small ‘room boxes’ such as Grandmama’s Parlour to the grand Beagle House and Best House. There are Victorian-style shops, rustic homes, architectural classics and the aforementioned bachelor pad, home to Caroline’s creation, “Nick Loadsamoney”.

Each tiny room is filled with remarkable detail, reflecting the skill and artistry involved in making modern miniatures. Tiny items include hallmarked silver, hand-blown glass, real china as delicate as an eggshell, minute stitching and hand-carved wood.

Caroline and Jane are well known in the dolls house world and their creations have been exhibited as far as Japan. So what is the appeal of miniatures?

“It’s satisfying and fun to furnish a house according to its style and characters,” says Caroline. “We get terribly involved in it. I do copies of grand vintage labels on the wine bottles.”

While she doesn’t have a favourite, she’s very fond of her Rennie Mackintosh house, featuring a miniature version of the artist in his music room and real silverware on the tea table. “Most dolls houses are opened like cupboards, but this has back rooms too, so you can walk around it,” says Caroline. “I bought a catalogue of his work and my friend made the furniture.”

Other mini gems on display include a sewing table, complete with pin-cushion and thread, a set of dominoes, a library filled with books, antique carved bone furniture, a ship model, a set of Russian dolls and knitted baby clothes.

Early dolls houses date back to Germany and Holland in the 1600s, but they weren’t toys.

“They were rich women’s play things,” says Caroline. “Dolls houses didn’t become toys until Victorian times.

“Children shouldn’t be given model houses to play with; they haven’t got the dexterity to handle small items.”

While Caroline and Jane will miss their collections, they’re pleased to share them with visitors to Newby Hall.

“With its gracious Adam rooms, it’s a miniaturist’s dream writ large,” says Jane. “Some panels of the famous Newby Tapestries have been as closely reproduced as I could manage in my 1:12 scale Adam House, so it’s a particularly fitting setting.”

Newby Hall owner Richard Compton said: “We’re delighted to welcome the dolls house collection to Newby Hall. The collection provides a fascinating display of houses and miniatures which I’m sure will be an enduring attraction to visitors.”

Caroline and Jane’s book, Our Dolls Houses, will accompany the exhibition.

  • Our Dolls Houses opens at Newby Hall on June 30 and will run until September 27. Thereafter it will run from April to September each year.