A Dollhouse

Someone in our neighborhood has outgrown her toy:

This four story doll house, with six rooms and a balcony, could be any little girl's answered wish from Santa Claus. But now it's on the curb. I do hope someone saved it for their own little girl. It's still in good shape, move-in ready, and most importantly -- FREE! 

Barbie Dream House 

It reminded me of the Barbie Dream House that I longed for when I was a little girl. I'd visit it often at the toy store, pretending it could be mine someday. It was so expensive, I found it shameful to even ask my parents to buy it for me. In a sense, this house remained a dream. 

I did have a doll house that I received one Christmas. It was similar to this, made of wood and the sides connected like a puzzle. I also received some furniture, but where it lacked, I made up with my imagination -- a box for a table, a bigger box for a bed (covered with a handkerchief "blanket"), and string taped to the wall, a makeshift closet if you will, to hang my doll's clothes. 

My aunt, who was an interior designer, gave me some wallpaper swatches that I used to spruce up the different rooms. 

I loved this doll house that I filled with little treasures to make it a home. But when I became a tween, I passed it along to a younger cousin. 

There's a museum in Amsterdam called the Rijksmuseum and one of the items on display is a dollhouse.

It was owned by Petronella Oortman, based on the canal house that she and her husband lived in. It wasn't really a toy but a display of wealth. It's said that the value of this dollhouse is equivalent (at least in the time it was assembled) to a real canal house!

The accompanying description reads:

Dolls' house of Petronella Oortman (Amsterdam, c. 1686-1710)

This dolls' house is exceptionally realistic. All the contents have been made of authentic materials, and the proportions are exactly correct. The fine cabinet, of tortoiseshell decorated with pewter inlays, was made by a cabinet maker from France, who worked in Amsterdam for several years. Petronella Oortman was married to the Amsterdam merchant Johannes Brandt.

Just look at the ornate details! If you're interested, you can read more about Petronella Oortman's dollhouse here.

One very well-written book I read recently is "The Miniaturist" by Jessie Burton and it's based on the dollhouse at the Rijksmuseum.

In the early pages of the book "The Miniaturist" is a photo of Petronella Oortman's Doll House. The author writes, "Grateful acknowledgement is made to the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, for use of the photograph of Petronella Oortman's cabinet house. This book is a work of fiction."

Here is a quick summary of the book:

 

In 1686, eighteen-year old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam as the new wife of Johannes Brandt, a distinguished merchant trader. Her new home is not welcoming even with the people who live there: Johannes who is always busy, Marin (his sister) who is very critical, Cornelia (the maid) and Otto (Johannes's man servant). One day, Johannes presents Nella with a wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish the rooms, she seeks the help of a miniaturist, an artist whose tiny creations mirror real life in the Brandt household, as if she is watching closely and predicting their future. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation or the architect of their destruction?

"Enchanting, beautifully written, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth."

"The Miniaturist" was adapted as a miniseries in 2017 starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Nella.  

The sequel to "The Miniaturist" is "The House of Fortune."

Here is the summary of the book:

Set in 1705 in the same Brandt household with Nella, Cornelia, Otto, and his eighteen year old daughter, Thea. Nella and Otto worry about their finances and how they can keep the family home. Nella believes the solution is to find Thea a wealthy husband to guarantee her future. But Thea wants none of this and wants to make decisions on her own. But she is now the recipient of parcels from the Miniaturist, warning her that she is being watched and giving her clues to her fate and future. 

"A feat of sweeping, magical storytelling, The House of Fortune is a novel about love and obsession, family and loyalty, and the fantastic power of secrets."  

I loved both books and how the author Jessie Burton wrote a story of historical fiction based on a display at the museum. I think that's blah to TADA! 

And finally, here is another dollhouse. I received it at a gift exchange.

I can't wait to put it together. It's called Sam's Study and I'm in love with the little books already.

I hope that these stories about dollhouses has turned your day from blah to TADA!

*****

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