Mini Modern House
January 31, 2021 6:12 AM Subscribe
My mom and step-dad have spent the better part of quarantine building what they call their "Mini Modern House." It is, quite literally, a miniature marvel, and the world needs to see it. View in Twitter. View in Threadreader.
His mom needlepointed all of the rugs in the MMH. The garage door works. It's amazing.
His mom needlepointed all of the rugs in the MMH. The garage door works. It's amazing.
That's awesome work. Some of the finishes, like the parquet flooring (which appears hand-laid, not paper), would have taken forever, and it looks like they built or customized a lot of the furniture. I started building dollhouses about nine years ago and am still nowhere near this level of achievement. It's perfect for people who are stuck inside, because while putting the dollhouse together can usually be done in just a few hours, decorating it takes months and months and...you get the picture. (I've been working on this--just the house, I don't have the basement--since May, I think, along with a antiquarian bookstore roombox.)
posted by thomas j wise at 6:36 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by thomas j wise at 6:36 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
I started out making a list of my favorite bits, but I realized it would be an essay-length comment! If I had to pick only one object, it would probably the Hudson's Bay Company blanket in the first kid's bedroom. Or maybe the tiny sock monkey in the same room.
Now, off to complete my self-shrinking ray...
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:40 AM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]
Now, off to complete my self-shrinking ray...
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:40 AM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]
I love humans.
posted by warriorqueen at 6:45 AM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by warriorqueen at 6:45 AM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]
Incredible!! I wish I were tiny and could hang out there. I also love how the author keeps finding out new amazing things about the house and geeking out about how awesome his parents are.
posted by obfuscation at 6:49 AM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by obfuscation at 6:49 AM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]
There's a baby gate at the bottom of the basement stairs, which is lovely and sensible, but the main stairs are a toddler deathtrap. So how old are the kids? A little attention to detail, people, c'mon.
posted by saturday_morning at 6:52 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by saturday_morning at 6:52 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
but the main stairs are a toddler deathtrap
Those stairs are my only criticism too, also re: obvious code violations, but less because of the hands-free child murder and more because the rise/run is way huge. Even a miniature adult would have massive trouble climbing them. Scale matters!
posted by Sys Rq at 7:12 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
Those stairs are my only criticism too, also re: obvious code violations, but less because of the hands-free child murder and more because the rise/run is way huge. Even a miniature adult would have massive trouble climbing them. Scale matters!
posted by Sys Rq at 7:12 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
Unbelievable, such detail! How?! I want a "making of" video...
posted by bitteschoen at 7:15 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by bitteschoen at 7:15 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
Wow that's so cool! I have secret ambitions of one day building a regency London townhouse but that is a project for many moons from now.
posted by Wretch729 at 7:20 AM on January 31, 2021
posted by Wretch729 at 7:20 AM on January 31, 2021
Needs more clutter ;-) but really amazing. Perhaps Boston Dynamics could make some tiny human robots to fit in.
As for the basement toddler gate, if it's a grandparents house they probably only need to briefly lock the stairs to run for snacks, not full time everywhere.
posted by sammyo at 7:39 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
As for the basement toddler gate, if it's a grandparents house they probably only need to briefly lock the stairs to run for snacks, not full time everywhere.
posted by sammyo at 7:39 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
I especially like the boiler room, because I've never seen one in a dollhouse before. The toboggan hanging on the wall is perfect.
posted by pangolin party at 7:50 AM on January 31, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by pangolin party at 7:50 AM on January 31, 2021 [8 favorites]
I suspect that the author is unaware that many of the furnishings are based on actual modern design classics. But also, that famous Farrah Fawcett poster Is perfect. I’m not convinced it’s perfect for the particular era that this house ostensibly reflects. But it’s still perfect and I love it and thank you so much for posting it, selfmedicating! I’m so happy that I got to see this.
posted by Bella Donna at 7:58 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 7:58 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
I was ready to snark but find myself unable to.
posted by signal at 7:59 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by signal at 7:59 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
There's a baby gate at the bottom of the basement stairs, which is lovely and sensible, but the main stairs are a toddler deathtrap. So how old are the kids? A little attention to detail, people, c'mon.
I was going to say maybe the gate is for a dog, but in this house there would be a dog food bowl if that was the case.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:16 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
I was going to say maybe the gate is for a dog, but in this house there would be a dog food bowl if that was the case.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:16 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
It's lovely, I wanted to see the perfect bathroom, though.
posted by maxwelton at 8:20 AM on January 31, 2021
posted by maxwelton at 8:20 AM on January 31, 2021
It’s always okay not to snark.
posted by obfuscation at 8:20 AM on January 31, 2021 [24 favorites]
posted by obfuscation at 8:20 AM on January 31, 2021 [24 favorites]
I love everything except the lack of railing on the stairs, which is also barely less than a ladder. I do like the attention to detail for the cutouts for headspace for people brave enough to climb it. But there's no way I'd let a child up those steps.
On the flipside, with the strength to weight ratio of anything that could actually live in that small house, I don't think the lack of railing or the stair pitch would actually matter. Or even the occasional fall. Small animals just don't care about falls of less than a foot or so.
So your average Borrower or what-have-you would not find anything much wrong with it. Except ... does the plumbing work? I have questions about surface tension and fixtures that size. Would a drain with holes that small actually drain water without suction?
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:22 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
On the flipside, with the strength to weight ratio of anything that could actually live in that small house, I don't think the lack of railing or the stair pitch would actually matter. Or even the occasional fall. Small animals just don't care about falls of less than a foot or so.
So your average Borrower or what-have-you would not find anything much wrong with it. Except ... does the plumbing work? I have questions about surface tension and fixtures that size. Would a drain with holes that small actually drain water without suction?
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:22 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
My god. This is near perfection. I hope the son can convince them to create a Youtube (or similar) channel to show such works being created.
Also: there is a mouse trap in the boiler room!
posted by davidmsc at 8:28 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
Also: there is a mouse trap in the boiler room!
posted by davidmsc at 8:28 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
I was going to say maybe the gate is for a dog, but in this house there would be a dog food bowl if that was the case.
There's a box of Milk-Bone dog biscuits in the laundry room... and oh, there actually is a dog food bowl visible in the shot with the piano.
Every photo in this is full of tiny delights.
posted by Foosnark at 8:51 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
There's a box of Milk-Bone dog biscuits in the laundry room... and oh, there actually is a dog food bowl visible in the shot with the piano.
Every photo in this is full of tiny delights.
posted by Foosnark at 8:51 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
I was going to say maybe the gate is for a dog, but in this house there would be a dog food bowl if that was the case.
There is a tiny scruffy dog and two dog bowls at the far left hand side of the photo featuring the kitchen.
What a labor of love and bit a of a walk down memory lane. Our kitchen used to have very similar paper to what's in this house's laundry room. And my current house has parquet flooring because that stuff is glued down and nope. Not dealing with that now. Yet. Ever?
posted by kimberussell at 8:54 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
There is a tiny scruffy dog and two dog bowls at the far left hand side of the photo featuring the kitchen.
What a labor of love and bit a of a walk down memory lane. Our kitchen used to have very similar paper to what's in this house's laundry room. And my current house has parquet flooring because that stuff is glued down and nope. Not dealing with that now. Yet. Ever?
posted by kimberussell at 8:54 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
I appreciate that the author is trying to do something constructive with the attention these photos are getting.
Beyond being endlessly creative, my mama has the kindest heart of anyone I've ever met, so let's try to do a little good with all of this attention.posted by aniola at 8:58 AM on January 31, 2021 [10 favorites]
If you're able, please consider donating to The Alzheimer's Foundation. Thank you ❤️
alzfdn.org/support-us/donate
The little boxes of vintage Christmas ornaments and lights!
posted by kimberussell at 8:59 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by kimberussell at 8:59 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
MetaFilter: Incredible!! I wish I were tiny and could hang out there.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:12 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:12 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
Does anyone know the scale?
What if it's actually all full-sized but made to look like a miniature?
Does anyone make 1:40 scale replicas of 40:1 scale replicas of things?
posted by whatnotever at 9:28 AM on January 31, 2021 [7 favorites]
What if it's actually all full-sized but made to look like a miniature?
Does anyone make 1:40 scale replicas of 40:1 scale replicas of things?
posted by whatnotever at 9:28 AM on January 31, 2021 [7 favorites]
Holy cow. I have enough trouble decorating a full size house.
posted by kathrynm at 9:37 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by kathrynm at 9:37 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
It even has macrame, because of course it does.
posted by leotrotsky at 9:55 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by leotrotsky at 9:55 AM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
Time to close up shop, these people have won the Internet.
I thought this whole thing was pretty cool until I saw that space with the water heater. The level of detail on the junk in that room? That tipped it over the edge for me and became the greatest thing ever.
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:47 AM on January 31, 2021 [11 favorites]
I thought this whole thing was pretty cool until I saw that space with the water heater. The level of detail on the junk in that room? That tipped it over the edge for me and became the greatest thing ever.
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:47 AM on January 31, 2021 [11 favorites]
I will live in a mini house because I can't afford a real one.
posted by moneyworld5000 at 10:47 AM on January 31, 2021
posted by moneyworld5000 at 10:47 AM on January 31, 2021
Does anyone make 1:40 scale replicas of 40:1 scale replicas of things?
This is probably the exact opposite of what you are looking for, but you might still like The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things (previously)
posted by moonmilk at 11:14 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
This is probably the exact opposite of what you are looking for, but you might still like The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things (previously)
posted by moonmilk at 11:14 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
Details I adored: cork walls! The lights. Those pendant lights
. The atomic star wall art. Blues brothers throw pillow. The yardscape.
posted by zenon at 11:15 AM on January 31, 2021
. The atomic star wall art. Blues brothers throw pillow. The yardscape.
posted by zenon at 11:15 AM on January 31, 2021
There’s a copy of The Joy of Sex with something on top so the kids can’t see the cover art.
posted by jgirl at 11:18 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by jgirl at 11:18 AM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
Truly astonishing. The amount of clutter is what sets it over the edge. It feels like this house spans decades, from the 1930s toboggan to the Blues Brothers pillow, which would have probably been mid -80s when the film became a cult classic.
posted by SoberHighland at 11:25 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by SoberHighland at 11:25 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
I lost it when I saw the tiny little mousetrap behind the water heater. The attention to detail is amazing.
posted by erst at 12:03 PM on January 31, 2021
posted by erst at 12:03 PM on January 31, 2021
My only criticism is the lack of adequate storage/pantry space in the kitchen (and no dishwasher! boo!).
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:12 PM on January 31, 2021
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:12 PM on January 31, 2021
After recently watching Hereditary it's hard to view this the same way.
posted by Acey at 12:42 PM on January 31, 2021
posted by Acey at 12:42 PM on January 31, 2021
The entryway looks like real slate and grout. The lampshades look handmade and I'll bet a nickel those lamps are thrown and glazed.
The bathroom tiles look similarly hand done and I'm not seeing repeating patterns in the inlaid floors, which is a little terrifying.
Ain't nobody got time f[COVID LOCKDOWN PROJECTFILTER]
posted by Revvy at 12:57 PM on January 31, 2021
The bathroom tiles look similarly hand done and I'm not seeing repeating patterns in the inlaid floors, which is a little terrifying.
posted by Revvy at 12:57 PM on January 31, 2021
The span of things from different eras makes it more realistic IMHO. My parents’ house in the 70s and 80s had things as old from the Victorian era scattered about. My current house has a TV from the 60s, 70s wallpaper and a century old factory cart etc. Now we decorate houses in themes like “farmhouse” but I feel previously there was a lot more holding on to things because they were still “good”.
posted by saucysault at 1:04 PM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by saucysault at 1:04 PM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]
Would a drain with holes that small actually drain water without suction?
You can't make a bucket out of even tight mesh window screen so suction shouldn't be required.
posted by Mitheral at 1:07 PM on January 31, 2021
You can't make a bucket out of even tight mesh window screen so suction shouldn't be required.
posted by Mitheral at 1:07 PM on January 31, 2021
This is fantastic. And, I'm really glad I don't have to live in it.
I'd love to see more of the making of the things. Any instagram users care to comment on whether or not it's worth creating an account to see the mother's posts?
When I was a kid, I always found models and toys figures and such a bit frustrating. Building them was great fun. . . and then you had a thing that took up space and was no longer interesting. Perhaps if I'd had social media, there would have been more of a point to it. (Aside from learning to use tools, I guess, which wasn't a bad thing.) Having finished building a thing was always a bit of a let-down, 'cause the fun part was over.
Also, are cinder blocks with 3.5 non-regular openings a thing that actually exists in the world, or did they find a small thing that kind of looked like a cinder block? (Either way, they're neat. I'm just curious.)
posted by eotvos at 1:16 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
I'd love to see more of the making of the things. Any instagram users care to comment on whether or not it's worth creating an account to see the mother's posts?
When I was a kid, I always found models and toys figures and such a bit frustrating. Building them was great fun. . . and then you had a thing that took up space and was no longer interesting. Perhaps if I'd had social media, there would have been more of a point to it. (Aside from learning to use tools, I guess, which wasn't a bad thing.) Having finished building a thing was always a bit of a let-down, 'cause the fun part was over.
Also, are cinder blocks with 3.5 non-regular openings a thing that actually exists in the world, or did they find a small thing that kind of looked like a cinder block? (Either way, they're neat. I'm just curious.)
You can't make a bucket out of even tight mesh window screen so suction shouldn't be required.That probably depends a lot on the size of the bucket. You can balance a drop of water on a tea strainer.
posted by eotvos at 1:16 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
In the laundry room that is an extremely recognizable Whirlpool/ Kenmore/ Inglis washer dryer set which for some reason was installed swapped left to right but they still kept the dryer and washer door swings the correct way resisting the urge to make it look right which would have modeled something that never existed.
And there is a goldfish in the bowl.
posted by Mitheral at 1:18 PM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
And there is a goldfish in the bowl.
posted by Mitheral at 1:18 PM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
Yes, I look at this and think of the houses of my friends in the early 80's- still mostly 60-70's mod with parquet floors, macrame and Verner Panton rugs because they were hip and cool when they first decorated. Then they had kids and got kid things, and hand-me-down tobaggans from the grandparents' house, and their teen put up a Farrah Fawcett poster and the middle school child a Beatles poster. It's pretty much perfect (except for the stairs, which I suspect are too big because they miscalculated the footprint required. Stairs are very hard to design and take up more space than anyone ever expects). It's really astonishingly good.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:19 PM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by oneirodynia at 1:19 PM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
Also, are cinder blocks with 3.5 non-regular openings a thing that actually exists in the world, or did they find a small thing that kind of looked like a cinder block? (Either way, they're neat. I'm just curious.)
I didn't spot these- are you talking about the breeze blocks? Definitely yes in that case.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:35 PM on January 31, 2021
I didn't spot these- are you talking about the breeze blocks? Definitely yes in that case.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:35 PM on January 31, 2021
Also, are cinder blocks with 3.5 non-regular openings a thing that actually exists in the world
Are you talking about the white blocks in the garage? Concrete Masonary Unitsdozens of different styles even today and many more variations have been made in the past. Block making at one time was one of many off season crafts that kept money coming in while you couldn't farm/fish/guide/trap whatever seasonal work was your main jam and CMU machines were often one offs made either by the block maker or a local shop. So shapes varied widely. For example here are 80 year old plans for a block maker of a previously.
Units with one smooth end and one cut out end are corner blocks (the smooth end would be visible) and IIRC the corner was left with greater spacing like that to allow for rebar and concrete to be poured down after assembly to strengthen the corner by essentially making a concrete post.
posted by Mitheral at 1:42 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
Are you talking about the white blocks in the garage? Concrete Masonary Units
Units with one smooth end and one cut out end are corner blocks (the smooth end would be visible) and IIRC the corner was left with greater spacing like that to allow for rebar and concrete to be poured down after assembly to strengthen the corner by essentially making a concrete post.
posted by Mitheral at 1:42 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
Thanks, oneirodynia and Mitheral. I was talking about the ones in the garage. My exposure to concrete blocks has clearly been very limited. Rather than being surprised by the shape of the one in the house, I'm now more surprised at how few different versions I've ever actually seen in the wild.
posted by eotvos at 1:49 PM on January 31, 2021
posted by eotvos at 1:49 PM on January 31, 2021
Obviously it’s constructed with completely breathtaking skill, but what I really love is how perfectly observed it is. Like, every little object it’s decorated with feels perfectly remembered from their own lives.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 2:06 PM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Horace Rumpole at 2:06 PM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
that Campbell's can of soup being used to show the scale of the house is living the dream
posted by cynical pinnacle at 3:04 PM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by cynical pinnacle at 3:04 PM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
I'm ready for their stop-motion sitcom.
posted by amtho at 3:16 PM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by amtho at 3:16 PM on January 31, 2021 [5 favorites]
The tiny Hudson's Bay point blanket on the one bed is a nice touch as well.
posted by Ashwagandha at 4:03 PM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Ashwagandha at 4:03 PM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]
This is enchanting. The Matchbox car carry case in one of the kid bedrooms, and the front doors (decorated for Valentine's Day on the outside, for year-round atomic starburst awesomeness on the inside)! The cuckoo clock on the landing -- no, all the clocks!!
(The Monopoly art on the walls of the real-life house is neat, too.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:14 PM on January 31, 2021
(The Monopoly art on the walls of the real-life house is neat, too.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:14 PM on January 31, 2021
The stained glass owl in the window is straight out of my childhood. Love these and now I have to share them with my family.
Thanks for sharing.
posted by Wilbefort at 8:41 PM on January 31, 2021
Thanks for sharing.
posted by Wilbefort at 8:41 PM on January 31, 2021
Can of soup has all the gravitas of the 2001 monolith, just standing incongruously wherever it feels like for eternity.
posted by mumkin at 10:31 PM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by mumkin at 10:31 PM on January 31, 2021 [3 favorites]
I did not notice the Joy of Sex book so thanks for calling that out, jgirl. It came out when I was in high school, so now I am in serious nostalgia mode. In my case, I bought a copy and kept it hidden from my mother and not the other way around.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:27 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Bella Donna at 1:27 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
There is a dog and a dog bowl! It's on the main floor, in the room with the piano.
posted by peppermind at 2:13 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by peppermind at 2:13 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
The Tom Ford and McQueen books though...
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:48 AM on February 1, 2021
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:48 AM on February 1, 2021
[deliivered affectionately and without rancor] house needs a teeny weeny plate of beans
posted by hearthpig at 5:41 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by hearthpig at 5:41 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
Does anyone know the scale?
1 inch model = 1 foot actual, so an 8'x 10' rug is an 8" x 10", etc.
This model is so good that the later photos the son added, with the soup can for scale, just look like someone put a giant soup can in all the rooms of their house.
posted by LooseFilter at 9:12 AM on February 1, 2021 [3 favorites]
1 inch model = 1 foot actual, so an 8'x 10' rug is an 8" x 10", etc.
This model is so good that the later photos the son added, with the soup can for scale, just look like someone put a giant soup can in all the rooms of their house.
posted by LooseFilter at 9:12 AM on February 1, 2021 [3 favorites]
mumkin, I was just about to say the same thing about the soup cans! This project is pretty amazing! Funny thing for me, I got fixated on all the fireplaces without chimneys. I don't know why, obviously there are all kinds of details that make it "not real", I just couldn't stop thinking about it as I explored the rooms.
posted by Belle O'Cosity at 12:23 PM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Belle O'Cosity at 12:23 PM on February 2, 2021 [1 favorite]
Belle O'Cosity, in the updated thread, with the scaled photos*, there's a chimney shot. (The creator lists four fireplaces; I see living room, rec room, master bedroom, and patio. The latter three are Malms.) Even the grill glows.
*Forget the soup can -- using a $2 bill for scale is peak Mom.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:11 PM on February 2, 2021
*Forget the soup can -- using a $2 bill for scale is peak Mom.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:11 PM on February 2, 2021
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posted by quaking fajita at 6:16 AM on January 31, 2021