GREEN GABLES BOOK DOLLHOUSE
This is part of a series inspired by stories and the homes that shape them. The form is a book, with the facade of the home on the front cover and its pages holding the rooms. Character minifigures, furniture, and accessories can be used to recreate scenes from the book.
The Green Gables version portrays Green Gables Heritage Place, which now operates as a museum for L. M. Montgomery and her written works. In the novel “Anne of Green Gables,” it is the home Anne Shirley shares with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Each of these minifigures are represented and have bedrooms. Anne’s bedroom includes a writing desk and mannequin for her puffed sleeve dress. The living room has a fireplace and rocking chair for Matthew to rest after a long day on the farm. The kitchen has a cast iron stove and plenty of counter space for Marilla to make a variety of family recipes.
ORCHARD HOUSE BOOK DOLLHOUSE
This is part of a series inspired by stories and the homes that shape them. The form is a book, with the facade of the home on the front cover and its pages holding the rooms. Character minifigures, furniture, and accessories can be used to recreate scenes from the book.
The Orchard House version portrays the facade of Louisa May Alcott’s childhood home and the setting for the home of the March sisters in her novel “Little Women.” Each of the young girls (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) are represented as minifigures with their own bedrooms and rooms for their artistic mediums. Meg and Marmee share the kitchen while trying to make currant preserves for a pie. Beth plays piano by the fireplace in the living room. Amy has an art studio with an easel and trunk for her dresses. Jo alternates between the desk and couch while scribbling her stories late into the night.
HABITATS
Habitats provide small, structured spaces for storytelling. Individual habitats capture little moments, while a stack can express a greater theme by combining them. I carefully consider the arrangement of each habitat to achieve this. Placement details are crucial in making a stack and its overarching story cohesive. I do this through posing minigures, developing a back of the stack, or dramatic lighting effects.
TRANQUIL BONSAI GARDEN
This build combines the official Bonsai Tree and Tranquil Garden sets. The bonsai tree is modified to more closely resemble the branches of the cherry blossom trees in the tranquil garden. It seemingly grows out of and is perched above the tranquil garden. The natural elements have been arranged to portray a balanced and luminous composition.
SEED PART CHALLENGES
These builds are made for monthly challenges with my local LUG. They provide opportunities for exploring unique uses of medium through quick exercises. The surprise of each challenge helps me flex the creative muscle beyond my expectations and push me out of my comfort zone as a designer. They remind me to find humor and a whimsical spirit throughout the design process.
THE LITTLE MERMAID
This build was created during the LEGO Inside Tour design challenge. I was inspired by the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, which I had seen just prior to the tour events. Because it began as a story by Hans Christian Andersen, the container takes the form of a book, with an iconic seashell and patch of seaweed on its covers, and opens to display the little mermaid under the sea with her trove of treasures or walking on land. This transformation can be re-enacted with the exchange of the mermaid tail for the human legs.
