By: Sonora Slater, for The Dirt
“What’s really interesting in here?” Barbara Taplin mused. “I’ll think of it as soon as you leave, of course.”
Taplin, 93, was walking around the miniatures store she runs with her sister Linda Vertrees, in her eighties, pointing out antique miniature furniture from the mid-20th century, dollhouse scenes crafted by the daughter of all-American actor Forrest Tucker, an entire shelf filled with miniature liquor bottles of all variety, and a beautifully handcrafted tiny desk made by the late miniature master Ferd Sobol that retails for $2,950 on eBay. From an outside view, the answer to Taplin’s question is easy: everything is interesting.
It makes sense that there’s a story behind every piece — the Elegant Dollhouse has been around for 45 years (“As you can see by our carpet,” Taplin wryly noted), and both the shop and its owners have lived through decades of change in Sacramento and in the miniatures community.
Taplin and her husband moved to the area from Newport Beach in 1979 so he could take a lobbyist job at the capitol, and when she first opened the shop soon after it was one of nine dollhouse shops in Sacramento alone. In fact, when she went to the bank to ask for a loan to open the shop, the banker was enthusiastically in support, sharing that his mother-in-law was into dollhouses and would be thrilled.
On a typical Saturday in the 80s and 90s, Taplin and Vertrees said miniatures enthusiasts would spend the day driving around and hit all nine shops. Needless to say, the sisters were quickly able to pay off their loan.
Today, there are only three dedicated miniatures stores remaining in all of California, with the other two located in Southern California — but in Sacramento, the tradition and the craftsmanship skills are kept alive through social clubs.
Connie Ribble, a third-generation miniaturist who first visited the Elegant Dollhouse when she was nine-years-old, is now the president of two out of three miniatures clubs in Sacramento. Some of the meetings are online, simply to chat, while others are more like workshops, bringing people together to pass down traditional skills like hand-sewn book bindings and more.
Ribble says the miniatures community is, perhaps fittingly, small, but that also means it’s very tight-knit. And these kind of mutual-interest friendships have been fostered by the Elegant Dollhouse for many years — in fact, Vertrees laughed as she recalled the shop’s 2000s-era cocktail hour, during which they would set out a few chairs, a Playboy magazine and a bottle of wine for the gentlemen who came to wait for their wives.
“We’d be playing bridge in the back, and a customer would come in the front door,” Vertrees said. “Taplin would say, ‘Go away! We’re playing!’ ”
From dentistry to dollhouses, it’s all about the details
Although Taplin was the one who went to the bank for a loan, it was Vertrees who was inside the house when they were girls, playing with dolls — Taplin said she, on the other hand, was outside climbing trees with the boys.
“I did have a Shirley Temple doll,” Taplin recalled. “So one day, the boys and I held a funeral for it. We buried it, sang hymns, and everything. It might still be there.”
Taplin had no interest in miniatures until she was about 30-years-old. Instead, she studied dental hygiene at the University of Southern California, and then spent more than 20 years working as a hygienist, which might explain her attention to detail. Then, she saw a “build a tiny bed” kit, bought it, and was hooked. Now, she has a miniature dentist office room (complete with a screaming kid) on display at the Elegant Dollhouse that she put together herself with all of the miniature tools a dentist could need.
These single-scene rooms have become a popular alternative to full dollhouses, Ribble said. They allow for a lot of personalization, with many people creating miniature, portable versions of their baby’s nursery or wedding venue as a sentimental keepsake, or recreating famous rooms like the living room from Friends or Seinfeld.
“Miniatures are becoming less traditional, and more personal,” Ribble explained.
And although it might look different than it did 45 years ago, this trend is likely part of why the dollhouse and miniature market is having a big moment right now. According to Verified Market Reports, last year the market was valued at $1.24 billion—by 2030, it’s expected to reach $2.54 billion.
Miniature and dollhouse influencers on social media (yes it’s a thing), the expansion of e-commerce (Etsy is huge here), and the fact that these single rooms or scenes take up a lot less space than the traditional large houses are other likely factors in growth. And at the Elegant Dollhouse, they’re more than happy to take part in miniature trends, whatever they may be.
At the front of the store, by the counter, the shop has a small room that Vertrees and Taplin decorate seasonally. Currently, there’s a Fourth of July barbecue scene, complete with a red, white, and blue cake — and a disproportionately large plastic Hei-Hei figurine, from Disney’s Moana. Vertrees says she was the one to add that particular piece, much to Taplin’s displeasure.
One of the things Taplin enjoys about miniatures is the way every detail can make a scene come to life. The best part about finishing a room, according to her? Showing it to someone, and having them say, “Oh wow! Look at that!” while poring over every inch.
Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that stepping inside the Elegant Dollhouse feels the same way. Spotting new details around every corner, discovering hidden nooks and crannies inside the labyrinthine interior, and seeing so many interesting things it inspires the kind of childlike awe that makes you want to drag your parents over and say, “Look at this! Look at that!”
What you can expect:
Tiny everything: houses, chairs, forks, pianos, wine bottles, tiny ships in bottles—and you might even get to meet the man who makes them, he’s a regular. Anything that exists can exist tiny.
Perfect for ages six and older, the shop is an excellent air-conditioned summer activity that will spark creativity at any age.
Join the clubs:
The dollhouse and miniature community in the Sacramento area is strong, and you can join on Facebook (Sacramento Area Miniaturists) to keep up with upcoming meetings and events.
Closer to home, Avid & Co. offers kits with supplies and instructions to build miniature rooms including a bookstore, a cafe, and more.
The Elegant Dollhouse is located at 1120 Fulton Ave E, Sacramento, CA 95825. Their summer hours are 12p—4p, but calling ahead of time is never a bad idea: (916) 484-0411.
