Today’s post is sponsored by Lille Huset, a gorgeous line of crafted and creative dollhouses that my kids will eventually get to play with by themselves. As soon as I let go of them. (Today is not that day.) That said, all thoughts, opinions, and perfectly decorated playhouses are entirely my own.
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When I was a little kid, I played with dollhouses.
When I was a slightly older…kid…I played with dollhouses. Only by this time I was an expert decorator, furniture-rearranger, and teensy tiny Feng Shui practitioner.
When I became a mother, my parents rejoiced. Because now I’d finally take my dollhouses from the overtaxed attic of my youth and relocate them to my abode. For the children, of course.
Of course.
(I’d like to say that my husband was stoked to finally live the dream of residing amongst the trappings of his wife’s whimsical childhood- but I’m not a very good liar.)
And I still love playing and creating smallish worlds with my daughters (and occasionally my son when he is gentle, dammit, those are COLLECTIBLES). Thankfully, they dig it as well. The calming act of righting a room, the sweetness of impossibly tiny book collections, the briefest of magical moments where you wonder just what happens after the dollhouse gets closed back up.
Rewind to last November:
At the Chicago Toy & Game Fair, I met Alyson Beaton- mom, trained architect, and owner of the incredibly cool Lille Huset company. Lille Huset means, quite literally, “little house.” I was blown away by the charming and downright cool eco-friendly dollhouse kits she had created. (Nora was unable to be pried away. This is a true story.)
These tiny abodes– all with their own character and regional specific name- are fantastic. There’s the Logan; a lovely Victorian nod to the Chicago ‘hood where Beaton used to reside. The Doro is a Scandinavian marvel of charming precision. And the Brooklyn is…well, you can probably guess that the Brooklyn is a hipster’s dream (and cooler than I’ll ever be). Each house comes with “friends” to be colored in, and specific possessions for each resident. (Nora grabbed a typewriter and I chose an Eames chair. Can we move in now?) I asked Beaton if she’d ever be interested in doing a birthday party for Nora. We decided to stay in touch….Which brings us to this past weekend.
Our Lille Huset party.
Nora, having invited a few pals for a shindig as low key as she is, wrote her friends’ names on the kits she chose for each girl. (Did you hear Zu’s squeals from there at the knowledge that she was, indeed, invited? She got a Logan.)
When I tell you that this is the world’s most perfect party idea, I need you to believe that this is the world’s most perfect party idea. You order the kits on the (rather adorable) Lille Huset website, toss in any add-ons that your homes might need, ponder all of those super cute crafting supplies that Beaton now stocks, and wait by the mailbox for your kid’s best party (and party favor!) to arrive.
I put out my favorite twisty crayons, colored pencils, and randomly pretty stickers for communal usage. But truly, the sky’s the limit; extra fabric lying around? Carpet scraps? Or- as Zu gleefully chose- tiny plastic animals from another game entirely? These kits are modular and creatively flexible. The wallpaper sides can be swapped. The floors can go from tiled to wood. And seasonal downloads are also available to decorate for holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day! (I love free n’ available decorations for Valentine’s Day!)
The girls were entranced. And even though each kiddo was a different kind of gal with their own style and artistic preferences, all of ’em burrowed into this project like they were being timed. (They weren’t.)
(My ‘hood has rear view window-creepers, too.)
Carpet patterns were stenciled on, curtains were hung carefully, typewriters were set up near Eames chairs (yes!!), and each gal created a dollhouse entirely her own. And ready for this?
Even after the cupcakes, a few girls went back to work on their tiny houses. Rushing through sweets to keep crafting?
Now that’s impressive.
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Head here to check out all of Lille Huset’s goodies and to plan your own party!
…For your children, I mean.
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