Tiny Spaces, Big Dreams: How My Dad Shaped My Dollhouse Passion

If you're new around here, welcome! Let me properly introduce myself. My name is Kylie. By day, I’m a full-time digital marketer, but at my core, I’m an artist, interior decorator, content creator, and — perhaps most importantly — a dollhouse flipper. I need to be creating constantly. Whether it’s working with my hands or coming up with new ideas, I thrive on creativity. And out of all the hobbies I’ve dabbled in (and trust me, there have been many), dollhouse renovations have become my absolute favorite.

My love for miniatures didn’t just come out of nowhere—it’s been a lifelong obsession. Growing up, my dad worked as an architectural model maker, creating small-scale models of commercial and residential properties. He’s always been a perfectionist -- I mean...a master of his craft. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve wanted to have his job. I spent as much time as I could in his shop, building tiny room dioramas and dreaming of one day doing what he does. You could say the passion for miniatures runs in the family!

Fast forward to today. A lot of you are probably here because you’ve seen my Playskool Victorian dollhouse flip on TikTok. Ironically, that project almost didn’t happen—because, and I say this lovingly, my dad didn’t believe in me on this one! For years I begged him to bring it down from the attic because I wanted to flip it. But he just kept saying that it wasn’t worth it, that I should find a better one, blah blah...

Now, if you know me personally, you know I’m the type of person that if you tell me I can’t do something, I will do everything in my power to prove that I can in fact do the damn thing. It’s just how I’m wired. I am an absolute force, there is nothing that I can’t do. And you all should feel the same way about yourselves. If you have an idea, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it, or that it’s too big, or going to take too much time, or that you won’t succeed. Go for it—do the thing. Even if you do it and it sucks, you can say that you followed through. You did your best. At the end of the day, it’s all about having fun.

Yes, I’m still talking about dollhouses here, but this message applies to real life too. So I want to thank my dad for always challenging me and for helping me bring all of my visions to life, no matter how big, small, or insane they are. This one’s dedicated to you, Ralph.