Artist takes current small-home trend to extremes with captivating 1/12 scale models
Who says not to sweat the small stuff? Designer Chris Toledo has made his mark in miniatures, creating tiny houses so realistic that he has to add regular-sized items into photos of them to just prove their size.
Toledo’s mini masterpieces are all done in a 1/12 scale and based on the early 20th-century architecture and design of Southern California. The final products can sell for up to $200,000.
Toledo told Architectural Digest he’d been crafting pint-sized pieces since he was a child, when he found a copy of Nutshell News — a magazine about dollhouses and miniatures — in a doctor’s office.
“My only knowledge of dollhouses at the time was pink plastic dream houses for a tall blond whose name we all know. This was completely different,” he said. “That very same year I asked for my first dollhouse kit for Christmas, and it began a true love affair.”
Blending woodworking, sewing, painting, interior design, architecture and history, Toledo’s miniature houses are painstakingly constructed. First he sketches out a design, which he then converts into a 3D rendering. From there, he starts building with many of the same tools traditionally used for full-sized models. Everything is historically accurate and highly detailed, including the under-the-sink plumbing, functioning electrical lights, clearly defined tiling and real gold chandeliers.
“The final touch I add to all my pieces is the element of aging and wear — from rust and grime on a bathroom sink to scuffs along the walls and areas that would typically see natural wear,” he said. “I believe this is what truly gives my pieces a soul — and that extra touch of realism I strive for in every piece.”
Toledo shares his work on Instagram, under the handle @ibuild smallthings.