Making an entrance
Unlock your imagination as Amy Yates opens the doors to her stunning show home.
Stairway to success
A spacious executive property with bespoke kitchen and staircase, along with a beautifully landscaped garden, this exceptional house was designed and built to the owner's specifications. But this isn't an affluent development in the leafy suburbs of the home counties, it comes straight from the imagination of talented miniature architect, Amy Yates. Unrecognisable from its original form as a Victoria's Farmhouse kit, the finished build took Amy five months to complete and appears to have jumped straight from the pages of a glossy sales brochure. Indeed, the overall design was largely influenced by a full-size build Amy discovered online. “I think I may have saved the same house at least three times to my Pinterest board!” she says, enthusiastically discussing the many changes she made to the kit's main structure. “I didn't need a two-story porch, so I cut away the excess porches leaving only what I needed. I had to add new walls to the entire left side of the house because I was not using the bay component that it came with. The biggest structural change was the stair area. I knew I had to have a huge corner window, so I essentially just cut out that whole section of house. Overall, there were many changes that I made to create the look I was going for and I was extremely pleased with the results!”
Central to the design of Amy's handcrafted staircase is the fabulous alcove, which not only makes the most of what could easily have become a dead space, but with a bench seat and shelves becomes a focal point within the substantial entrance foyer. “The stairs were the first piece I built in the home. I needed to have them in place before I could put my second story on, for accessibility reasons and for being able to fit the staircase into place properly,” Amy explains. “The alcove was decided pretty early on. I really like to add exterior architectural elements so that the house is more than just a flat box. So, naturally to me it made sense to do a small alcove under the stairs with a window seat. I think when I made the decision to do that it really stemmed from my love of old architecture with the fancy trim and little nooks.”
Brick by brick
The exterior architecture incorporates detailed brickwork, just one aspect which lifts the design from an exciting build to something exceptional, delivering an ultra-realistic appearance. But whilst Amy cites the staircase as the most complex aspect of the overall build, she says this was the easiest brickwork she's created to date. “The bricks were made with a system called ‘Magic Brik'. Essentially, it's a stencil you lay on your piece, then you use the powder mixed with water to create the textured material that you simply smear over the stencil. It's a bit messy, but for a larger project it was such a breeze to do! I then painted my bricks with latex house paint and that was it!”
However, when it came to the interior, the design process proved much more of a challenge for Amy. Especially when it came to choosing those all-important colour schemes. “I tend to follow very neutral trends even in my own real-life home. But I really wanted this home to stand out. I draw a lot of inspiration from real life trends and honestly, I kind of just design as I go! For instance, I originally planned for the foyer to be grey, but I started painting the stairs and decided I wanted to try this beautiful green I had left over from painting my real-life guest rooms, and that's how the green foyer happened! I also knew
that I wanted white walls, but I didn't want the home to feel bland, so I used the grey trim to keep it neutral, but classy.”The open plan living space, complete with large kitchen island, is the ultimate in aspirational design, and the lighting throughout the house is outstanding. The staircase is illuminated by a five-drop centrepiece pendant light, framed from the outside by the huge floor to ceiling windows. Similarly fabulous light fittings hang above the rustic dining table and kitchen island, but it isn't only the décor which Amy turned her creative hand to. The comfortable sofa and contemporary design four poster bed are just two of the many Amy Yates originals. As is the toilet. Yes, that's right, the toilet! A talented 3D print artist, Amy is of the firm belief that 3D printing is a massive game changer for the world of miniatures. “It allows miniaturists to create detailed pieces that would otherwise be unavailable or extremely difficult to make,” she explains, the toilet being a case in point. Amy also adds that she's all too aware this relatively new artform has its critics, who prefer to stick exclusively to more traditional handcrafting skills. “It's a learning curve and form of art all on its own. I design all my own 3D models, and that is harder than it looks! As a miniaturist who loves realism, it allows me to add pieces that are highly detailed and realistic to my scenes.”