'Small Stories' at the V&A Museum of Childhood opens doors to astonishing miniature worlds

To anyone who fondly recalls having - or who ever dreamt of having - a dolls' house, new show 'Small Stories: At Home in a Dolls' House' at the V&A Museum of Childhood in London's Bethnal Green, is just what the doctor ordered.
Featuring a stunning selection of 12 historical and contemporary dolls' houses of varying sizes from the past 300 years, the exhibition is designed to tell the (fictional) stories of the people living in these houses - a set up that appeals to visitors of all ages. Many of the delicate objects - some are part of the museum's permanent collection - have been painstakingly restored by the museum's conservation department over the past two years.
And even if childhood nostalgia is not your thing, this show will also appeal to the discerning, design-aware visitor. Spanning different periods and architectural styles, 'Small Stories' is a neat whistle-stop tour of the country's design developments over the centuries, from a Georgian town house and suburban mansions, to a 1960s high rise and a Le Corbusier-style white villa; most come complete with miniature period furniture and sophisticated interior fittings. Highlights include the modernist-inspired 'Whiteladies House' by artist Moray Thomas (built in the 1930s) and 'Kaleidoscope House', 2001, by architect Peter Wheelwright and artist (and former Wallpaper* guest editor) Laurie Simmons.
As a contemporary update, the museum invited 19 London-based design studios to produce their own artistic interpretation of a dolls' house for a special display in the show. Entitled 'Dream House', the installation serves as the final stop on the exhibition's circuit and sees contributors, including Bethan Laura Wood, Peter Marigold and PriestmanGoode, turn their hand to creating their own miniature interiors - a fitting finish to the show, bringing the history of this much-loved toy to the present day.
The exhibition features 12 dolls’ houses, which span different architectural styles over 300 years. © Victoria and Albert Museum
’Small Stories’ includes a modernist-style white villa built in the 1930s. © Victoria and Albert Museum
Many of the delicate objects come from the museum’s permanent collection. © Victoria and Albert Museum
As a contemporary counterpoint to the exhibit, the museum invited several London-based design studios to produce their own artistic interpretation of a dolls’ house for a special display in the show, entitled ’Dream House’. From left: ’Room with a View’, by Nancy Edwards; and ’Bermondsey Studio’, by East London Furniture, Jessica Sutton and Reuben Le Prevost. © Victoria and Albert Museum
’I Always Dreamed of an Underwater Aquarium Bathroom’, by Katy Christianson; and ’Wellbeing Bathroom’, by Roger Arquar. © Victoria and Albert Museum
’A Night in the Studio’, by Ina Hyun K Shin; and ’Library (A Recent Plan)’, by Liberty Art Fabrics Interiors. © Victoria and Albert Museum
’Monsters in the Pantry’, by Peter Marigold; and ’If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there’, by PearsonLloyd. © Victoria and Albert Museum
’Wilderness Dreams’, by Orly Orbach; and ’If a Budgie Dreamed of being a Magpie’, by Bethan Laura Wood. © Victoria and Albert Museum
’Into the Trees’ playroom, by Pantxika Ospital; and ’Home Is Bear The Heart Is’, by Mister Peebles. © Victoria and Albert Museum
'The Longest Party Table in the World' by Paul Priestman; and 'Not a Magnolia Room', by Dionne Sylvester. © Victoria and Albert Museum
'Llama Dreams', by Donna Wilson; and 'Offline Hideaway', by Dominic Wilcox. © Victoria and Albert Museum
ADDRESS
V&A Museum of Childhood
Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9PA
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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
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