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Small World Miniatures: Daily Miniature Inspiration & Tutorials
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Meet Brandon — The Mind Behind Small World Miniatures
Brandon is an interior designer turned miniature world–builder who never quite outgrew the joy of tiny doors, perfect little windows, and cities that fit on a kitchen table. He studied Interior Design at the Art Institute in Orange County, California, where space planning, materials, and light became his native language. But his love affair with small-scale design started long before studio critiques and drafting boards—back when he was a kid pouring concrete into LEGO forms.
Latest Miniature Models
Moss, Lantern Light, and Wallpaper Dreams: A William Morris Arts & Crafts Cottage in Miniature
Let me introduce you to Brackenmore Cottage. Brackenmore was “built” in 1893 (in tiny-world years) by eccentric textile designer Elsbeth Willowfen, a devoted fan of William Morris who firmly believed that no flat surface should be left unpatterned. She moved out of London when people started gently suggesting that maybe not every window frame needed hand-painted acanthus scrolls.
10 hours ago11 min read
Miniature Art Deco Living Room Diorama: A Black, White & Gold 1930s LA Room Box With Serious “Movie Star” Energy
Welcome to The Gilded Eclipse Parlor, established in 1932, tucked just off a glamorous boulevard in Los Angeles where the streetlights hum and the air smells faintly of perfume… and extremely questionable deals.
Legend says the Parlor was commissioned by a silent-film set designer who wanted a “private lounge” for entertaining producers, starlets, and the occasional mysterious stranger who shows up uninvited but somehow knows your name. The designer insisted on three rules
1 day ago9 min read
Dutch Rowhouse Miniature Garden: A Tiny Amsterdam You Can Almost Smell
Welcome to Tulpenhof Row, a perfectly respectable little street that somehow manages to be perpetually in the middle of a neighborhood festival.
Tulpenhof started life in 1683, when a canal merchant named Pieter van der Vliet decided he was tired of hauling cheese and herring and wanted to retire somewhere “peaceful.” He commissioned a set of row houses on a quiet side canal, far enough from the bustle but close enough to hear the church bells and boat horns...
2 days ago10 min read
Roselight Falls: A Fantasy Castle Miniature Diorama of Waterfalls, Pastels & Glittering Gold
The first time I saw this piece, my brain did that Windows-95 startup sound.
You’re looking at Roselight Falls—a very large fantasy castle miniature diorama perched on sheer cliffs, wrapped in lush greenery, with waterfalls pouring straight out from beneath pastel towers into an impossibly teal lagoon. Champagne-gold domes catch the light, tiny figures stroll along a sweeping bridge, and somewhere down there a couple of mini people are definitely arguing over whose turn it i
5 days ago12 min read
Moonlit Hanok Flower Shop – A Korean Fantasy Miniature Diorama You’ll Want to Move Into
Welcome to Lotus Lantern Florist, tucked into the back alley of the (very fictional) village of Gureum-ri, a misty town that only shows up on maps drawn after midnight.
The shop was “founded” in the Year of the Tiger by a florist named Haneul, who accidentally cross-bred a roof vine with a lotus and discovered it liked to grow upwards—onto roofs, lantern chains, and pretty much anything not paying attention...
6 days ago11 min read
The Greenhouse Café: A Parisian Miniature You Could Absolutely Move Into
This little Parisienne café diorama is basically a greenhouse, a coffee temple, and a very serious plant addiction all rolled into one miniature room box. Warm carved woodwork curls around the ceiling, the conservatory roof lets in that soft “Paris at 4 p.m.” light, and smack in the middle sits a circular coffee altar in brass and marble. There are ferns dangling from a chandelier, a whole jungle of monsteras and banana leaves, and more tiny cups than any reasonable human—or
Jan 2810 min read
The Mint Royale: Touring a Victorian Fantasy Candy Shop Miniature Diorama
The first time I saw this little storefront, my brain did that cartoon thing where the eyes turn into spirals of sugar. You know that feeling when you walk past a real-life bakery window and suddenly you need a pastry you can’t pronounce? This miniature does that—except it’s about ten inches tall and made of pure sugary chaos and craftsmanship.
Jan 2711 min read
Frozen in Bricks: Touring a Miniature LEGO Elsa Ice Palace MOC
When I first saw this miniature LEGO model of Elsa’s Palace on my screen, my inner eight-year-old did a cartwheel and my adult brain quietly whispered, “Oh no… now I want more LEGO...
Jan 267 min read
Pastel Sanrio Cottage: Building a Whimsical Miniature Home & Garden Diorama
The first time I saw this little pastel palace, my brain did a happy squeal.
We’ve got a multi-story cottage with a turret, balcony, and glass-walled conservatory, all wrapped in heart-shaped windows, candy colors, and more flowers than my real-world yard could ever handle. The garden is a full scene: stone path, bridge, pond with ducks, comfy sofa, balloons, and a tiny tea setup that frankly looks more relaxing than my full-size living room...
Jan 2311 min read
Cozy Mouse House Miniature: A Wind in the Willows–Inspired Diorama Tour & Build Guide
The first time I saw this miniature, I genuinely wanted to shrink down, grab that green armchair, and ask the mouse what was for dinner. We’re looking at a miniature mouse house that feels like it tumbled straight out of The Wind in the Willows and landed on a rustic wooden shelf. Golden window light spills in...
Jan 2210 min read
Villa Luminosa: A Palladian Dollhouse Miniature Mansion You’ll Want to Move Into
You know that feeling when you see a house and immediately start mentally assigning bedrooms and arguing over who gets the balcony? Yeah. That was me with this miniature.
This Palladio-inspired dollhouse mansion is basically “summering on the Italian lakes” energy, shrunk to the size of a coffee table. Warm light spills out of every window, balconies are overflowing with tiny flowers, and there’s a glass conservatory just sitting there like, “Oh hey, we host respectable plan
Jan 2110 min read
Copper & Chlorophyll: A Futuristic Steampunk Miniature Home With Hydroponic Gardens
Some miniatures whisper. This one hums. The second I saw this futuristic steampunk miniature home—half cozy greenhouse, half friendly robot’s daydream—I got that familiar hobby-brain reaction: I want to live there. I want to shrink down. I want to pay tiny rent. I want to complain about tiny property taxes...
Jan 2010 min read
Kinkaku-ji in Miniature: A Winter-Bright Diorama of Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion
Last summer I finally made it to Kyoto and stood on the shore of Kyōko-chi (Mirror Pond), doing my best not to shout “WOAH” at the Golden Pavilion like an American movie extra. The thing about Kinkaku-ji that most photos struggle with is the way the gold leaf doesn’t just look “yellow”; it breathes light. It throws back the sun as if the temple is exhaling. Below is a photo of me from that day—squinting like a happy TOASTY lizard—so you can see the summery version.
Jan 199 min read
Bohemian Fantasy Miniature Entryway Diorama: A Tiny Foyer Tour (Plus DIY Tips for Your Own Magical Miniature)
Step into the space and the first thing you feel is warm light—that golden glow that makes everything look kinder, cozier, and slightly more expensive than it probably is. The lantern overhead is doing heroic work, casting gentle highlights on metallic accents and turning the whole room into a tiny sunset...
Jan 189 min read
Working Remote in Tokyo: A Miniature Pilgrimage to Small Worlds Tokyo
This is my third trip to Japan in the last two years, and I keep finding new ways the country shrinks and expands my brain at the same time. This time I brought a travel companion: my tiny LEGO minifigure, “Sheila,” who has become the unofficial field reporter for Small World Miniatures. She’s the brave one you’ll spot in several of the photos, staring down aircraft and mecha like it’s no big deal.
Jan 178 min read
Victorian Pastel Gingerbread Miniature Village – A Tiny Tour, A Tiny Tale, and How to Make Your Own Magic
Legend has it that this gingerbread village was once a magical holiday retreat for Victorian confectioners. In the 1800s, a mischievous baker named Cornelius Gumdrop invented the "Candied Clocktower," a structure powered entirely by peppermint steam and gumdrop gears. Soon, other bakers began building homes for the clocktower workers—each house fancier than the last, as everyone vied for the annual "Sugary Structure Award." One year, the overzealous architect Madame Éclair ad
Dec 7, 20259 min read
Miniature Netherlands, Giant Joy: My Day at Madurodam Miniature Park (Plus a Detour to 7 Million Tulips)
A few years back I did what any responsible adult miniature nerd would do: I flew across an ocean just to feel like a giant. The destination? Madurodam, the famous miniature park in The Hague where the whole Netherlands has been shrunk to 1:25 scale. Trains, ships, airports, tulip fields, Gothic cathedrals, modern glass towers—everything has been politely compressed so you can walk around like a kaiju who’s had a really good day....
Dec 2, 20258 min read
How to Make a Miniature Sofa From Scratch (Foam Board, Fabric & Zero Panic DIY)
In this build we’re going to make a fully upholstered miniature sofa from scratch using foam board, batting, and fabric. No 3D printer, no premade kit – just simple materials and some patient cutting and gluing.
This guide is designed so you can copy the basic structure or riff on it and design your dream couch in miniature. I’ll give you exact sample measurements for a comfy little two-seater (roughly 1:12 scale), but you can absolutely tweak them as you like.
Nov 25, 20258 min read
Sunshine & Secrets: A Coastal Cottage Miniature Inspired by The Truman Show
You know that moment when your brain goes, “That’s not a dollhouse—that’s a vacation with a roof”? That’s exactly how I felt when this sunny little cottage first materialized on my computer screen. Pastel yellow clapboard catches the light, a mint door invites a breezy “hello,” and the cupola practically waves from the roof like a lifeguard on seagull duty. The white picket fence is behaving—no gaps, no drama—while sea oats and shells whisper that the ocean is just over your
Nov 16, 20257 min read
Sugar-Glazed Whimsy: Minnie Mouse's Tokyo Disney Cottage in Miniature
Last April I finally made it to Tokyo Disney, and yes, I beelined to Toon Town like a homing pigeon with a popcorn addiction. The second I rounded the corner and saw Minnie’s House—those lavender fish-scale shingles curling like soft-serve, the marshmallow-stucco walls, the heart-shaped gable winking in the sun—I did what any responsible adult does: took 173 photos in under seven minutes and then immediately started mentally shrinking everything to miniature scale. There’s so
Nov 15, 20259 min read
![Just pressed publish on a new Small World Miniatures blog post! 🧳🇳🇱
A few years back I flew to the Netherlands, brought my tiny LEGO buddy Sheila, and spent a day stomping around Madurodam miniature park like a gentle kaiju—then jumped to Keukenhof to see seven million real tulips in bloom. 🌷 From Gothic cathedrals and canal houses to windmills, ships, and shiny Rotterdam skyscrapers in 1:25 scale, it was basically an open-air reference library for miniature nerds.
Come take a stroll through tiny Netherlands with me (and Sheila) on the blog 👇
[link in bio]
#smallworldminiatures #Madurodam #miniaturepark #NetherlandsTravel #Keukenhof #tulipgarden #miniatureworld #miniaturephotography #scaleModels #architecturelovers #travelwithtoys](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/589740545_17935758063107577_3313413529043047621_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=tyo4SQmG9esQ7kNvwHG3dJc&_nc_oc=Adk75W0voQW0k1B_rR5PgZYnQdSjXL4CWwjYY4NbmDAl-noLuqah0Hj1qWsC61OKluE&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QrscNEPh2hfjcv54BSmXLQ&oh=00_AfspwYYHQt80jV8s5wYSIoJ_shGfHRa01BZXzu0AK4tKpQ&oe=698981B9)
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