Nathaniel got bitten by the mini bug like many of us. He was in the age range of 5-7 years old and he went to a local antique shop with his parents. There was a very detailed dollhouse and he still remembers is all. It had beautiful wallpaper, wood flooring, wainscoting, and open/close windows.  He remembers sticking his hand into the door and thinking that was the coolest thing he had ever seen. He never forgot that dollhouse. When he was 19 years old and financially able to, he started to amass his collection.  You can view Nathaniel’s Collection in his gallery here.

That leads me to my next question. Nathaniel is a die-hard collector.  He has a huge collection of miniatures that span 50 years and he has only been collecting for five! He has almost filled his entire basement with houses.  He does not consider himself much of a builder yet. He is a novice in that sense but the more he acquires, he will get better at that aspect of miniatures.  The part of building that Nathaniel really likes is shingling.  His love though is decorating because that is when the house really starts to come together in his eyes. He really loves doing it all mostly when it is almost done and he starts to really become proud of what he has accomplished. He hates walls. Anything that pertains to them he despises for now. Things like wallpapering and siding drives him to distraction. He has a horror story to tell. Nathaniel was very frustrated with his first attempt at lighting a house.  Now that he mastered it, he thinks he could do it with his eyes closed.

When he built his first house he was very excited and proud of every part of the process that he completed.  He took tons of pictures of every step along the way. This was way before he found our community. So he used to send out mass emails to his family and friends to show his current progress. 

If Nathaniel could only keep one dollhouse and only one he would choose his Tennyson. It is the first house he has almost finished. He loves every detail and he will never ever part with it.

It took him a bit to think of what miniature was his favorite but he finally decided that it would definitely have to be his House of Miniatures Breakfront hutch.

Nathaniel says he has no miniature dreams but I am a good snooper and I know that he does.  Nathaniel would love to someday be considered a miniaturist and a well know miniature artist. Once he accomplishes his Garfield/Pierce bash he will personally feel like a true expert.

He will continue to go to miniature shows and search for rare, vintage miniatures and dollhouses. He would love to own a Lawbre someday but I think his ultimate dream would be to build his own upscale creation. Nathaniel’s plans for 2008 are to keep collecting and building.  He wants to start working on some of his House of Miniature kits and to continue to meet others with this same passion.

Nathaniel would love to learn to make beautiful dolls to put in his dollhouses. He would also like to hone his skills in building so that his houses will become higher quality with lots of detail.

I asked Nathaniel if he had any advice for budding miniaturists out there.  He said to look everywhere you can to get that coveted miniature. Online auctions, freebie sites, yard sales, and flea markets are places you will find some treasures. He also said that if you cannot find it, make it. Something you have made yourself is always the most treasure piece in your collection.