The Garden of Goods Galleries

Bob DeOrsey "The Dollhouse Builder"

As a boy, Bob DeOrsey enjoyed building model airplanes-and as a young man built railroad villages and very intricate ship models. In his mid 40s, when he and his wife learned they were having a baby, he thought a dollhouse would be a wonderful challenge. When their son was born it seemed a firehouse would be more in order so Bob built an inch to the foot scale model of a Victorian firehouse?and he never looked back. Having known nothing about the "dollhouse business" he soon became active in miniature shows and won blue ribbons for his firehouse, a country farmhouse with a long front porch and window boxes, and a beautiful Williamsburg home complete with exterior brick chimneys.

Over the next 30 years, Bob became known for his beautifully finished hardwood floors, crown and shoe molding and, in some houses, curved staircases. Some clients asked him to copy the homes they grew up in, another asked for a multi-stall stable with a tack room that was soon filled with miniature bridles, saddles and boots. All of Bob?s miniature homes are finished with coordinating wallpapers and matching trim and many are electrified for chandeliers and wall sconces. He enjoys repairing and renovating older dollhouses and he also donates houses to charitable organizations for fund raisers. Bob?s miniature homes are considered heirlooms by collectors who choose them to house their miniature furniture.

Although Bob’s adult career was in the insurance industry, he says his greatest satisfaction has come from working with his hands to create beautiful miniature homes.