ARCHITECTURE DIGEST
Dollhouse Gets Eclectic Refresh
Tour Mindy Small’s Luxury Mouse Manse
Two years ago, Mindy Small took one look at the old structure and knew it would be her dream home one day. “I told my husband, we either create our vision in this house or I’m going back inside the walls.” She scans the massive front exterior and muses, “That’s all it took!”
We’re walking through the stately renovated child’s dollhouse while a storm rages outside. It’s hard to imagine living anywhere on a day like this other than this cozy, stylish feat of high design and thoughtful remodeling.
The star of Netflix’s hit thriller Mouse Mysteries, Mindy is a spry field mouse with endless energy, which is a good thing. Her life is certainly filled to the brim with activity — five children, a demanding career, and wife of Disney’s Chief Creative Officer-Small Mammals, Dan Mus.
Mindy and Dan had always loved the garage and felt this was the place to raise their kids. Shelter from the elements was the lure, but the view was what sold them. The house sits atop a bluff overlooking the austere space. A breathtaking view of a treadmill can be seen in the valley below, rags delicately draped over the arms. Goodwill bags sit half-upright in the corner, their contents in a natural drift from the bag openings. Eclectic variety meets the eye. A wonderland of realism and unnecessary objects.
“We took our time getting to know the area first,” explained Mindy, “The pantry is a fine-dining mecca. The community is inclusive, yet competitive. When this dollhouse came on the market, we jumped. It had been abandoned for some time. We knew the commitment required to realize our vision was something we wanted to make. All we needed was the architect.”
All the potential
Pantry Solutions came on board when they heard the old house was seeking reno. Chief architect, Mick, had long wanted to try his hand at transforming the outdated structure. “It had all the potential in the world, but nobody to get it there. I was thrilled to be on the team.”
Mindy and Dan were clear they wanted a blend of quintessential Craftsman and old-shed modernism. Dan’s childhood was spent under the shed, so referencing this in the architecture was important to him. In keeping with dollhouse utility, the entire front of the home is dedicated to an expansive window. From every room in the home, you can watch the beauty of the garage percolate below. Ease of access is what gives the home its open-air feel.
While the exterior is a blend of tradition and nostalgia, the inside is a study of the unusual. The interior design is something few rodent dwellings can boast. Contempo Spaces was hired to marry Mindy’s artistic bent with Dan’s love for collecting. The result is a home that harmonizes as much as it intrigues.
A house of art
“I love cereal box art,” says Mindy, “It’s a post-modern reflection of our times. Doesn’t it just make the space?” She shows me her blue-chip collection which is propped along the back walls of the house. Lucky Charms meets Quaker Oats meets Kix. The post-ironic metamodern artist Maxim the Mouse was commissioned to bring the space alive. He creates each of his pieces by carefully chewing on boxes until the art emerges — a style called gnawed neo-herbivorism. The ratty edges display the artist’s process. Each painstaking chew is evident to the eye. Their bold colors play off the darkness of the garage in a dance of levity and sedateness.
Dan’s extensive collection of dehydrated grains is as elegant as it is informative. “What I’m drawn to about grain is its refined form as well as its versatility. They sustain us in myriad ways and look at how beautiful they are.” He holds up a grain of wild rice next to a risotto. “These are exquisite.”
The collection is displayed in an impeccably crafted swirl which is glued to the ceiling of the open-concept downstairs. The vibrant color palette of the walls plays off the grain collection nicely. Standing in the space you begin to make sense of the scope of this couple’s vision. It’s part high art, part found-grain, part vintage structure, but throughout it speaks of passion for close-knit family living.
Elegance, family, rebirth
A simple modern coffee table sits in the center of the main seating area. Drew Escher — 30 Designers Under 30 — designed the table and matching end pieces. He carefully affixed Pringles can lids to drywall nails, creating an elegant take on recycled aesthetics.
Wall sconces delineate transitions between usage areas and lend a warm continuity to the space. A powder room in the back corner of the lower level speaks to the simplicity of rodent hygiene. The hues on the walls are a soft cream to offset the swanky Rodenta-Noir container that holds the family’s droppings.
When I spoke to Verbena, the interior designer in charge of the remodel, and Mick, the architect, I asked them what stood out most about working on this ambitious project.
“For me, it was about how clearly each of these rodents knew what they were aiming for,” said Verbena, “And I don’t mean specifics. I mean conceptually. The project was a real collaboration every step of the way, but the overarching goal was to make a space that would engender happiness for their family. I think we did that.”
‘Absolutely,” added Mick, “We’re not talking a facelift here. We’re talking rebirth. We took an abandoned toy and turned it into a home the whole region now admires for its beauty and expression of love. It’s been a real treat working on this.”
As I leave the dollhouse, I wave goodbye to Mindy and Dans’ five children who frolic together on the Twinings teabag sofa cushions. I scan the home before I make my exit. The trappings here reflect a family that chooses upscale flourishing over a prosaic baited trap.
It’s hard not to appreciate the way a forgotten plastic box has been reconfigured into a magnificence of residential design. Architecture never fails to inspire.
Thank you to my co-architects on this project — BOFace and Betsy Denson. I appreciate the design tips and tricks!
Okay, now. These might spur inspiration and whatnot.
