Guest Post: Four Little Walls Talks Doll's Houses and Starting Her Dream Business

Today I'd like to introduce you to my final guest, Kat, a fellow enthusiast for all things miniature. Kat has taken her passion one step further and done what many of us dream of - turn it into a business - and she has been kind enough to share her story below. Welcome, Kat!

Hello,

I was thrilled to be asked to guest post for Miss Beatrix this week, a visit is always a pleasure, albeit a virtual one!

Before I waffle on too much let’s get better acquainted.

My name’s Kat, nice to meet you! I run online doll’s house boutique and blog, Four Little Walls.
I live in Kent, though my heart belongs to Brighton, and spend most days up to my elbows in doll’s house related mess!

Four Little Walls came to be in January 2012. I had left a job in publishing that Christmas with a view to …well I didn’t actually know what I wanted to do right at that moment, but I knew it was going to have to be big, and in 1:12 scale!

Doll’s houses and miniatures have always been my first love. I love to make furniture and accessories, both for the shop and for myself but its lovely to splurge on some special pieces every now and again too!
At 14 I landed my dream job, though I didn’t realise it at the time, in a specialist doll’s house shop in my hometown, and THAT my friends is where things got serious!

This place was filled from floor to ceiling with everything and anything the miniature-loving heart could wish for. From pocket money-friendly trinkets, DIY essentials to eye-wateringly expensive but undeniably beautiful, artisan made pieces, it was all there. Of course my wages went immediately back into the shop. I already had a little Georgian house my dad built for me but my head was soon turned by ‘The Blenheim’ from The Squirrel collection, another Georgian style house, with four floors, dog legged stair cases and working sash windows. I remained at the shop until it closed down in 2003, I was heartbroken!

Following seven years of sporadic attention I decided to show the doll’s houses some love and began blogging my mini misadventures whilst job hunting. The interiors tend to have a more modern feel at the moment and I set myself the ’52 week challenge’, posting a mini tutorial or idea every Friday for the whole year. I’m pleased to say I succeeded but there were a few moments where I wondered if I’d bitten off more than I could chew with a weekly project like that!

It was a few months into the year when I decided to take the plunge and have a go at running the business. The blog had gained some lovely loyal readers who were incredibly encouraging so I contacted the Prince's Trust and was lucky enough to find myself part of their enterprise scheme.

It’s been, and continues to be, tough trying to get the business off the ground, (doll’s houses are really not ‘essential’ items are they?!) but I am literally doing my dream job so I can’t complain!

I love every part of the job (okay, maybe not accounts!) but my favourite bits have to be planning new rooms and themes and of course choosing stock!
It’s also great to hear from customers as to how they’re using their miniatures; I just had my first order from Australia which was very exciting! The little bits and pieces were destined for a 1940’s style house, exciting to think of Four Little Walls stock being so many miles away!

If you fancy having a nosey at what I’ve been up to or a little look around the houses pop over and say hello. A big thank you to Anna for having me post today, it’s been a pleasure!

Kat x

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Kat. I wish I was your Australian customer, building my dream 1940's doll's house! Despite it being really tough out there I love reading about people making their passion into an income, and you've certainly inspired me.