Dollhouse by Robin Wilgus. (Lisa Jewel photo)

If you’re a big antiques hound like me, you’ve probably visited Oak Street Mill Antiques and Collectibles in Cornelius, behind the Cornelius police station. There behind the counter, you’ll see Robin Wilgus, the manager, orchestrating consigners’ booths with aplomb and skill. You might also see her working away on one of her doll house masterpieces. Her current project is the largest antebellum mansion I’ve ever seen, resting on a platform so massive she couldn’t turn it around for me to photograph it. (She said it took two burly men to help her move it!) I watched week after week as she applied a tin roof, a windmill and Corinthian columns. Her work was finely detailed and referenced the time period exactly. One could not help admire the endless hours of dedication and the architectural and design knowledge needed to complete such an endeavor.

When my daughter Jackie’s birthday was approaching I thought that this was a perfect age to get a her this type of doll house. I knew exactly where to take her for her first consultation. I went straight to Robin! She was so sweet to Jackie, and showed her what she had in stock, both with dollhouses and the tiny furniture and accessories to go inside.

Jackie and her dollhouse (Lisa Jewel photo)

Jackie and I decided we wanted to build one of our own. Robin sent us to a store called PJs (about a 50-minute drive from Davidson) where we bought a Victorian kit. Robin gave us important advice on what brands to buy and tips on assembly. She then showed us this picture of her piece de resistance. This is what we could aspire to. The dollhouse is featured in her living room and is truly a glorious work of art. (See photo above.)

Jackie and I, along with our kindest and most talented handyman, Bob Jacques, put this dollhouse together. If you ever have tried to do this from scratch, you have new admiration for people who work in miniatures. It takes great patience and a steady hand. It will be a family heirloom for her to pass to her children. Jackie woke up today, her 8th birthday, and inside of her new dollhouse were a tiny claw foot tub, sink, toilet, brass floor mirror and perfume bottles. She was delighted!

Art Around Town,” by Lisa Jewel, appears Fridays on DavidsonNews.net’s Guide page. Lisa is keeping a sort of “visual journal” of interesting objects she finds in the area. Some are items for sale at local galleries, others prized possessions in our homes. Have an object to share? Email Lisa, lskjewel@aol.com. See her previous columns in the Art Around Town category