Small wonders: The Cork woman who crafted her very own doll's house

Pat Hurley from Cobh at the Maples doll's house. Pictures: Dan Linehan

Having taken three years to build and a further two to furnish, Pat Hurley’s dollhouse might be the most extravagant of its kind in Ireland.

Complete with genuine miniature paintings and real-life family photographs, the grandmother’s pride and joy is the stuff of little girls’ fantasies. 

The Maples is called after Pat's late dog.

Affectionately known as the Maples, Pat’s remarkable creation forms just one part of her impressive collection. Much of what you see inside has been crafted by Pat herself, including a miniature rug in the music room which took six months to make. 

Each doll has lived a life less ordinary, including the gentleman of the house, Bernard, who travels the world collecting seashells he keeps in tiny picture frames. He enjoys photography while his maid designs her own uniforms.

The house was wired by Pat’s husband — former electrical engineer John — who she lives with in Cobh.

It’s a far cry from the Cork woman’s first doll's house, which was gifted to her by an aunt at the age of seven.

The dressmaker's shop.

"I picked up the pastime again 20 years ago when my children asked me what I wanted for Christmas that year. I told them that there was nothing I needed, which was true. That was when they suggested a doll's house because I had always loved them. It was only when my children moved out though and I needed to keep myself busy that I really got into it.” 

Labour of love

What followed was a five-year labour of love for the gifted craft enthusiast.

A tea party in the Maples.

“It came as bare wood and in thousands of tiny pieces. It took five years and a lot of hard work. A lot of the time I was doing other things like watching television while crafting the bits so I barely noticed the time going by. Then there was the painting, which also took a bit of time.” 

Pat’s attention to detail is evident in every section of the miniature masterpiece. Much of the interior reflects her own life, with the dolls resembling family members.

“I wallpapered and carpeted every part of it myself and I found that very exciting. The wallpaper you can buy from doll house shops. They produce a catalogue that shows you all the different patterns. 

"There are little tricks you learn along the way. For example I found that when I used ordinary wallpaper paste before, it created bubbles. However, drying it out with a hairdryer solved this problem. I loved doing the dining room and lounge but I left the kitchen until last because that’s the room I like the least.” 

One of the bedrooms.

Pat enjoyed the creative outlet her pastime provides her with.

“Some of the dolls I made myself. You can buy the faces, hands and feet separately. The doll house shops are mostly in the UK. I used to order from them a lot but Brexit ended up spoiling everything. If you look hard enough you’ll find little treasures around the place. For example I have one doll that I bought which came off a keyring priced at €2.” 

Childhood fantasy

Standing at almost 6ft and with 15 bedrooms, the creation is like peering inside a childhood fantasy.

“When I was building it our dog, a golden retriever named Maple, used to lie here and watch me as I worked. He died before he got to see the house all finished which is why it’s named the Maples.” 

Pat with two of her dolls.

As well as the doll's house, Pat’s collection also includes several miniature shops, including a dressmakers, florists, bakery and even a teapot museum come restaurant.

“The six shops were built by my husband and I did the interior. For the dressmaker's room I did a little bit of knitting on two tiny pins. I also made the crochet basket holding the miniature balls of wool. I was going to have the teapot museum on its own but I decided to have a teashop to go with it. It’s called Time for Tea, which you’ll see from the sign. I liked this lady’s miniature teapots so I bid for them on eBay. If you look closely you’ll see that they are all signed and numbered by the artist.” 

The 80-year-old says her family are very supportive of her hobby.

“My husband wired the house and shrunk down some of our personal photographs which I have in frames in the doll house.” 

Pat said she has no plans to expand on her collection.

“I don’t think I’ll be adding anymore to the house or collection,” she jokes. “My husband wouldn’t give me planning permission for anymore.”