It’s never too early to consider turning your hobby (no matter how creative) into a bona fide career. It helps, of course, if your hobby is a visual-heavy avocation that allows you to chronicle your progress and share your talents with the world via social media.
And that’s exactly what one 13-year-old from Minnesota is doing. Ella is an accomplished aesthete who loves to play with dollhouses. But more than that, she uses meticulous design skills and expert planning to create jaw-dropping, show-stopping doll-sized tableaus that look like they’re ripped from the pages of Architectural Digest.
Now, this isn’t just some novice arts and crafts project come to life. The attention to detail and quality craftsmanship Ella executes to create her grand designs are truly awe-inspiring; her indisputable talent and a keen eye for aesthetics obviously belie her age – and she’s already turning expert style professionals, like Joanna Gaines and Caitlin Wilson, into loyal fans and followers.
Her Instagram page (Life in A Dollhouse) is a delightful catalog of the numerous properties she’s put together – a passion project she started at 11 (a time when most pre-teens can barely motivate themselves out of bed). So, where does this enterprising girl get her inspiration? Her parents, (professional) builders themselves, are at the top of the list. In fact, the first house Ella ever designed was a miniature replica of one her parents built – fabric swatches, paint colors, and everything in between.
What’s next for the dollhouse designer? In addition to finishing middle school, Ella has set her sights on continuing with design, particularly interiors. And rightfully so. With a portfolio of this caliber – by this age – she should have her pick of the litter when art colleges come calling. Will she be as adept at translating her design skills from 1:12 to full scale? For now, we can only follow along and see what happens next.