A Modern Take on the Doll House

I loved playing with dolls as a young girl. However, I don't remember ever being that enamored with the plastic pink and white "Barbie Dream House" that graced the bedrooms of so many of us girls in the late eighties and early nineties.

I've always been attracted to classic, authentic, well-made toys (well, I'm not entirely sure I completely shared this sentiment as a child, but I definitely do now). A lot of this is probably due to the fact that both my mother and father believed in my sister and I having well-made, educational toys and books:

In my office, I currently have a pint-sized wooden rocking chair built by my father when I was two years old (not sure what possessed me to rescue it from my grandmother's attic recently, but I felt an incredible urge to reclaim it).

My mom is seriously the best at finding unique toys and books, and I remember childhood friends really enjoying playing at my house because I had quite the collection of one-of-a-kind toys.

One of my favorite past times is perusing "mom and pop" toy shops and uncovering the magic there.

So, it makes sense that I am absolutely in awe of these modern doll houses featured recently in The New York Times. I can't wait to have children, which means designing a nursery/playroom/craft room/etc. filled with wonderful treasures like these.