Back in 2020 I found myself with a lot of free time and the therapeutic need to create. I had the idea to create a Haunted Mansion themed dollhouse in the back of my mind for years. This seemed like the right time to dive into the project. It was designed to fit inside an Ikea Billy Bookcase so the entire thing is 30″ wide. Here is what is ended up looking like….
It started, as every project I have ever done started, in Microsoft Excel.
I then began to create a ton of scale miniature pieces to go in each room
I incorporated every skill I have. Sculpting, woodworking, building, foamwork, customizing, resin casting, photoshop, printing, every paint technique I know (brush, washes, drybrushing, airbrushing, rattle can) and even 3D printing. The first thing I ever printed on my own was the Gargoyle Candelabra.
Each floor is about 5″ high. That is to scale with people be 3″ tall. To help you imagine in the traditional Star Wars and GI Joe figures of the 80’s were 3.75″ So even smaller than those toys of yesteryear.
Each room was build from scratch using plywood. The entire house is actually 12 individual boxes that slide into a larger box frame.
I eventually decided to try to recreate in scale the effects of the ride. These included lighting effects, mirrors, pepper’s ghost and more. Above you can see I even used the reverse bust technique for the busts that follow you illusion.
Here is every room as you would experience it on the ride.
The paintings actually have 4 layers . The front is the actual painting and the back is the image that it changes into. There are led’s behind each that randomly flicker with a lightning strobe effect.
