The perfect project

“Benjamin’s face lit up when he first saw the doll’s house, the project has meant so much to him,” said Gill Hunter Nudds, Earthworks Creative Instructor.


Earthworks, the creative arts team at the Aldingbourne Country Centre, enjoy making and creating arts projects with the people they support at the Trust.  One particular project caught Benjamin Austin’s eye, when the Trusts former Furniture Restoration Lead Jim Thompson brought in a dolls house that he had made many years before for his own daughter.


The doll’s house had never quite been finished, so he thought it would make a great project for the team at Earthworks.  On bringing the doll’s house to the Country Centre back in April, Benjamin’s face lit up and very quickly he said, “Can I do it?”


Benjamin has an interest in houses and interior design, so he was very excited to be able to take on the project by himself, choosing the colours to paint and the furnishings to decorate it.  “He has a great attention to detail, so this was the perfect project for him,” said Gill.


As Benjamin is not at the Country Centre every day, it took him just over 4 months to complete.  He wanted to give the house a modern feel, creating as much detail as possible, including handmade mosaic splashbacks for the bathroom and even making miniature picture frames for the walls.  


The house had been on display in the Earthworks department, where it caught the eye of Mrs Huckle, who has been a customer at the Country Centre for many years.  She bought the doll’s house with the proceeds to go towards the Earthworks department to continue their great work.  Benjamin was delighted that she liked it and he is looking forward to doing another one as he enjoyed it so much.