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THE WARREN-WATCHUNG CONNECTION
FEB/MARCH 2017
% % '0)/( .--&+... ! % , % 0$+) & *)$+)# . % ! ! ! "" 24 West Oak Street • Basking Ridge • (908) 766-3777 By: Kate Kleinle After 26 years in the dollhouse business, Karen Aird still speaks as passionately as if she entered it yes- terday. “I love what I do,” she says, “and you really have to love what you do to be in this business. A dollhouse shop is a place that makes you happy.” She isn’t wrong; entering her store is like stepping into a fantastical alternate universe of tiny houses, miniature furniture, and dolls the size of one’s thumb. It’s a unique business, and one with attraction for any number of clien- tele: adults filling out high-end col- lections, children enthralled with the intricate houses, students work- ing on dioramas or school projects, even therapists who seek soothing specialty items for their patients. Like her clients, Karen herself grew up knowing the appeal of a good dollhouse. Her grandmother, a self-taught glassblower, brought Karen along as she sold her fig- urines at dollhouse shows – so her relationship with the dollhouse business is lifelong. Initially, she began selling pieces she picked up at Scottish and English dollhouse shows, bringing them back to the U.S. and marketing them whole- sale out of her living room. Eventu- ally, her success pushed her out of that living room and into her first storefront – and since then, she’s never looked back. At various times, Karen’s Dollhouse has moved between Summit, Berkeley Heights, and Basking Ridge, culti- vating a community feel in each location – it’s somewhere that her daughters walk after school, where customers are recognized and friendly faces are the norm. A major component of this posi- tive atmosphere is Karen’s dedica- tion to her customers. Constantly building inventory, she traverses the country in search of dollhouse shows with fresh pieces for her col- lection; in the next four months alone, she’ll attend them every- where from Chicago to Atlanta. The shop itself offers every service a collector could possibly desire – beyond selling houses, furniture, and figurines, she also outfits them with electricity, windows, floors, trim, and landscaping. Afraid you don’t have enough space for a whole building? Not to worry – Karen also offers half-size dollhous- es and individual rooms (many of which have specialty themes like library, doctor’s office, or pub.) Increasingly, customers even come to her to build fairy gardens! For those who already own a doll- house, but feel it isn’t looking its best, she also has extensive experi- ence refurbishing tired, worn-out houses, describing the process as similar to “a miniature HGTV.” She’s absolutely right; designing one of these masterpieces clearly requires hours of care and atten- tion, and her decades in the busi- ness undeniably make Karen the best of the best. For most of us, dollhouses are a critical component of childhood – but why let the fascination stop there? Step into Karen’s Dollhouse, and I guarantee that the heart- stoppingly gorgeous displays will reignite your curiosity. Nobody knows it better than Karen herself – young or old, you’re always the right age to give dollhouses a chance. BASKINGRIDGE COUNTRY CLUB is the season of Share the love all year long with a Basking Ridge Golf and Swim Membership or a Gift Certificate! Call Bari Markowitz, Membership & Marketing Director at 908-766-8200, ext. 2 for more information! www.baskingridgecc.com FEBRUARY www.theconnectionsnj.com