(Marike Noordhoek-Struijs)

A beautiful dollhouse is the fulfillment of a heartfelt dream.
Legacy of Lilyvale Love
by Pam North
Marike Noordhoek-Struijs loves to decorate and furnish dollhouses, room boxes, glass domes, and anything else to do with miniatures. “I don’t claim to be a builder,” she claimed, “I prefer instead to go along with the idea of buying my beautiful pieces from experts who can craft them, and then I put them in existing structures I have refurbished, so I’m more of an interior decorator and designer for dollhouses.”
She first became interested in miniatures in 2014 when she discovered the dollhouse furniture that had belonged to her late mother in 1930. It was a larger scale, probably 1:16, and Marike found herself intrigued by all those lovely little miniatures. Despite no formal training in the miniature field, she bought her first dollhouse soon after that.
Her home life and miniature interests mesh nicely because she’s retired now, and she has the time and opportunity to spend as much time as she wants indulging her new-found interest. Her family are totally supportive, and her husband helps her with the electric lighting and takes her to dollhouse fairs. “I think my biggest fans are my Instagram followers, though,” she said.
Her most recent project has been her 1:12 scale Beacon Hill dollhouse, which she has named Lilyvale House. “For the entire time I have been on my dollhouse journey, owning a Beacon Hill dollhouse was my long-term dream and a must-have for my collection,” she explained. “I wanted to work with an existing one, not build one, and I finally found a Beacon Hill in The Netherlands, where I live. It was built by someone else 25 years ago, with some quite challenging electrical issues, but that didn’t hold me back from buying this lovely house, which I wanted to decorate and furnish in a Victorian style, my favorite era, and it turned out exactly how I had pictured it in my mind.”
Most of the miniatures in her dollhouse were bought from various artisan miniaturists, and Marike is always very enthusiastic about giving credit to them. “There are many artists who contributed to several of the rooms in my Lilyvale House. The beautiful Edwardian lady of the house, Charlotte, and her little niece, were made by Sebastian Frank, whom I adore and admire his fabulous dolls.”
Asked what she considered her favorite part about her Lilyvale House, Marike replied, “I really don’t have a favorite part. Seeing this house come to life the way I had envisioned it was fantastic. No special part of the process was singularly the most memorable; it’s the whole house that was so special to create.”
Most miniaturists profess having difficulty with some aspect of their work, and Marike readily attested to hers. “For me, it’s definitely electricity. I must admit that my husband always helps me with that. The hardest part with this dollhouse was certainly the electrical wiring. It gave me a lot of problems because it was not well-connected, so I had to change part of the electricity from its old Cirkit, which demanded a lot of patience. For me certainly, the lighting is so important for giving my houses the special atmosphere that I want.” 
Marike has created a wonderfully realistic ambiance in her dollhouse, with myriad authentic-looking pieces of furniture, housewares, and interior décor that magically conjure up the atmosphere of a real little house. She also knows how to add bits of everyday clutter in places to add to that feeling of real life.
She never sells her pieces. “Each one I create involves a large expenditure of time,” she explained. “Most of them have taken a year and a great deal of effort to finish the way I envisioned them. I cannot part with any of them, so this one is another on display in my own house. For me, this is a wonderful hobby that gives me so much pleasure.”
Inspiration comes easily to her. “Mostly when I buy a dollhouse or a room box, I almost immediately
know how to decorate and furnish it. I love the process of searching for and finding the right miniatures to make my vision come true.” 
Marike is fortunate to have her own area at home in which to work. “I must admit I took over quite some space in my real house. I mostly work upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms where I have my desk.”
She loves seeing photos from other miniaturists on Instagram or Pinterest, but she has developed her own style in the last few years. She has a few favorite pieces that she has made; one is a miniature living room inside an old radio.
Marike interacts with many dollhouse groups on Facebook. She does sometimes follow workshops to occasionally make some of her own miniatures. She would like her readers to take a look at her Instagram page @marike1956. There they will find all her dollhouses, room boxes, glass domes, and miniature creations, and all the information concerning her Beacon Hill Lilyvale House.
She shared more of her thoughts, saying,“What I love most about miniatures is that I can create my own little world in 1:12 scale, and escape from the real world with all the challenges that are going on today. I just let my imagination run and create something new in whatever era or style I choose.”
She has an optimistic view regarding the future of miniatures. “Throughout my dollhouse journey on Instagram, I have gotten to know so many people with the same passion for miniatures, and I’ve made friends all over the world. I never ever imagined that this hobby of mine, or rather I should call it an addiction, would give me so much pleasure. I love my miniature world, which for me, is a safe haven, where I can make and create whatever I want. Seeing the creations of all my dollhouse friends is something I enjoy every day, and it has enriched my world so much. I think there always will be room and a future for miniaturists and miniatures.”
Marike is currently working on a larger dollhouse, “a bit more French-oriented”, she said. “I also just finished a little cottage for my adorable mice girls, Amalia and Matilda, from Rebacca Wheeler @talesfromtheoldthreadhouses. Also, there’s a veranda which I bought as a kit from Janny Warnaar @artofmini for my two lovely bunnies, Benjamin and Bella, made by Puline @picwool/. I know from experience there probably always will be another  project coming my way as soon as I finish each one!”

Contact information:
Name:  Marike Noordhoek-Struijs
Email:  marike.noordhoek@kpnmail.nl
Phone:  00631653177425
Address:  Disneystrook 42 2726 ST Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
Phone:  00631653177425
Instagram?  Marike1956