New Reality Series to Showcase the Ultimate in Miniature Design

Gabled windows. Reclaimed farmhouse beams. Quartz countertops. No, those aren’t the features listed on a luxury real estate listing -- they’re just some of the (very) detailed amenities included in the dollhouses created on the upcoming reality show Best in Miniature.

A first-of-its-kind in Canada, the upcoming series, produced by marblemedia in association with Discovery + UK and Ireland, premieres on CBC Gem on February 11. Hosted by comedian Aba Amuquandoh of This Hour Has 22 Minutes fame, it will feature 11 competitors -- all miniature design enthusiasts with notable social media followings -- as they battle it out over every painstaking detail.

READ: ‘Horror Movie Houses’ No Longer Seem to Scare Off Toronto Homebuyers

Up for grabs is a $10,000 cash prize... and the ultimate in dollhouse bragging rights, of course. The winner will also receive a residency spot with the prestigious International Guild of Miniature Artisans in Maine.

Miniature Design Best in Miniature host Aba Amuquandoh. Photo Courtesy of CBC Gem

Judges are Canadian interior designer Micheal Lambie and UK miniature expert Emma Waddell.

Precision and artistry are the name of the game here, as participants have just hours to pull together their mini architectural wonders, complete with load bearing exterior walls and working windows, with everything at 1:12 scale. They’ll also need to have serious interior decorating chops and crafting know-how, in order to produce everything for their homes’ itty-bitty aesthetics, from minute mailboxes to tiny upholstered furniture.

Miniature Design Micheal Lambie and Emma Waddell. Photo Courtesy of CBC Gem

Once a fairly niche interest, miniatures have soared in popularity in recent years, blending a love of craftsmanship, design, and even real estate; a number of Instagram and TikTok accounts have sprung up, showcasing these tiny wonders under hashtags such as #dollhousereno, #roombox, and #12thscale.

See on Instagram

Well, if you can’t afford to buy that stately Bridle Path mansion (or any Toronto real estate, for that matter), we suppose building your own (tiny) slice of homeownership is the next best thing.

Real Estate News

New Reality Series to Showcase the Ultimate in Miniature Design

A new CBC Gem reality series, 'Best in Miniature', launches this week and reveals the painstaking detail behind miniature design perfection.

Trending

You may also like

Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board has tripled its adjudicators and cemented a digital-first approach, but it continues to face a massive backlog, igniting calls for change.

Though rents remain well above historic levels, they are on the decline, with November posting a 1.6% drop in prices compared to last year.

The updated plans include an additional 24 storeys and 527 rental apartments, all within walking distance of the Eglinton Subway and planned Eglinton Crosstown LRT stop.

The penthouse sits atop 21 Dallas Road, right next to Fisherman's Wharf in Victoria.

The key policies introduced this year — ranging from new zoning laws to federal housing initiatives — show promise in addressing Toronto's housing crisis and improving its transit options.

​The Madeira Manor site at 4330 Maywood Street (6677 Silver Avenue) in Burnaby was acquired by Thind Properties from Kirpal Group.

For the last interest rate announcement of 2024 — slated for Wednesday, December 11 — the question is (once again) not will the Bank of Canada lower the rate, but by how much.

If one home simply won't cut it, why not try four, spread across a 39-acre estate nestled along the edge of the Niagara Escarpment?

There’s a lot of pessimism surrounding housing in Canada, but Goldstein speaks on the topic with an undertone of hopefulness and positivity. “The fact that we are having these conversations, I think, is so exciting,” she says.

The mixed-use development would deliver 620 residential units within walking distance of the Main Street Subway Station and Danforth GO.

It's time to say "Hello" to Ally Ballam, Advisor, Engel & Völkers Vancouver, who focusses on Vancouver, North Vancouver, Tri-Cities, and the Fraser Valley.

At a Committee meeting on Thursday, councillors adopted a number of items that tackle the missing middle, optimizing building guidelines, and addressing office vs. housing needs throughout the City.

The Ottawa-based developer secured new financing to clear $6.5M in debt and climb out of receivership in mid-September, but was ultimately denied in late-November.

An ongoing dispute between Peterson Group and Create Properties resulted in the Burnaby Lake Village project being placed under creditor protection in November.

Pending potentially damaging evolutions in political leadership, global conflict, and trade agreements, Royal LePage is predicting a return to stability in Canada's housing market come 2025, with prices appreciating at a steady rate.

The 8-storey Strada at 555 College Street in Toronto was developed in 2021 by RioCan and Allied Properties REIT.

2024 © STOREYS Publishing Inc. | All Rights Reserved

The Madeira Manor site at 4330 Maywood Street (6677 Silver Avenue) in Burnaby was acquired by Thind Properties from Kirpal Group.