Dollhouse Living Inspires Small, Affordable Studio Domes
March 22, 2006
 David B. South, President of the Monolithic Dome Institute |
During the early 1970s, Dorothy, my secretary, wanted Sherwin, her husband, to build a doll/play house for the kids on their farm. Sherwin was willing to build it, but he didn't want to build a tiny dollhouse. So he built one that was 12' x 12'. He installed a bathroom and even a kitchen. Over the years, their children and others made great use of that dollhouse.
At one point, the eldest daughter of the family, a senior in high school, announced,"I am pregnant."
Dad and Mom asked, "What are you going to do? Are you going to get married?"
"Yes, we are going to get married," she said.
The parents then asked,"Where are you going to live?"
"We are going to live in the dollhouse," she answered.
The dad replied,"You can't do that. It is too small."
But they talked about it and finally decided that it was feasible. So, the newly weds moved into the dollhouse and lived there for almost a year. After they graduated from high school and got jobs, they rented and moved into a larger home.
Some time later, Randy South, my brother, came into the office with a question for my secretary. He asked, "Dorothy, can I rent your dollhouse?"
Since her kids were grown and gone and the dollhouse wasn't being used, Dorothy agreed. So when Randy and his wife Karen got married, they moved into the dollhouse. They stayed in the dollhouse for eight to nine months.
Shortly after that, another of Dorothy's kids got married and lived in the dollhouse. Two of their neighbor families had kids who also lived in the dollhouse for a short time. Then, one night, the dollhouse burned and that was the end of it.
I share this story with you because the saga of the dollhouse was the catalyst for the creation of the studio domes located here in Italy, Texas. There's a huge need for affordable domes for young couples, single students and many others in the midst of a transition. They do not need three bedrooms and a garage. They need practical, small, secure homes they can afford -- like all of the couples who lived in and were grateful for the dollhouse. Like that dollhouse, our studio domes provide a much needed stepping stone.
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