PHO TOS BY DANIEL LI PPI TT It's A Small World After All Ronni Silberman is mad about miniatures. SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS Ronni Silberman: Authentically detailed and stylized scenes. oomy" takes on a new meaning at Ronni Silberman's West Bloomfield home, where she howcases dozens of rooms — all in miniature. Using a work area upstairs and anoth- er in the basement, Silberman crafts and displays slightly larger than shoebox-size rooms open at the top and front for view- ing. Filled with authentically detailed and stylized models of people, furniture and decorative pieces, each room captures a scene from life. Inspired by people and places she has known, some serious and others whimsical, most of her scenes rest 88 A family seder in miniature. on a shelving unit in her second-floor work- space. One replica depicts a family seder in a formal dining area. A second shows ele- gant people enjoying tea in a plush living room. A third is energized by child-like dolls in a play nook. A fourth dramatizes a group coping with a kitchen spill. Silberman hopes that all her tiny rooms will make their way to galleries to be sold. Currently, she is represented by Art Lead- ers, Grosse Pointe and the Riki Schaffer galleries. "I want to go to the [highest] degree of re- alism and capture a moment in time," said the artisan, who also has constructed views of a bedroom pillow fight, a man shaving in a bathroom and a birthday celebration. Silberman doesn't make all of the re- alistic looking objects that fill the model rooms, which she constructs with power tools. She buys one-of-a-kind dolls, some of the furniture and a number of acces- sories at trade shows around the country. Her self-taught personal touches can be found in the wallpaper, clothing and home accessories such as planters that round out each of her lively scenes. Although Silberman has been fascinat- ed with doll houses and dolls since she was a child, her artistic ideas did not take shape until nine years ago, when she found ex- tra time during the day. After her daughter and son were grown and out of the house, she began at-home work by setting up a day-care arrangement for three infants at a time. While the babies were napping, she worked on her rooms — all made to scale. "My interest in doll houses and dolls never went away," she explained. "At the time I start- ed taking care of the babies, which began as a favor for my working nieces, I happened into miniature stores that were not too far from my home. I haunt- ed those stores for a while be- fore buying my first doll house. "I finished that lickety-split and got another, which also was finished lickety-split. I kept go- ing on and on until people sug- gested I build scenes into separate rooms instead of entire houses. The rooms took off from there." With the encouragement of her husband, Richard, Silberman designed and crafted rooms ordered by family and friends and made other rooms as gifts. "I couldn't stop because I was having such a good time," she said. "I travel to the trade shows constantly, and the dealers get to know what I want. "I've only been selling the rooms for about two years. My sister- in-law [Ros- alind Smith] came over one day, put three or four in her car and took off. She placed them at Art Leaders Gallery." Silberman, 50, recently gave up her day- care business and works at her craft al- most all day. Besides the residential scenes, there are commercial settings as well — people sit- ting on stools in a diner, adults and chil- dren in a clothing store and a fortune teller and client looking into a crystal ball. Outdoor views include a couple sun- bathing on a patio that has lounge chairs, a barbecue and rich folinge, and a man fish- ing at a small pond. The most intricate piece stays in Sil- berman's living room. It is an apartment building with several floors. Viewers get to look inside by opening the walls as if they were doors. On the ground floor is a millinery shop with elaborate, colorful — and, of course, tiny — hats. "My joy comes from making these scenes and seeing the finished products," Silber- man said. "When I'm done with one, I'm happy and ready for the next. It's really not hard to part with them. "I get a kick out of the fact that so many other people enjoy these miniatures. That also keeps me going." ❑ For information on the availability of Ronni Silberman's miniature scenes, call (248) 661-4688.