Our Tiny Fireplace: A Handmade Miniature That Came Home With Us

Moving into a new house is thrilling, but leaving the old one behind always tugs at the heart. We waved goodbye to familiar features and unfinished projects—the penny-tile backsplash, the deck, and even our mantel display. One small exception surprised us: a tiny, perfect version of our own fireplace that made the trip with us.

Up close, the little piece is astonishing. It’s a fully realized miniature of the original mantel—a careful, scaled-down replica that captures the proportions and charm of the real thing. The detail is what stops you: the molding, the hearth, the textures that make it unmistakably our fireplace, only much smaller and completely portable.

The piece was created by Lisa Harrold, a recent fine arts graduate from the UK who specializes in miniature work. As a way of keeping her skills sharp, Lisa chose our fireplace as a subject and built this piece for practice—only much smaller. After she finished it, she offered to send it to us as a housewarming gift. We insisted on covering the cost of the piece and shipping, and happily accepted what quickly became one of our favorite objects in the new house.

We haven’t found its permanent spot yet—it’s a little too large and fragile for a child’s dollhouse—but it’s likely to sit somewhere visible, perhaps on the living room built-ins. Photographing such a delicate, detailed item proved challenging; these pictures don’t fully convey the craftsmanship and subtle touches Lisa included. Seeing it in person reveals the thoughtful construction and careful finishing that make it special.

We joked about staging a little monster-movie scene with Burger, our dog, playing Godzilla—crushing the tiny mantel in dramatic fashion. Burger, however, was unimpressed. He offered a look that ranged from puzzled to hopeful: puzzled about the miniature asset and eager about the treat we were hiding nearby. The result was a series of photos that captured his curiosity rather than cinematic destruction.

In the end, the mini-fireplace remains intact. It sits as both a charming decorative piece and a meaningful keepsake—a small, tactile reminder of the time and care we invested in our previous home. We’re grateful to Lisa for creating such a thoughtful gift and for offering a physical link between our old house and the new one.

We hope this little story might inspire others to preserve memories in imaginative ways. Sherry has already joked about commissioning miniatures as gifts for friends and family—perhaps a tiny laundry nook or a diminutive living room fireplace to keep the collection growing. Whatever we choose next, having a miniature of a place we loved feels like a beautiful way to carry part of that home forward.

Thank you again to Lisa for the thoughtful miniature fireplace. It’s a small work of art with a big emotional presence, and it’s found a happy new home with us.