Finishing touches: a former engineer inspires kids to use their imaginations by letting them build and customize dollhouses

Entrepreneur,  Sept, 2005  by Lori Kozlowski

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WHAT: Customized dollhouses kids can assemble and design themselves

WHO: Curtis Jacobson of Storyboard Toys

WHERE: Longmont, Colorado

WHEN: Started in 2002

A former engineer for Volvo, Curtis Jacobson, 38, made toys as a hobby in his spare time--frequently using his eight nieces and nephews to test-market his innovations. But he knew he was onto something when he got the idea for ArtHouses. "You could have the kids designing their own wallpaper or siding, and that got me to the idea of building a dollhouse with walls that display 8.5-by-11-[inch] paper artwork," says Jacobson, who launched the business with personal savings. Made of furniture-grade plywood and plastic, the dollhouses are collapsible and can be assembled by a child in just two minutes.

Though Jacobson originally believed toy stores and museum gift shops would be the top markets for his product, he's seen the most interest from elementary school teachers, who use ArtHouses as creative teaching tools. Conducive to group projects and the imagination, ArtHouses have been used to teach poetry, explain color theory and more. Currently, primary schools in Brevard County, Florida, have incorporated ArtHouses into after-school programs and the summer school curriculum.

The product is also sold on Jacobson's website (www.storyboard toys.com) and in some independent toy stores nationwide. In 2004, the company grossed five figures, but Jacobson expects to earn six figures this year, since the education community Keeps asking for more. Says Jacobson, "It's all about what kids do with it. It's a very creativity-inspiring device."

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