About Miniastyr

Who am I?

My name is Ole Martinus Breivik. I was born and raised in Gjerdsbakkane, a farm on Dimnøya in Sunnmøre, west on the coast of Norway. Ever since I was young, I have had a passion for miniatures, modeling and carpentry, and have made both landscapes and my own furniture over the years. Over the years, I have learned a lot from others in the family, as I have helped build several buildings and projects on the farm here at home. So you can say I'm well used to using both my hands and my head. And I have now chosen to take this hobby a step further.

Why Miniastyr?

The name Miniastyr came from a brainstorming with the rest of the family, and it suits me perfectly as a name for what I do. I miniaturize lots of big ideas, and occasionally I do larger projects. I'm the type of person who gets ideas while I'm working, and I have both one and two notebooks with ideas and drawings written down, and there will be more. It mostly happens in miniature, but i also work with other things, therefore Miniastyr. The norwegian word for miniatures (miniatyr) + the norwegian word for things (styr).

Where am I?

I live in Trondheim, where I have a good workplace available. Here I get to create both large and small projects. And last but not least, I also have local materials available. I usually go out of my way to find local materials from old barns or farms around my area, to use in my projects. That's why many of these projects are close to my heart, because it's one thing to get to work with my hands, but when you get to work from material from previous generations started on, you feel an extra sense of pride.

What can I do for you?

I mainly build what in English are called Booknooks, also known as bookshelf dioramas. But I stick to Booknooks, as it is a well-established word internationally. These are small boxes you have on the bookshelf, which show a different world, and are a small detail that makes every bookshelf want that extra little detail that really makes people stop!
I also build different projects for things like role-playing and miniature games, and generally other games for that matter. Here, only the imagination is the limit. And I would say my imagination has few limits when it comes to such projects.
I also make different decorations for the table, the wall or anywhere. This is often with landscapes, miniatures and a story behind it.
And finally, I also make different pieces of furniture. Tables, shelves, stools and everything in between. I have just started this, but there will be more and more of these when I get started.

How long do I spend on the project?

The time spent depends on how big the project is, what it is, what material I use, and so on. But I often spend anything from a week to a month on a project. I also work on several projects at the same time, so something new comes out every week.

What makes the projects unique?

Every single project is hand-made, hand-painted and made with love and care. Therefore, not every project is the same, and if I make two Booknooks in the same style, they will never be exactly the same, because each individual project will have its own little twist. That's what makes these worth getting. You will get something that you can actually say that no one else has, something unique, something handmade.

 

So, then you know more about me, and why I do this. If you are wondering about something, or have questions or feedback, send me a message here or by e-mail Miniastyr@gmail.com .

 

Thank you very much for reading, and I hope to hear from you!

 

Ole Martinus