Lee Robinson is a dad-of-two based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, who balanced a full-time career in graphic design alongside his growing passion for miniature model making. His journey into model making began when he wanted to create scenery and buildings for his children’s train set, drawing on his graphic designer background to recreate tiny buildings. He discovered the work of model maker Iain Robinson who became a mentor, and the two exchanged emails and comments on Iain’s blog many times.

Lee started accepting commissions to create a variety of structures, ranging from terraced houses to thatched cottages and French châteaux. His first commission foray came through model railway forums, and his business took off in earnest in 2020 during lockdown furlough, sparked by a viral tweet. In 2020, he had just finished a collection of models recreating the lost railway buildings of Denholme Station near Bradford, then posted a photo of a house he’d made for himself on Twitter asking “Would anyone like a model of their own home?” — and was inundated with replies.

His intricate models are constructed from laser-cut MDF and craft foam, featuring hand-crafted details fashioned from plastic, metal, and air-dry clay. A single model house typically costs more than £1,000 and requires 80 to 150 hours over six to eight weeks to complete. His most popular TikTok video, featuring a quintessential terraced brick dwelling, has amassed more than one million views.

Lee appears in episodes three and eight of The Marvellous Miniature Workshop on BBC One, alongside fellow model-making cast members Hannah Lemon, Abi Trotman, and Ethan Goodbody. He is married and has two children, aged 17 and 21 years.