One of the most exciting steps in building a miniature dollhouse kit is finishing off the interior. Installing your miniature dollhouse windows is first step in transforming your wooden box of a dollhouse into the cozy cottage it’s destined to become!

If you are assembling your dollhouse from a kit, your complete dollhouse kit will include miniature windows to be fitted into the pre-cut window spaces. The first step is to double-check the fit of each window. Be sure not to glue them into place until the wallpaper or other interior finishing has been completed. You will also want to ensure the pre-cut window openings are squared off. Occasionally, when a router is used to cut the openings, your miniature window opening may have slightly rounded edges. Use a small fine tooth saw if the window opening’s corners are not perfectly squared.

If you opt to exchange out the windows that come with your kit, keep in mind that window sizes will vary between manufacturers and kits and there is no standard size. You will need to measure carefully to ensure the replacement window fits into your cut opening.

When fitting the window from the exterior of the dollhouse, the back edge of the window’s frame (interior side) should extend through the wall enough so that it is flush with the interior wall surface. If you find the window sticks out further than the interior wall, just wrap the interior trim around the frame. If the window does not extend far enough inward, add 1/8 inch square wood strips to extend the frame so that it is flush with the interior wall. Usually one layer of wood stripping will be enough, but in some cases you may need to add a second.

It is best to paint the dollhouse window before gluing them into place. In many dollhouse kits, there are two frames for each window with a plastic window pane that is inserted between the two frames. When gluing your windows in place, place glue around the outer groove of the first frame and attach to your dollhouse. Next, insert the plastic window pane. Lastly, attach your second window frame with glue. Use glue sparingly so that you don’t accidentally smear any onto the window.

Following the above steps will ensure a polished and professionally-designed look to your beautiful dollhouse creation!

Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures carries a wide selection of dollhouse miniatures including miniature furniture, accessories, lighting, building supplies, dolls and dollhouse kits.

Are you looking to add drama to your dollhouse? The key to adding pizzazz to your dollhouse is all in the lighting. After all, the light of a home is where its soul lies. Like the glow of a crackling fire in the fireplace, you are looking for your miniature scene to capture the elusive effects of light that provide a sense of coziness and warmth that only home can bring.

The majority of light coming into a dollhouse is natural and will come from its open back and windows. Depending upon what parts of your dollhouse you wish to accent, miniature lamps and lighting can be placed almost anywhere, but consider placing your miniature lamps, sconces and overhead lighting where it will best complement the natural light coming into your dollhouse. You may wish to evenly illuminate a room such as a kitchen or you may choose to accent specific parts of a room – such as a bedroom by placing a lamp on your doll’s bedside table that highlights or calls attention to a miniature book and pair of eyeglasses.

When making decisions about where to place lighting, consider where shadows will most likely occur in a dollhouse. Corners tend to be darker than the center of the room and can be lit up with the help of a miniature floor lamp. Outside of your dollhouse, consider the larger room where your dollhouse will be displayed. The most enjoyable aspect of your dollhouse lighting project will come when your dollhouse lighting is turned on and the larger room’s lights are dimmed or turned off – creating a spectacular scene. If your larger room doesn’t already have a dimmer switch, consider adding one so that you can achieve this wonderful effect when you step back and marvel at your miniature masterpiece.

We all have our favorite historical period and miniaturists love to take the opportunity to recreate their favorite period styles in miniature form. Whether it’s a rich, opulent Victorian-era room filled with lace and ornaments or a more modern dollhouse room with the minimalist touch, there are several popular period styles to choose among when planning your dollhouse design. Below we discuss 4 popular period styles dollhouse enthusiasts may consider replicating.

Victorian: The Victorian period is a favorite amongst dollhouse collectors and enthusiasts. These grand-scaled rooms provide ample opportunity to embellish to your hearts content. Clutter abounds using a rich and opulent decorating theme and it’s often a fun challenge to see how many dollhouse miniatures you can fit into one room. There are several dollhouse kits available for this architectural period. Decorate your miniature Victorian dollhouse room with upholstered miniature furniture pieces in rich velvet fabrics, unique shapes and ornate curves. Curtains in rich, heavy-patterned fabrics with tassels or embroidery are also appropriate for the Victorian-themed miniature room. Consider embellishing your Victorian room with miniature accessories such as a Victorian Figurine in a Glass Dome or perhaps a traditional miniature Chamber Pot Set for your dollhouse dresser or vanity.

Tudor: Tudor furniture was sparse in the rooms of this house that were rarely seen by guests. Even the wealthiest of homeowners would furnish their bedrooms with a sturdy bed, storage chest and chair. The main rooms in the home were designed to impress. These colorful rooms were decorated with the finest furnishings, rich French-inspired tapestries and portraits with gilded frames. Walls were often cluttered with impressive symbols such as weapons, heraldic shields and family crests. Tudor rooms featured early musical instruments which were played as servants brought out elaborately-prepared food to place on lush banquet tables decorated with beautiful accessories. When decorating a miniature room using the Tudor period style, decorate with dark oak miniature furniture and perhaps a miniature chest or cabinet with an inlaid or hand-painted design. Consider adding gold-framed miniature pictures, miniature candlesticks made of pewter and early miniature musical instruments, such as a lute or shawm.

Arts & Crafts: By the turn of the century, the Arts & Crafts movement took hold. The simple and clean lines of this period lent itself to a down-home country feel. Arts & crafts period rooms were embellished with hand-crafted miniature accessories and handmade furnishings. Arts & Crafts enthusiasts favored fresh, natural and simple over ornate and opulent. Rooms featured some metals and natural woods. Oak was especially popular during this period. Look for miniature furniture designs with clean, classic and simple lines – nothing too ornate or curvy. Simple miniature accessories for this period room may include handmade miniature baskets, miniature pitchers and simple ceramic dishware.

Modern: The 1950’s were the beginning of a great change in interior decoration. Still recovering from the effects of World War II, people of this period were ready for color and willing to be adventurous in their decorating themes. Homes of this modern period featured fabrics and wallpapers in bold and colorful patterns. Fabrics were still in short supply after the war, so both carpeting and curtain designs remained plain and simple. Simple furniture design was also the norm. To replicate the theme of this period, decorate your miniature modern room with molded plastic furniture sets, simple lounging chairs and boxy tables. Consider adding miniature dollhouse accessories including miniature knitting supplies (a popular hobby during this era) and a miniature coffee machine or grinder since coffee had become the fashionable drink of this era.

Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures has recently added the ability for customers to search the website at www.zoolabees.com by manufacturer. This gives potential customers the opportunity to sort and navigate our site to find dollhouse miniatures, dollhouse dolls and miniature furniture products by their favorite dollhouse makers.

Zoolabees carries a wide variety of popular miniature brands such as Hansson Miniatures, Town Square Miniatures, Handley House Classics, Heidi Ott, Small Wonders, Real Good Toys and International Miniatures. These are just a few of the many miniatures manufacturers Zoolabees stocks.

Our easy-to-navigate website is designed so that customers can view miniatures by category. Our categories are designed to sort miniatures by popular dollhouse rooms such as Sewing and Laundry, Kitchen or Bedroom. Other popular categories such as Lamps and Lighting and Pictures, Frames and Art allow customers to go directly to that category to see all options available through our online store. Customers also have the ability to narrow down their searches by typing in their own search keywords.

In addition, we offer our customers the ability to view new products which are often updated daily or weekly. This allows our repeat customers to search new products without having to navigate through each category on our site.

Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures sells quality doll house miniatures at affordable prices. We have been in business since October 2006.

Furnishing and accessorizing a dollhouse is considered the icing on the cake when building your dollhouse. The same secrets of successful interior decoration that apply to real-life interior decorating also apply to your dollhouse!

Choosing miniature furniture and accessories for your dollhouse requires the creator to take a step back and use a good dose of common sense. Planning your dollhouse and knowing when to stop are critical elements of good dollhouse interior design. The enthusiastic collector may quickly get caught up in the vast selection of adorable dollhouse miniatures available, but you must choose wisely, so that you don’t over-decorate and overwhelm the design of your dollhouse.

This rule especially applies to 1:24 scale or half-inch scale dollhouse rooms. These rooms are so tiny they don’t require a great deal of miniature furniture to make a bold statement. The rule of less is more really applies in this situation.

When decorating your miniature room, furnish your miniature room in layers. Remember to periodically take a step back and critically look at how your design is playing out. Since you will already have your flooring, wallpaper and paint in place, begin by choosing miniature furniture pieces that will act as primary focal points for your room. This is considered the first layer. Look at the size of the dollhouse room and choose miniature furniture pieces that fit into the purpose of the room with one primary piece acting as your focal point for the room. For example, when furnishing a dollhouse bedroom, a miniature bed is an essential focal point. If you were designing a sewing room, one would expect to find a miniature sewing machine or miniature sewing table as a focal point in the room.

The second layer of your miniature room should be smaller functional or accent miniature furniture pieces. In a dollhouse bedroom, you would find such accent pieces as a miniature armoire, bedside table or chair.

Your third layer should consist of background miniature accessories such as rugs, curtains, miniature pictures and miniature lighting fixtures.

Your fourth and final layer is the garnishment of the room. This is where you will embellish with carefully selected miniature accents. There are so many adorable items to choose among! Choose miniature accessories that complement the purpose of the room. Miniature picture frames, a small plant or miniature jewelry box can make for the perfect complement to your dollhouse bedroom. For a dollhouse kitchen, think miniature food items such as miniature vegetables, fruits or miniature kitchen accessories such as copper pots and pans. You will want to choose miniatures that add to your room rather than overwhelm it. Follow these basic design principles to make your dollhouse decor perfectly balanced.

Summer is almost upon us and it’s time to think about giving your dollhouse that extra special summertime touch. Stumped about what to add? Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures offers a few suggestions of miniature dollhouse accessories you can use to decorate your dollhouse with the season of sun in mind.

The exterior of your dollhouse is the perfect place to exhibit your summertime originality. Consider accessorizing the outside porch, patio or balcony area with miniature potted flowers and plants. A beautiful miniature Calla Lily plant, floral hanging basket or planter box overflowing with pink geraniums will add a touch of sunshine to your display.

Your dollhouse porch or patio is a blank canvas crying out for seasonal miniature decor. Squelch those cries with dollhouse miniatures that remind your dollhouse admirers that even dolls take time to enjoy summer. How about a miniature flower flat and planting set? The small bag of soil and seed packets add a whimsical touch to your porch. Just prop these up against the exterior of your dollhouse or place next to some empty plant pots.

A miniature garbage can filled with the leftover reminders of barbecues, picnics and summertime fun is also a must-have for your dollhouse patio display. Place this garbage can near your miniature dollhouse barbecue grill. Don’t forget a lawn chair or two or an outdoor patio dining set.

Is your dollhouse yard ripe for a beach or swimming pool theme? Consider adding an adorable set of miniature beach toys to your display. Display this next to a miniature wading pool and don’t forget to add a pitcher of lemonade to the scene. Other summertime accessories for your porch or yard might include a miniature softball set or skateboard.

Last but not least, remember the gardening tools. Of course, no summertime dollhouse yard or garage is complete without the miniature lawn mower.

Ideas abound when it comes to creative ways to bring the outdoors inside for summertime. Let your imagination wander as you add those special touches of summer that make your dollhouse creation truly one-of-a-kind.

When most people think of dollhouse miniatures, forensics or crime scene investigations are usually the last thing to come to mind.

An interesting and fascinating use of dollhouse miniatures is the creation of dioramas or mini-vignettes representing the details found at a real scene of a crime. The crafter of these tiny crime scenes uses a dollhouse or room box and includes all of the lifelike detail of the life-size scene including furniture, body, weapon and even footprints. No detail is too small and each scene must include important components such as working lights and doors and windows that actually open. The seemingly most inconsequential details must be captured if the dollhouse crime scene is to be effective. These 3-D dollhouse crime scenes aid detectives in studying real clues that should be sought when investigating a real crime scene. They are also used as an important tool in training students and investigators who are interested in entering the fascinating field of forensics.

Thomas Mauriello, Professor of Criminology at the University of Maryland believes that in a world of computer-aided crime scene analysis, there is no substitute for hands-on experience – even if the hands are on a tiny doll representing the corpse of a victim. Mauriello has created 6 tiny crime-scene room boxes or dioramas which include important clues to the cause of death – be it accident, suicide or homicide. Conjuring images up from the scene of a horror flick, Mauriello’s miniature crime scenes include blood-stained walls and tiny death bed figures, many of which can be found lying face down in the garage or face up on the kitchen linoleum floor.

Mauriello reminds his students that the ability to examine the details of a crime scene in miniature form is essential – they cannot do that at a real crime scene as it’s impossible. It’s closed off so they cannot violate the integrity of the crime scene. Mauriello used to re-create his crime scenes by taking over a university house and turning it into a life-size crime scene. A huge undertaking, this would often take him days to prepare. Mauriello prefers the dollhouse miniature dioramas as they take much less time to prepare and are easily portable.

The originator of the dollhouse crime scene investigations was Frances Glessner Lee, an eccentric millionaires in the 1940’s and 1950’s who founded Harvard’s department of legal medicine. Lee spent as much as $3000 per miniature dollhouse crime scene diorama – close to the cost of a real house at that time. Lee was a perfectionist when it came to her dollhouse scenes. Bullets and shotgun shells were perfectly miniaturized and her miniature victims wore clothing carefully knitted by Lee herself. Lee became the honorary captain of the New Hampshire state police force and used her dollhouse crime scene dioramas mimicking real crime scenes to challenge the boys in her unit.

For more great information on this topic, we recommend reading The Dollhouse Murders by Thomas Mauriello.

When deciding which dollhouse miniatures to stock our virtual shelves with at Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures, first and foremost is quality. Our favorite manufacturer of miniature dollhouse furniture is Hansson Miniatures located in Santa Clara, CA.

Hansson manufacturers a line of exquisite, top quality 1:12 and 1:24 scale dollhouse furniture pieces for every room in your dollhouse! Each piece of miniature furniture is hand-carved and hand-painted. Hansson uses quality materials including solid mahogany and solid walnut to craft each piece. Their dollhouse furniture pieces feature quality craftsmanship including upholstered seats, working drawers and many other magnificent details! Hansson’s pieces were designed for the discerning collector who only wishes to furnish their dollhouse with the very finest heirloom quality pieces.

Hansson’s miniatures are available in a variety of finishes, although walnut and mahogany are the two main wood finishes. However, be warned that there is not just one shade of mahogany or walnut. Hansson offers subtle variations of each color with minor differences in wood color, warmth and tone. The color differences are done in such a subtle way that all of the walnut pieces can be paired together to create a classic “collected over time” look.

In addition to the popular choices of mahogany and walnut, Hansson offers solid wood pieces in a hand-painted cream finish or hand-painted black finish. Beautifully-detailed, hand-painted chinoise designs are featured on both the black or cream finish. A few other finish choices exist as well as a line of unfinished miniature furniture pieces that act as a blank canvas for the would-be-miniature-furniture-artist.

Hansson also features a wonderful collection of miniature dollhouse upholstered pieces. The selection of fabrics and styles is almost endless! Their arm chairs range in style from a completely upholstered country floral skirted arm chair to the refined mahogany-framed tufted silk arm chair to the distinguished authentic cognac leather wingback chair. These beautiful chairs have coordinating sofas and/or loveseats available as well!

If that wasn’t enough, we’re proud to announce that Hansson makes more than just dollhouse furniture! One of the most unique dollhouse miniature accessories offered by Hansson if their line of Eggshell Porcelain miniatures which includes vases, jars, pitchers, bowls, tea sets and full dish sets. These exquisite dollhouse miniature vases are crafted of porcelain and hand-painted with the most vivid details. These eggshell porcelain pieces make for a magnificent accessory to your dollhouse fireplace mantel, curio cabinet, dining room table or display case.

Hansson also carries a line of miniature dollhouse pictures framed in either mahogany or an ornate, hand-painted gold finish. Each picture features a plexi-glass cover and soft felt backing. We encourage you to visit our site at www.zoolabees.com to see this selection of gorgeous dollhouse miniatures! Please keep in mind that we are also able to special order most any piece available through Hansson’s website. Please contact us at customerservice@zoolabees.com for more details.

A recent article published in Dollhouse Miniatures Magazine asks its readers to provide their most indispensable tools when building dollhouses and other dollhouse miniature projects. Here’s a list of the most important tools to top their list:

One-Inch-Scale Ruler: A standard architect’s ruler is a must-have when working with dollhouse miniatures. This handy ruler will allow you to easily transfer full-sized measurements into scale measurements, instantly! Look for the left end of the 1″ scale which is divided by 1/12″. It’s available at most office supply stores.

Miniature Bench Lighting: When working with tiny items, good lighting is essential. Use an incandescent light at a sharp angle to avoid shadows. Use color-corrected fluorescent lighting for painting when color matters because the incandescent light can drastically affect how colors appear under this type of lighting. A combination of both types of light work well when clear coat finishing furniture.

Plastic Picks for Teeth: These picks are similar to wooden toothpicks, but are made for teeth. Unlike wood, plastic doesn’t encourage things to stick or absorb. These picks are usually shaped somewhat like a hockey stick and can usually be located where toothpaste and floss are sold.

Storage with PVC Pipe: Cut various lengths (6″ to 15″) white PVC pipe, wire or tape them together and attach to a box bottom. These pipes can stand vertically or lay horizontally for storage of wood dowels, molding, metal rods, etc. A larger diameter PVC can attach to your garage wall for larger pieces.

Teflon Pressing Sheet: Teflon pressing sheets can be used while painting, sanding, gluing or even ironing. The dried paint and glue can be washed off or scraped off using an old credit card. These sheets are practically indestructible, but be careful not to cut on them. These are usually found in fabric stores and are available in different sizes.

We hope you will find these tips provided by readers of DH Miniatures magazine useful. Please visit our other blog postings for more helpful tips and suggestions.

For dollhouse novices and experts alike, choosing the architectural style of your dollhouse is an important first step in planning your dollhouse miniature project. Here is an overview of some of the popular styles available on the market today as well as the history of where these popular styles originated. This list of dollhouse styles was put together by Real Good Toys, a premier manufacturer of quality dollhouses.

Cape Cod

The Cape Cod style (c.1675 - 1950) reflects the difficult weather and thrifty builders of the early northeastern coastal villages. A traditional Cape Cod has a steep roof with small eaves to protect the house from heavy New England snowfalls and a large central fireplace to keep it cozy. The 1-1/2-story houses have living space in the attic. A Cape Cod has double hung windows with mullions, shutters and is finished with clapboard or shingles on the outside.

Colonial

The Colonial house (c.1700 - present) is an American adaptation of the English “Cotswold” or Free Holder’s cottage. In its earlier version, the Cotswold had an open fire pit inside the house and the smoke would find its own way out through the thatched roof. The fire room was on one end of the house so the residents could keep warm in the loft but still be away from the smoke. This 1/3 and 2/3 division of the house was still reflected in early colonial layouts showing up as offset front doors and non-symmetrical first floor layouts. As the Colonial design spread out from the earliest American villages, the typical features were of a house 1-1/2 or 2-stories tall with approximately a 45 degree roof pitch, narrow eaves (for shedding snow) and a narrow front-to-back so every room could be well lighted by the windows. The windows were small pane double hung with no frivolous ornamentation and had shutters. The doors were also plain and utilitarian. The walls were almost always clapboard or wooden shingles. The Colonial design took on the attributes of other styles that were popular at the time of its building, showing Federal, Greek Revival or Victorian details in their turn.

Mansard

Mansard roofs (c.1550 - 1870) are steeply sloping roofs with a flat or nearly flat top. These became very popular in the 17th century of Paris as they took advantage of the property tax laws, which did not tax attic spaces. The attic of a Mansard house had a fully usable attic and was tax-free! Architect Francois Mansart took advantage of that in his designs. The word “Mansard” comes from his name being on so many designs for houses with this roof design. See our favorite Mansard Dollhouse.

Plantation

The Plantation (c.1803 - 1862) houses reflect the elegance and grandeur of the American south in the early 1800’s. These houses have tall ceilings and a formal layout inside, often with fancy stairways. On the outside, columned verandas with balconies are the dominant feature to shade the interior and catch the breezes. It is the large balcony that differentiates this style from the Greek revival.

Tudor

The Tudor reflects the early English great houses that were made by joining together a frame of hewn timbers, then pounding sticks to jam in-between the beams. Finally, two plasterers would stand, one inside and one outside the wall, and press plaster into the sticks until the plaster squeezed through the holes between the sticks and joined the plaster being pressed into the wall from the other side. More layers of plaster left a masonry wall held in place by jammed lath with the hewn beams showing inside and out. That’s the Tudor look. The diagonal beams are diagonal bracing of the frame. Half-timbered Tudor houses, ones that step out half way up the wall (so that the second floor is bigger than the first floor) became necessary when the wood supply could not keep up with demand, and trees large enough to reach all the way to the top of the wall became scarce. Half timbering allowed the frame to be made from smaller trees. Tudor houses traditionally had the steep pitch and shed dormers of thatched roofs but neo-Tudor houses of the 1890-1920’s had multiple intersecting gables and peak roof dormers. The better roofing materials didn’t automatically mean a leak for every roof valley. Tudor windows were arranged in long rows, often with a row of stained glass transom windows right above. Eave trim often-used scroll cut verge board. Balconies or enclosed screened rooms within the framing of the house were common, although porches (which attach to the outside of the house) were less so. A terrace is a more likely ground floor extension of the living space.

Victorian

Victorian architecture (c.1830 - 1900) replaced the Greek and Georgian styles, rebelling against the classical symmetry and orderliness. The Victorian style is flamboyant and exciting with tall, steep pitched roofs; multiple gables and gingerbread stick trim or decorated verge boards accenting the eaves. Roofs are further emphasized with layered chimneys and finials or peak cresting. Windows are varied in size and shape and may project from the house in a bay oriel. The outside finish of a Victorian is multi-textured, multi-hued and uses every material possible including clapboard, stucco, board and baton; often mixing finishes. Colors are strong and varied with each layer of trim being a new opportunity for a change of hue or tone. See our favorite Victorian Dollhouse.

Queen Anne

The Queen Anne (c.1876 - 1915) ranges from the “Painted Lady” row houses of San Francisco to sprawling resort mansions. Queen Anne houses are exuberant and comfortable. Roof lines are steep with multiple and intersecting gables and majestic towers. In every section the windows are different - some narrow, some double, but there are always lots of them. Every surface of a Queen Anne house is interesting with many textures, many colors and lots of decorations. Decorations include shapes or patterns of color in the shingles, brackets, dentil eave moldings, beading under every edge with fans, ornamental plaster, patterned shingles and layers of fascia testifying to the builder’s own imagination. See our favorite Queen Anne Dollhouse.

Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures is an on-line retailer of inch scale dollhouse miniatures including miniature furniture, miniature accessories, dollhouse lighting, building supplies, dollhouses and dolls.