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.

You’ve assembled your dollhouse kit or you’ve finished building your custom-built dream dollhouse. You’ve painted, wallpapered, installed your flooring and now you’re ready for the joy of furnishing and decorating your miniature dollhouse kitchen.

Prior to purchasing any dollhouse miniature furniture or dollhouse miniature accessories, plan in your mind (and on paper) exactly what you want to have in your dollhouse kitchen. Begin by measuring your room and noting where any windows or door entrances are located, so that you can configure your pieces around these obstacles.

Your first decision will be cabinetry and major kitchen appliances. What color of appliance do you want in your miniature kitchen? Many miniaturists opt for traditional a white dollhouse kitchen set. It’s clean, bright and white. Many miniature kitchen sets are also available in oak. White and oak are the most popular woods for miniature kitchen cabinet and appliance configurations, but you can find other colors if you really look. If you are a carpenter-at-heart, consider also making your own cabinetry and appliances. Dollhouse kitchen sets typically include cupboards and cabinetry, a sink, an oven/stovetop combination and sometimes a coordinating table and chairs. Each piece is separate and you can configure your kitchen design any way you prefer.

If you opt to build your own cabinetry, you can purchase miniature building components such as cabinet knobs and sink faucet hardware to complete your pieces. You will also want to consider lighting accents for your dollhouse kitchen. There are many choices out there. If you decided to electrify your dollhouse when you first built it, you will want to seek out lights that are working fixtures.

If you haven’t yet selected a kitchen dining table (and you have the room), now is the time to do this. You can purchase a coordinating table to match your kitchen cabinetry or you can purchase something that will stand out in your miniature kitchen. In a traditional dollhouse, typically more traditional mahogany and walnut sets are reserved for the dining room. Usually, you will want to keep the style of your table and chairs in your kitchen more casual.

Now it’s time to think windows. What style of curtains do you want in your dollhouse? You can opt for café curtains, lace sheers or tie-backs in a variety of patterns or styles.

Lastly, now it’s time to accessorize! In my opinion, this is the most fun part of decorating your dollhouse kitchen. What do you put in your kitchen? The options are literally endless. Here is just a sampling of the miniature kitchen accessories available: kitchen utensils, flatware, knife sets, plates, teacups, toasters, pots and pans, canisters, muffins pans, juicers, microwaves, meat grinders, mixing bowls and whisks. This is just a small sample of what’s available. Also, don’t forget to stock your pantry and miniature refrigerator with miniature dollhouse food including fruits and vegetables, canned goods, cereal boxes, snack packs, bottled sodas, ice cream boxes and milk!

Autumn’s in the air and it’s time to decorate your dollhouse with all of the abundance that Autumn brings. Allow your miniature dollhouse to become your creative outlet for all of your decorating desires.

Seasonal dollhouse decorating has become a favorite pastime among miniaturists and the selection of charming miniature seasonal accessories is almost endless! Your dollhouse may be an important showcase piece within your home or a fun outlet used to express your creative inspirations. In either case, decorating for the season is a way for your dollhouse to continually evolve as seasons, designs and your own tastes change.

Here are some important factors to consider when decorating a dollhouse for autumn:

Think Color – Add life and color to your dollhouse with the vivid colors of Fall. Look for seasonal dollhouse accessories in bright reds, oranges, yellows and hearty browns. Miniature carved jack-o-lanterns, miniature plants with fall foliage, glass jars filled with tiny nuts, miniature curtains and quilts in bold hues are all simple ways to add autumn color to your dollhouse.

Get Creative – There are many seasonal dollhouse accessories that can be made by hand. Visit your local craft store for ideas on how to make your own charming seasonal decorations for your dollhouse. You can also look to nature for unique dollhouse miniature decorating ideas. Look for tiny-sized fall leaves that will fit the scale of your dollhouse or take full-size leaves of your choice and cut them to scale. A basket of real twigs also makes for a fabulous miniature seasonal accessory.

Food is Festive – A fun way to add a taste of autumn to your dollhouse is to focus on your dollhouse kitchen and dining room. The dollhouse kitchen or dining room table is a great medium to showcase your seasonal décor. Think about adding boldly colored miniature dollhouse fruits and vegetables to represent the bounty of harvest time. Beautiful red tomatoes, yellow squash and pumpkins make for great seasonal autumn accents. A basket of miniature sweet potatoes or a scrumptious turkey dinner will also make for charming autumn décor.

The Warmth of Autumn – Visions of autumn conjure up special memories for each of us. Brisk autumn nights and the warmth of the fireplace is an important piece that should not be overlooked when decorating for autumn. Think of adding a fireplace (if you don’t already have one) as well as charming miniature fireplace accessories including miniature fireplace screens, fireplace poker sets or even a fireplace logs with burning embers!

Let your creative juices flow and most importantly enjoy the beauty of the season as you bring the taste of autumn to your dollhouse.

In our previous posting, we provided an overview of the variety of dollhouse miniature furniture pieces available and what to look for in terms of color, style and quality. We would like to dive deeper into the topic of choosing the right miniature furniture and upholstery pieces for your dollhouse or room box project.

The principles of interior design apply to your dollhouse just as much as a real home. Color, style and function of your dollhouse or room box should be determined before your project begins.

Most dollhouse furniture pieces are available in a variety of stained and painted wood colors. The most common finishes are mahogany, oak and walnut. When selecting colors of woods, be cautious as colors can vary widely between manufacturers. For example, you may have 2 manufacturers producing mahogany wood furniture with two completely different shades. It’s OK if all of your pieces don’t match exactly, but you do want the pieces to be similar in style or quality – or make sure the colors only vary slightly. Many real high-end homes will have furniture pieces that don’t match exactly giving the room a “collected over time” appeal. For example, having miniatures in slightly different shades of mahogany is OK – you just don’t want the difference to be too drastic or you’ll achieve a mismatched look.

Unfinished dollhouse furniture is another popular choice among do-it-yourself hobbyists. This allows you customize the stain or paint color of your dollhouse furniture to fit your personal tastes. Furniture kits are also available which include the necessary pieces to construct your own furniture using pre-cut pieces.

Upholstered miniature furniture also comes in an array of styles, colors and patterns. Consider the general style of your house (traditional or informal) as well as your color scheme when choosing upholstered fabric styles. Also, take into account the colors and styles of the furniture, rugs and drapes that will be placed next to your upholstered pieces.

There are several manufacturers who craft dollhouse furniture and upholstery. Hansson Miniatures manufactures top-notch heirloom-quality miniature furniture. Hand-crafted of solid woods including mahogany, walnut and some with hand-painted detailing, these pieces include miniature drawers that actually open, removable seat cushions, soft felt backs, real glass shelves and mirrors.

Handley Classics and Town Square Miniatures craft lines of furniture that range from value-priced to higher-end pieces. These charming miniatures also feature opening drawers, swivel bases on chairs and come in a variety of finishes including the ever-popular mahogany, walnut and oak.

When shopping for dollhouse furniture, upholstery and accessories, look for on-line dollhouse miniature stores that feature up-close and detailed pictures of their products. Crystal clear product shots are essential to making sure you are purchasing the perfect pieces for your dream dollhouse!

There are so many pieces of 1:12 inch dollhouse furniture available – it’s enough to boggle your mind! If you are new to the dollhouse hobby, allow us to give you a brief summary of the selection of miniature furniture on the market and what to look for in terms of style, quality and price. Since 1:12 scale is the most popular scale among dollhouse miniatures, we will focus this article with that scale in mind.

There are many options when it comes to selecting miniature dollhouse furniture. Miniature furniture is available in a variety of wood finishes. The most popular finishes include oak, walnut and mahogany. These wood-grain finishes are usually the easiest pieces to find in addition to classic white painted wood furniture. Of course, you can often find beautiful dollhouse miniatures in unfinished wood allowing you to finish your miniature with whatever paint or stain you choose. Of course, there are a variety of dollhouse furniture kits available if you are up to challenge of building your own miniature furniture!

Although traditional styles of furniture dominate in the miniature business, there are plenty of other styles available including rustic, arts and crafts, contemporary/modern and transitional giving each dollhouse builder the freedom to customize the dollhouse to his or her particular liking. Of course, the more traditional Queen Anne and Victorian styles are easy to find if you prefer to keep the design of your dollhouse consistent with its traditional roots.

The quality of each piece of miniature furniture will vary widely. The price of the miniature is usually a good indication of the quality of the piece. Miniature furniture pieces that use solid woods and feature hand-carved detailing such as Hansson Miniatures will typically carry a higher price tag. However, the handmade quality will show in each exquisite piece.

Depending upon your dollhouse building and designing goals, you will want to select miniatures that will fit with the architecture, time period theme and of course, your own personal tastes. If building a dollhouse for a small child, you might be wise to furnish your dollhouse with value-priced furniture. Other dollhouse builders work hard to recreate their dream home on a miniature scale and may only want to furnish their miniature houses with the best pieces.