Queen Anne Dollhouse Kit by Real Good Toys

Are you considering building a dollhouse to act as an elegant accent piece to display in your home? If so, you are not alone. Many dollhouse miniaturists design, build and decorate dollhouses for just this purpose! Nothing makes a more interesting conversation piece than a custom-built, beautifully decorated dollhouse. It’s a work of art that’s destined to become a focal point in your home for years to come. Before you “dig in” to your worthwhile dollhouse project, carefully consider where you want to display this work of art and how much space will be required.

The smallest 1:12 scale dollhouses run approximately 1 foot wide x 2 feet long. Larger deluxe dollhouses run as large as 4 feet wide x 4 feet long. Keep in mind that a time will come when you’ll need to move the dollhouse out of the room it’s located in. Most standard door openings measure only 30 inches wide. You may need to construct your dollhouse in halves, using your door hinges (with knockout pins) or brackets and screws as connector pieces.

Depending upon where you plan to place the dollhouse in your home, you may not need to finish the complete dollhouse. If the dollhouse’s front will be placed up against a wall showcasing only the backside (or the side with all of your dollhouse rooms), consider a rough finish on the exterior. You can also sand and stain the exterior of the dollhouse to match the finish of furniture pieces throughout your home.

Conversely, if your wish to show off both sides of your dollhouse, find an appropriate display stand or table for your project. Place one side end of the dollhouse up against a wall, so both the front side of the dollhouse and the side with all of the rooms are visible. You can also create an “island” display by placing a couple of bookcases back-to-back in the center of a room. This is a great configuration if you wish to show off the details of the dollhouse including miniature landscaping . You may also want to consider placing the dollhouse on a turntable (assuming the dollhouse isn’t too large to rotate and there is enough clearance to turn your dollhouse). For added protection, a glass display box is an excellent option to help keep your miniature investment from dust, fingerprints and the hands of small children.

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

The above blog posting contains excerpts from Robert Schleicher’s Creative Dollhouses from Kits.

Real Good Toys Contemporary Ranch Dollhouse

The average size dollhouse features rooms with layouts that closely resemble a real house. The majority of inch scale dollhouses measure between 16-24 inches deep with individual rooms measuring between 10-12 inches wide. The actual depth of each dollhouse room will vary according to the architectural style of the dollhouse. Some kits feature movable room dividers that allow you to adjust room size. The floor to ceiling measurement typically runs 9 to 10 inches high depending on the specific measurements of the dollhouse kit. Some dollhouse kits feature more attic space than others. For more attic space, look for dollhouse kits with mansard roof designs.

The layout of a dollhouse was designed to be decorated with dollhouse furniture and dollhouse accessories. Most miniature dollhouses feature an open rear wall which allows you ample room to access your miniature furnishings. Some designs (such as single-story adobe or southwestern dollhouses) have dollhouses with ceiling access. In some dollhouse kit designs, you can access the dollhouse from the front. A front-opening dollhouse kit features a front panel that swings open to provide access similar to a rear-opening dollhouses. Larger dollhouse kits may also have side-access doors, which allow access into deeper parts of the dollhouse. Other large dollhouse kits may be configured into an L-shape design to provide more room in smaller spaces.

Before purchasing a dollhouse kit, it is a good idea to have a general idea of what types of dollhouse miniatures you would like to place inside. Knowing this, you can look for architectural styles that will accommodate your miniature furniture. Look for things such as number of windows, placement of windows and wall space. Take into account the layout of staircases, bay windows and doors as these will reduce your total decorating space. As mentioned above, attic space is important to consider when determining your total decorating space. Gable-style roofs with steep pitches will allow for less room to place your dollhouse furniture. Mansard-style roofs feature an elevated, flat-top design and will provide more room to display your miniatures.

Spending the time to carefully plan your layout before you buy will make your dollhouse miniature projects run even smoother.

Hansson Miniatures Walnut Linen Bench

You’ve constructed your dollhouse kit. Installed the doors and windows, laid your flooring, painted your ceilings and wallpapered your walls. If your passion for interior decorating is what drives your love of the dollhouse miniatures hobby, then the real fun is about to begin as you embark on your dollhouse interior decorating journey.

Today, we’re going to talk about making the most of decorating space in your dollhouse haven. Depending upon the size of your rooms, you only have so much space to work with, and if you’re like most miniaturists, you’ll want to maximize your decorating square footage.

There are many opportunities for decorating in empty spaces you may not have considered. Here are some suggestions on places you may not have thought to add doll house accessories:

1. Cabinets and Chests: OK, this one seems pretty obvious. Those empty shelves and drawers and just crying out for dollhouse accessories. Depending upon the room and function of the miniature furniture piece, this is usually your biggest opportunity to embellish. If it’s a sideboard or miniature cabinet in your dollhouse dining room, don’t forget the miniature stemware, flatware or dollhouse utensils. If it’s a wardrobe in your dollhouse bedroom, fill it with dollhouse clothing, miniature hats and shoes or tiny clothing boxes. Likewise, miniature chests can also be filled with folded blankets or other miniature linens.

2. Luggage: Do you have miniature luggage or trunk you purchased as an accessory for your dollhouse? This is the perfect opportunity to turn empty space into a creative display. Arrange the inside contents neatly or leave them to spill out for an overflowing affect.

3. Bed: A dollhouse bed does not necessarily need to be made up with linens and overflowing with pillows. Use your dollhouse bed to display neatly folded linens. If you prefer to leave the bed in a made up state, consider placing a miniature bed tray or silver tea set towards the foot of the bed.

4. Pantry or Larder: Consider adding a small built-in pantry or larder to your dollhouse kitchen. The shelves provide an excellent place to display food items and baskets of miniature produce. You can also use the area to display miniature pots and pans and other miniature cookware.

5. Walls: When we think of walls, we typically think of a place reserved to hang pictures or other artwork. The walls are a wonderful place to add dollhouse accessories you would normally find inside of a cabinet or on a shelf. Consider hanging miniature copper pots in a kitchen or a dollhouse hat in your bedroom.

6. Floor: Don’t forget about the floor! Choosing clever and appropriate accessories can help you to maximize the dollhouse room and give you more places to display your miniature treasures. The key is to choose miniature accessories that look natural when placed on the floor, such as a large vase or a miniature dog bed. There really aren’t any rules, but common sense dictates there are some items that should never be on the floor (such as food or kitchen utensils). Most importantly, make the space something you will love and treasure for years to come.