Dad's Dollhouse: An Update

Since I last wrote about the miniature dollhouse my dad built for me when I was a girl, I've been inspired to complete some work on it. I always had grand plans for my dollhouse--plans that my pocketbook could never accommodate! The height of my interest in the dollhouse (until now!) was probably from age 8 to age 16, and I never had enough money to do what I wanted with it. I still don't! :-)

Now, however, I can see the project from an adult's perspective, and I really want to finish some of the things I started on it.

My previous photos showed the dollhouse empty. Since then, I gave it a thorough cleaning and set up my existing miniature furniture and accessories. Plus, I got some birthday money, and just like when I was a kid, I put it all toward the dollhouse. Yesterday I put in a big order to complete some of my empty spaces. I can hardly wait to receive my package!

Here are some current photos showing where my dollhouse is today:

Here's my miniature Victorian country kitchen (with a few extras). The lamp and T.V., which I picked up at a flea market and the Goodwill bins respectively, are not of the era. I think I've decided that with this dollhouse, since it is a family heirloom and not a true-to-scale "masterpiece," I'll be flexible on what goes in it. :-) By the way, I got the china cabinet pictured above at the Goodwill bins recently too.

I've always wanted to complete the kitchen with a country kitchen ice box, so that is one of the things I've ordered for the house. I think it will go in the corner next to the china cabinet. There are also dishes, potholders, and more coming--yay!

Here's my little Victorian livingroom, set up for Christmas. Like the kitchen, it is wallpapered with real wallpaper from my childhood family home. The wallpaper is not to scale, but it means a lot to me. I want to put a fireplace where the couch is now, and I want to add a front door (I have the hinges!) and curtains (I want to put curtains in all rooms with windows). I also want to change the carpet to something that is more to scale (this pile is at least 1/2 inch thick, so it looks like a raised livingroom!).

Here's the master bedroom, with wallpaper from my parents' bedroom. Oh, the "lovely" wedgewood blue and mauve of the late 1970s to early 1980s! I plan to change the carpet and put a quilt on the master bed, which I happened to find at the Goodwill bins recently. For those who don't know, you pay by weight at the bins. That bed probably cost me all of 50 cents! Not bad--miniatures on the cheap!

OK, here's my miniature Victorian bathroom. I recently purchased the rubber ducky at a flea market. I want to get some faux tile in this room, wallpaper, different towels, and of course, curtains. The fan on the windowsill was given to me by my grandmother, and it is probably from the 1940s.

Here's the child's bedroom, full of toys. I will change the carpet, fix up the bedding, add a toybox, and add more toys. Probably wallpaper it too!

This was always going to be the dollhouse attic. As a child, my plan for this room was to get a big old trunk and fill it with stuff. Slightly scary and fun at the same time! Now I plan to turn it into a sewing room, which is appropriate considering that the wallpaper in the room is from my grandmother's house. You see, Grandma was the one who taught me how to sew. And she gave me my first sewing machine, a 1965 Singer, which is still going strong.

I'm going to really have some fun with this room! The scissors are already there, as is the pot-bellied stove (an antique metal salt shaker my mom gave me). I plan on a basket with balls of yarn and knitting needles, lots of sewing notions, and an antique-style sewing machine (the latter is coming in my order!). 

Miniatures are turning out to be fun all over again! And while I'm finishing long-uncompleted projects in my dollhouse, I can use the same items in upcoming vignettes with my plushy critters! Double fun! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer