|
How to choose a Dollhouse
Welcome to the world of dollhouses, let your fantasies become a reality. Anything, at least mostly anything, can be done in miniature and one can have plenty of fun and memorable times building and decorating a doll house.
Many customers have come to us looking for a dollhouse, but they don’t know where to begin in their search. The first thing we need to know is if it is for a toddler, or a child or an adult. Our wooden dollhouses are recommended for ages 3 and above. They are extremely durable and can last for generations. One should consider if this is a playhouse or a family heirloom. Based upon your needs you can then determine what kind of doll house you should select. Collector dollhouses may be decorated with fine pieces that could be destroyed if a child considers it a playhouse.
We also need to know if you want to build the house or buy a finished doll house. Nowadays, you have plenty of choices. You can choose a dollhouse kit, a prebuilt dollhouse, or a finished dollhouse. A dollhouse kit comes complete with instructions and wooden pieces which need to be put together and painted. The costs and time needed to put it together depends on the size and detail of the house. You will need glue, nails, and paint. Most of the kits include doors, windows, trim, shingles and siding. Our Dollhouse Kit selection is listed by price and can be found in the Navigation Bar on the left side of this page. Manufacturers include Real Good Toys, The House that Jack Built, and Take it to the Max.
Houses made by Greenleaf, such as the Arthur, Garfield, The Lily, the Beacon Hill, are Die-Cut 1/8” plywood and are a bit more challenging and will take longer to build. The pieces need to be punched out, sanded , painted and glued together. These houses are quite beautiful when finished and perfect for an adult, but we do not recommend it for a smaller child. Houses made by Real Good Toys and The House That Jack Built, are stronger and can be enjoyed by both the child and the miniaturist. These kits include pre-cut pieces that are much stronger and can withstand a child’s play.
If you do not want to build the dollhouses, then please consider our prebuilt Dollhouses, from The House That Jack Built. These houses are beautifully built, sturdy, but need to be painted. You are the decorator and can choose any color combination. Some people choose colors to match a room or just their favorite combinations. The interior can be painted or wallpapered, electrified or both.
Our finished houses, from Real Good Toys, are completely built including interior and exterior finishes. The exterior, including trim, is painted and the interior walls are wallpapered. The floors are hard wood and mouldings are painted. The colors displayed are the preset colors. The choices include pink, blue and yellow.
Another selection criteria to consider is the choice between rear opening and front opening dollhouses. Depending where you want to display the houses makes the difference. A front opening house can be placed against a wall to save space and a rear opening house may need some more room. It can be placed on the floor or table, but there needs to be space in back of the house to see and play with the interior. Some customers choose to place it on a turntable so that all sides may be seen. We have an picture of a front opening dollhouse displayed below this article.
Perhaps the most individual choice is style of house. We feature wooden Victorian Dollhouses, Colonial Dollhouses, Farmhouses, Georgian houses, Mansions and many other styles. We love them all!
Another consideration is scale. Most doll houses are 1” scale. In the last few years, there has been a growing popularity in ½” scale and ¼” scale houses. We carry both 1” scale and ½” scale houses. Both can be purchased as a kit or a finished house. In our opinion a 1/2” scale is suitable for a collector and not a child. It’s much smaller and the furnishings are more delicate.
Just remember that this is a project of fun and love, whether you are making this for a child or yourself. It is most fun looking at this as a family project, whether it’s building or decorating.
Enjoy!
|
