Doll House in Development

A farm style house with a turn of the century interior.
(Turn of the last century!)

When my daughter was 12 she wanted a doll house.

The front porch.  There are steps that lead off the porch to be added.

Not a toy version, but an actual adult-style doll house.

  I say "adult-style," because these kinds of doll houses are really aimed at adults

 due to expense and the delicate nature of the accessories. 

I love looking in the window as if it was a real home - seeing the furniture and the lights.

We purchased a fully assembled doll house - not finished or decorated.

  This house was unfinished brown wood inside and out the day we carried it out of the toy store.

  You can buy these structures as kits - all in pieces with assembly instructions.

  I knew our assembly skills were lacking - just not our thing.  

Better to pay extra to purchase an assembled house than to have pieces laying about for years. 

Adding lights really contributes to the charm of the house.

  Many gift giving occasions focused on doll house furniture and accessories.

  My mother-in-law and I joyfully shared my daughter's enthusiasm

 by purchasing items at other times as well.  

The living room.

I wired the house for electric.  We painted the rooms and added some wall paper.  It was basic even then.  But creating a doll house is a long term commitment - a hobby.  We knew it would take time.

The daughter's room

But as with many childhood activities, my daughter's interest in the doll house faded as she grew through her teen years.  I kept the house, but dismantled it.  I packed away all the little pieces for a future time.  I loved it enough to become the caretaker.

Bathroom - with old style toilette in the foreground.

About 10 years ago while my daughter was spending time at our house, she started to take an interest in the doll house.  She finished off the exterior by adding siding.  She repainted the roof tiles.  She added a few little interior pieces.  But her life got busy again and the doll house sat idle again.

The foyer.

I continued to keep it.  Maybe I would do something with it once I retired.  But my retirement years were filled with care giving.  No time or energy left for a doll house.  It remained in storage.

The kitchen.

There was never any though of getting rid of it.  The house was just in hibernation.

This old time stove was a fairly expensive piece when we bought it in the late 1980s.
But we all fell in love with it.  The various drawers open.  We even have copper pans for it.

Last year during a major town house clean out,  I asked my daughter if she wanted her doll house.

  I would still keep it if she didn't want it.

  She did want it and her brother moved it to her condo in his vehicle

 because it is too big for a standard size car.

The den.  The desk is a roll top desk.  The top actually closes.

Since taking on full ownership, she has made many improvements.

  She has rewired the electric, repainted, wall papered,

 and replaced a few small pieces of furniture that did not survive 25 years in storage.

Attic boy's room.
The blanket on the bed was made by my mother-in-law who died in 1997.
The crocheting and yarn are not totally to scale for the furniture,
but the item is priceless because it was made with love.

It is a work in progress.

  The pictures are missing many of the smaller items like dishes, the resident family,

 some pets, and household decorations - final refinements that can be added towards the end.

Many of those items we already have. 

She has ordered new flooring and curtains. 

At some point rugs need to be ordered. 

And I wish my phone did a better job of handling the lighting. 

The sewing and spinning room.
This room needs some skeins of yarn!!  

I am glad the doll house is now with its rightful owner - being improved and valued - and

 for now it is adding a lovely interior decoration to her condo.  

And someday this lovely house may be handed down to another family member to love and enjoy.

A charming little spinning wheel.

Note:  Updated pictures will be shared once the other major improvements are completed.

Finally a light picture that is reasonable.

Master Bedroom

Ceiling Light