I’m starting a small series about the dollhouse that will show the befores and afters of the exterior and interior. I think it will be fun for you (and me!) to see how far it has come since the day it came home to the cottage. Today? The exterior.
In 2009, I had a job that took me away from home to work in San Diego for six months. Now, I had been wanting a dollhouse for quite a while. I had been reading miniature blogs, gazing at dollhouses, looking at dollhouse kits, pricing kits (expensive!) and generally mooning about all things dollhouse. A good kit seemed to be an extravagance that we couldn’t afford at that time, so I started to look on eBay and Craig’s List. One day in June, I saw a house on Craig’s List that looked promising. The owner lived just a couple of towns away from our cottage. I emailed her, asked a lot of questions, and then pleaded with her to hang onto it until I could talk to Don. After a wee bit of cajoling, Don agreed to pick it up. It was $30. A steal! He brought it home and there it sat until I returned in July. The following photos were taken on my old camera and in some cases, you’ll see my old watermark. I’ve tweaked them a little, but bear with me.
This is how it looked when it arrived. It was on a base that was funky, not level, and water damaged. It had a front porch step that didn’t seem to work, fake shutters, the upstairs windows had been put in incorrectly and were crooked, several of the shingles were damaged, and that tower was installed in the wrong place – it had been set back too far from the edge of the roof.
It was completely unfinished on the inside and the floors on the first floor had water damage. It had also been put together incorrectly and there were gaps between some of the walls and for some reason, some of the siding was on display in what would become the Master Bedroom.
I did a lot of research on the internet and asked a lot of questions of my miniature blogging friends. I learned that I could take those upstairs windows out more easily than I thought and that allowed me to reposition them. The ‘shutters’ (which were really pieces of wood with lines painted on them) were removed and new shutters were ordered. I replaced several shingles. Then I pried off the tower and moved it into the correct position. I also removed the funky base and step.
Most likely, this dollhouse (which is, frankly, a inferior copy of one made by Real Good Toys and manufactured by another company) came with the outside walls pre-painted. But it had taken a beating and I didn’t like the colors, so I gave it a few coats of primer. I also primed the inside at the same time.
It took several coats of paint to cover up the blue. I decided the roof should be gray but I wanted the gray to have a texture. I painted all the shingles in one shade of gray, then dry brushed another shade of gray onto the first layer.
The shutters arrived and I played with paint colors.
I never liked the front door. It looked cheesy, was too narrow, and it wouldn’t close. I knew I was going to have to replace it.
The shutters were painted and installed.
I bought this door. And I looked at it for a long time. It was wider and taller than the door that came with the dollhouse, so I knew I was going to have to deal with a saw. Research told me that I needed to invest in a keyhole saw and I did. The day I decided to bite the bullet and remove and replace the old door was definitely nervous making. Would I screw it up? I marked the new opening with pencil and I sawed and sawed and sawed again until I finally got it right. And dang it, it fit!
Ta da! I added a jewelry fitting for the door knob.
Which brings us to the porch. The porch was unpainted, had a very rough texture and some water damage. I decided that the best way to deal with that was to add some pattern. I’ve always loved painted floors, so I painted a diamond design in gray and white.
And there you have it. All of this took place over the course of several months, as I painted and replaced and researched and, in some cases, dithered a bit.
Just like rehabbing a real house, but much less expensive!
I know many of you are thinking of getting your own dollhouse and I want to assure you that you can take something less than beautiful and fix it up so that it looks like new. And you don’t need to pay full price, unless you want to. I paid thirty dollars for the dollhouse. I mean, really, how could I go wrong? You can find all sorts of deals out there. Judy found a gorgeous dollhouse at a craft fair for an incredible price. Another of my readers recently found a beautiful dollhouse for next-to-nothing. Check out Craig’s List and eBay and your local paper. You’d be surprised what’s out there.
I’ve had the most wonderful time working on this dollhouse. I can’t even begin to describe how much I love it.
There’s more coming in this series. Next time, we’ll start on the inside.
Speaking of the dollhouse, yesterday I received a package from Karen. It was rather large and heavy and I had no idea what was in it. When I started pulling things out of the box, I was stunned. So was Don.
This is only a small portion of the contents. Accessories, furniture, furniture kits – treasure after treasure!
Thank you, Karen, for this incredible surprise and for your generous spirit. Bless you.
I am reminded of just how amazing my readers are on a daily basis. What a gift you are!
Happy Wednesday.
I love that you’re doing a series on your dollhouse! I love seeing all you’ve done to make it so charming. I have a dollhouse that my dad built for me when I was little. It’s wonderful, and so strong and well-put together that I could stand on the roof! My husband and I have both worked on refurbishing it over the years, and I never get tired of it.
Me either, Jenny! It’s so rewarding, isn’t it?
What fun Claudia! I really enjoyed this post and seeing the evolution of your dollhouse…will look forward to the inside posts. And, what treasures you just received! Love the little itty-bitty dress form and ironing board. Way too cute. You are tempting me…..
I know – that dress form and ironing board are going in the studio/office!
Oh, the memories! Twenty seven years ago I built a dollhouse for my daughter and she loved it to death for about 4 years. It is in the attic now waiting for a granddaughter.
I love all the work you did on your dollhouse – beautiful color choices.
Thank you so much, Carol!
Claudia I too love your dollhouse! What a fun series. My daughter had one that my Dad made for her and I wish we still had it. I held on to it for many years but after so many moves and being in storage it got damaged and I gave it away. I hope someone is enjoying it as much as you enjoy your sweet Hummingbird Cottage. Love the box of goodies…so sweet! I think we are enjoying your dollhouse even though many of us don’t have one we can feel a part of yours!
Hugs, Linda
So many people have contributed that I feel there’s a bit of everyone in it!
How sweet of Karen to send you all that! It seems that your dollhouse has become sort of a community affair…all thanks to you. You’ve managed to get us all involved in it..asking our opinions and such. You’ve really done a fantastic job with it…love this post…so much history. Thanks! ;)
Definitely a community affair, Donna. Thanks!
What a grand treasure box to receive. All of those tiny sweet things ~ people really are amazing when they are so kind. This series will be so fun!! The outside evolution is quite wonderful to see and I’m looking forward to seeing the progression of each room as it has been changed. Thanks for sharing with us!!!!
You are very welcome, Chris!
This post should be called “This Old Dollhouse” – starring Claudia in the dual roles of Bob Vila and Norm Abrams. Loved seeing how far it’s come since the renovation began. Now I think you need to give it a name, if you haven’t already. My Irish great-grandmother said it was bad luck for a house or a boat to be nameless. Hope you’re having a great day.
It has a name, Janet. It’s Hummingbird Cottage – the tiny version of Mockingbird Hill Cottage!
Hummingbird Cottage – that’s perfect! :>)
xo
Love seeing the evolution of the doll house! That’s quite a box of goodies!! Did you see the crocheted pieces a reader sent me? I am goo-goo over the tiny potholders she made!
Looking forward to more on Hummingbird Cottage!
Judy
I saw them, Judy! They are adorable. Making something that tiny is amazing!
I love seeing how your dollhouse first started to come together. You have done some amazing work on it. xo Laura
Thanks so much, Laura!
What is it about dollhouses that is so appealing? Is it the “miniatureness” of them?
Is it the fact that the environment can be controlled completely? That nobody will leave their muddy shoes lying around, or drop a banana peel in the sink? At any rate, we readers are enjoying this series immensely. I’m with Donnamae (above). You HAVE managed to involve all of us. Team Dollhouse!
I think it’s all of that, Nancy! It’s my little tiny world and I’m in control!
Yay for Team Dollhouse!
I love this series, Claudia! I have two dollhouses to refurbish and I am having so much fun right now collecting ideas on the internet and pinning them on Pintrest boards. I am enjoying each detail of your dollhouse and look forward to seeing how the interior developed.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it, Sharon.
What a great series idea. I will follow carefully as the bug is biting me to get started on a dollhouse :)
Oh good! I love when that particular bug bites!
In some ways I miss my dollhouse but heaven knows there is no room for it here. However the yard is large and there are some promising treestumps that I plan to turn into fairy houses. So I guess I will have miniature houses after all! I also have a fabulous book on miniature tudor houses. Now if only I could make a life size one of those……
Love the evolution of your dollhouse. Can’t wait to work on ours again. It’s set aside for now as we work on this house to get it ready for sale. But I did see the same model as your house on our local kijiji board recently for sale at $500 CDN. Not as nicely done as yours either!!
It looks great! Love the colours.
How did I miss this post?? I am so interested in your dollhouse..I must have had a senior moment that day..lol..this is going to be a great series for all of us to enjoy..you don’t worry about answering this..I just had to let you know that I didn’t skip a comment on this post on purpose..Wishing you comfort..Miss you..Hugs