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The Dollhouse
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Under the Christmas tree one year, the Queen found a kit for a dollhouse. The King thought that it would only take two or three months at the most, to put it together. The Queen was delighted. Two years and three months later the house was finished and the Queen was ready to move in. |
The project as it turned out was just like building a real house. The framing went up pretty fast. The first indication that there were going to be problems was when the Queen decided that the Victorian flashing on the roof had to be changed to the more modern contemporary style. Then the decision needed to be made as to the color of the house and the trim. Out came the color cards and several trips to the paint store. |
With the easy part completed, the next phase was to complete the inside of the six room house. Before any finishing could be done the house needed to be wired for light fixtures and wall plugs. Question one: How many plugs, and where to locate them? Question two: How many light fixtures, and their location? The plugs were the easy part but took a while to decide on the location. The fixtures were something else. The Queen spent hours looking through decorating books and many visits to the Doll House store. Finally, it was decided that there would be three, two real crystal chandeliers, one in the living room and one in the dinning room, and a kitchen light. With the decisions, made wires were run to the selected locations through the walls and floors. |
The flooring was not much easier. After much thought and some more trips to the Doll House store, it was decided that the house would have varnished oak floors in all the rooms except the kitchen, which would have linoleum. The Queen pointed out that it was easier to clean up spills on linoleum. By this time we were on first name basis at the Doll House store, and the project was just starting with the major decisions still to come.
Each room needed to be decorated and wallpaper selected. As the Queen had not selected the furniture for each room, she wanted wall coverings that would not constrain her final selections. This process took months and many more trips to the Doll House store, as well as pouring through many decorating books. With the wallpaper hung, the floor and ceiling moldings were installed along with the bathroom door and a French door leading to the kitchen and dining room.
The end was near, --- there was light at the end of the tunnel. The final hurdle; the staircases. |
The Queen wanted to have carpeting on the stairs. The hunt was on. The final solution was a brown velvet ribbon of the correct width. The brass rods to hold the carpet to the stairs was something else. The rods themselves were easy, it was the fittings that holds the rods that was the problem. The solution was found in using fittings designed for the hinges of gun ports on seventeen century sailing ship models.
 The last task, the roof. The shingles were put on one at a time just like in a real house. Finally the house was competed and the Queen was ready to move in. The first thing she did was to vacuum the whole house. This is not the end. The only room furnished is the bathroom, and the landscaping is still to be done.
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A new towel rack |
Bedroom |
Painting and candles |
Dinning Room |
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The New Kitchen |
Kitchen and Dinning Room |
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New Furniture |
Cushions |
Grandfather Clock |
Baby out for some sun |
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Christmas at the Dollhouse |
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Cats, dogs, a bench and potted plants |
Lamps and end tables |
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Plant and book |
Porcelain figures |
End tables and lamps |
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Two chests |
Cabinet, chest, lamp and rug |
Rocking chair and baby cradle |
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Desk and chair |
Bookcase |
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| Christmas 2007 added several items to the house |
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Christmas 2008 |
Coffee Table Flowers |
Bedroom Lamp |
Desk Lamp |
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| Christmas 2009 added two chairs one in the master bedroom and one in the library |
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Bedroom Chair |
Library Chair |
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More pictures to come.
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