There are so many options to enhance or change the overall look of your dolls’ house floors. Dolls’ house flooring can be created with rugs, carpets, tiled floors, or real wood flooring. Whatever you choose, it will certainly add charm to your dolls’ house.

Here’s what to do;

• Always use carpets which are in scale with the thickness of your dolls’ house.
• Experiment with upholstery fabrics or velvet, they can be attatched to the floor with glue or double sided tape.
• If you are using real wood flooring sheets, do not try to remove the paper backing.
• If you want a real wood finish, varnish or stain the floor with two or three coats of semi - gloss varnish.

Our expert tips;

• Do not use real carpet samples, as they are not to scale.
• Be sure to double check your measurements, and cut carefully so your flooring is a perfect fit.
• Make sure the surfaces are clean and free of dust.
• Apply glue to both the floor surface and the piece of flooring.
• Wipe excess wood glue away with a damp cloth. Always be extra careful when working with super glue, as it cannot be wiped away so easily.

These are just a few of the hints and tips we have received from collectors, we would love to hear how you make your dolls’ house into a home.

There are several ways to successfully paint your dolls’ house. You can use a brush, spray can or a sponge brush. It is always advisable to paint doors, windows, stairs etc before fitting, as once they are glued in, it will be almost impossible to get a good finish.

Here’s what to do;

Priming and sealing; always apply an MDF sealant or a 50 / 50 mix of PVA and water to the surfaces of your dolls’ house. The sealant will prevent paint or wallpaper paste being absorbed by the porous surfaces. This is best done before you start gluing your house together.

Types of paint; try to use satin finish oil-based or acrylic paints on your house, this will allow for wiping the surfaces clean of fingerprints and dust. You can clean the house with a slightly damp cloth if you have used these types of paint. You can find suitable paint at any DIY or hobby store. Look out for mini - sized ‘tester’ pots, they’re the perfect size for dolls’ houses.

Choosing your colours; Colour schemes are a really personal choice. Do your research by looking at magazines and websites, talk it over with your friends and family, and don’t forget our ‘Masterclasses‘ we have one dedicated to creating your colour scheme.

Quick Tips;

Always seal the panels first with MDF sealant or 50 / 50 PVA and water.

Before you begin to paint, sand all areas of raw wood.

Use an emery board to sand small areas and components.

Take your time choosong your colour scheme, make sure it’s what you really want.

Enjoy yourself, this is the fun part!

Early dolls’ houses dating from the seventeenth right up to the beginning of the twentieth century rarely had uniform scales, with variations from room to room and even pieces within one room. Although a few manufacturers made miniature toy furniture in the nineteenth century, they were not to a strict scale.

There have been several standard scales in dolls’ houses over the years. Childrens’ toy houses during most of the 20th century were 1:18th scale ( 1″ = 18″ ). Popular brands included Lundby, Caroline’s Home, Barton, Dol-Toi and Triang. Houses were made from a variety of materials, including metal, MDF, plastic and wood.

In Germany during the middle part of the 20th century 1:10th scale became popular, based on a system where 10 inches is represented by one inch. Toy- type houses from Germany today are still closer in scale to 1:10th than to 1:12th.

In the 1970’s the standard for adult collectors became 1:12th scale. There are also 1:24th, 1:48th and the tiny ‘ dolls’ house for your dolls’ house; ‘ 1:144th scale. 1:24th scale was popular in the Marx range of dolls’ houses in the 1950’s, but only became widely available to the collector after 2000, about the same time that even smaller scales became more popular. The smaller scales are much more popular and easier to come by in the United States than in Britain.

There is also ‘Playscale’, or 1:6th scale, which is appropriate for Barbie, Sindy and similar sized dolls.

Avid dolls’ houses collectors and buyers can easily buy dolls’ houses to suit their tastes and budget, thanks to the Internet, at sites such as Dollshouse.com. You can select from the classic to contemporary, depending on your choice and budget.
There are indeed some exquisite and cute dolls’ houses that you can look at and get online for children. If you carefully go through classy catalogues of dolls’ houses, you will see they make an ideal present for younger collectors as well as the avid collector. For example, Wisteria House, is a delightful dolls’ house. The lift-up roof as well as opening panels are aimed at giving easy access to the richly spacious rooms, giving way to four floors, having excellent colour coordination. It’s ideal for two children to play together. They will also love the beautiful Bower House, fully decorated/painted inside out in gorgeous colours.

The lovely dolls’ houses are easily assembled in no time without glue or nails. They are ready-painted/decorated in subtle, sophisticated shades. Shopping online for doll’s houses is very convenient and enjoyable because there is no dearth of choices, as you will see after glancing at the wonderful range on the Dolls’ House web site.

Proper illumination adds to the overall décor of your doll’s house that can emerge as truly an exquisite creation if done correctly. Consider the following points when you think about lighting ideas for your doll’s house.

Consider if you need to use two separate doll’s house lighting circuits - one for each side - if you are using a lot of lights this might be a good idea. You can then make use of a lower watt transformer and fewer socket boards on each circuit, minimising the possibility of an electricity fault. Also, if a fault does take place it will be easier to locate.

Concentrate on one room or area at a time when lighting up your doll’s house. If you start with one room and then move on to another, you can systematically light up your entire doll’s house it and decorate it. Begin with the ground floor rooms of your doll’s house. It is important to work out where your lights are going to be placed before you decorate your doll’s house so you can cover the wires.

A true epitome of beauty and luxury, a doll’s house fully decked with furniture, upholstery, curtains and other accessories - to enhance the overall look and feel - is indeed a collector’s pride.