pugdog
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Apr 26, 2007, 5:10 AM
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Building your first house
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I came to the craft of dollhouse building somewhat indirectly. I have always worked in miniature wood models - ships, model trains, air planes, toys, etc - and as a collector when a wood kit attracted me or was on sale, I'd pick it up and store it away until that "sometime" I would build it.
Usually in times of stress I find myself attracted to wood kits, because they require a lot of attention, can take an infinite amount of time and effort - as much as you want to put into them. At some point, you have to say "enough" and declare the model finished. That's the beauty of wood. It's forgiving. It's loving. It's beautiful.
Dollhouse kits at the time I started were all made of wood. Now, MDF (Medium Density fiberboard) is becoming common. There were many choices, and a lot of manufacturers. Quality varied greatly, and so did the styles.
Today, there are fewer choices, especially among the die-cut kits, but the quality of the higher end houses is far, far greater. Also, 1:24 scale has picked up supporters, so the range of "half scale" homes and miniatures is increasing, but 1:12 scale (sometimes called "one inch scale")is still the most popular, and 1" scale miniatures can be found in most craft and gift shops around the world.
Costs range from about $50 for a 4 room die-cut cottage or 2 room log cabin to over $1000 for a large plywood stock victorian mansion. That doesn't include all the "extras" you might add such as upgraded windows, siding, shingles, trims, and of course the furnishings.
The two main categories of dollhouse kits are the die-cut kit (similar to punch out books but in 1/8" plywood) and the plywood shell kits usually made out of 3/8" plywood, MDF, and sometimes 1/4" materials. The plywood kits also often have basswood and other smooth wood trim for an extremely finished look. The die cut kits have far more parts, the plywood is is usually badly in need of putty, sealer, and a lot of sanding, and the "trim" has unfinished edges where it was stamped out of the sheet. Finishing those edges can double the length of time to construct the house, but the results will be far nicer.
Each kit has advantages and disadvantages. A partial list of them:
Die-cut: Much more detail can be built into the house, and corners and edges can be far less "boxy" but that comes at a price. There are often hundreds of parts and they all need a lot of finishing. The 1/8" plywood is not very rigid, and the house is usually built to self-support. But that means careful gluing because using nails or brads is very difficult in the thin materials. Also, the edges as noted, are very, very unfinished. A lot of putty is needed. These kits can take 2-3 times as long to build as a plywood kit, but will give you a very detailed and light-weight house (if moving it around is important). One person can usually move the house without any problems. They can stand up to generations of decoration. It's rare to have working windows, and upgrading them with 3rd party windows, doors and such is harder because the 1/8" plywood is too thin.
Plywood: These kits come with pre-cut plywood, grooved boards, and trim that is glued and nailed together. The pieces are a much higher quality than the die-cut kits, and a light coat of sealer and sanding is all that is needed to give them a good finish. The shells (walls) are pretty square, and don't have the intricacies a die-cut kit can have (but some kits are starting to address that). The trim is usually high quality and can be painted or stained. The kits are VERY heavy compared to the 1/8" kits, and moving the larger ones can require 2 or 3 people to do safely. There are loads of 3rd party windows, doors and addons that can customize the look of your shell from colonial to federal or even victorian. They go together more quickly than the die cut kits, and the thickness of the wood allows for the use of nails and brads, and even screws to put the house firmly together. Wiring the house is easier, as the brads and eyelets do not push through the wall as they can with the 1/8" kits. These kits are very durable and can be built to collector grade standards, or to withstand childrens' play.
While building the actual house is a lot of fun, and the reason I came into the hobby, for many it's the biggest hurdle to starting with a dollhouse.
To overcome that hurdle, many shops offer building services that will build your shell from the kit to get you started. Prices vary from some who will build the basic shell for free (unfinished, unwired) if you buy the kit from them, to charging 1-10x the cost of the kit to build in various stages of readiness from unfinished to finished on the outside, to including flooring and wallpaper on the inside.
At that point, it's up to you to take over with the decorating and finishing touches.
Dollhouses and miniatures are like potato chips. You can't have just one. And, over time, the costs of furnishing and finishing your dollhouse can run close to the costs of a real home.
Dollhouses have been sold for $30-40,000 or more. Mid-range finished houses can sell for $5000 or more, and custom built houses can start at $10,000 and go up.
Part of what makes this hobby great is you can start with a $50 kit, and work your way up, or you can start with a top of the line finished house ready to decorate, and enjoy the world of miniatures from your own point of view and with your own flair for style.
There's no right or wrong. Houses run the range from haunted and fantasy, to true-to-scale replicas of famous mansions or the owners current home.
There is a house, in kit form or some stage of ready built, in the right scale, the the right size, right design and period for everyone.
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