Original dollhouse
About 15 years ago I made a Barbie sized dollhouse for my sisters daughter, who then gave it to her baby sister.
After being played with for over a decade it was time to be inherited back to me because I have just had a little girl of my own.
Original flooring in bedroom 2
Original flooring in bedroom 2
When I got it back I didnt realise how big I had originally made it and it was impossible to move around so the first thing I did was buy some wheels from a local hardware store and drilled them into place.
Now the house moves and is alot easier to work on and push from room to room when needed without much effort.
Original kitchen
Now the house moves and is alot easier to work on and push from room to room when needed without much effort.
Original kitchen
The windows had fallen out and the floor was in bad shape, and the walls needed repainting, so I decided I was going to spend 5 weeks renovating it for a surprise diy present for my daughter, with it (fingers crossed) being ready just in time for a Christmas day reveal.
Original bathroom
I didn't realise at the start what a big job it was going to be, but perseverance does pay off and as work got stated I became a little bit addicted to miniatures and the skilled people who make them.
Original top floor landing
I didnt want the dollhouse to be just another Barbie Doll house with plastic pink furniture everywhere and i didn't want to spend alot of money either, so I set about making as much of my own things for each room if I could and if time allowed.
Original 2nd floor master and stairs
It turns out I'm not too bad at making things in smaller scale and the house has started to turn out really great, so I thought over the next few posts I would share my modern diy dollhouse renovations with the world and post some tutorials along the way.
Original 2nd bedroom
Original 2nd bedroom
The Doll house had some flooring which could have bee salvaged but I decided it needed a fresh floor and i needed to make it easy and it had to be durable, so I removed all the original flooring where the top floor had carpet and tiles and the two lower floors having light woodgrain, and replaced it entirely with a darker coloured contact sheet woodgrain.
It was cheap, easy to install and can be washed down and cleaned in case little fingers spill anything on it.
With each room most likely to have its own rug, this flooring was the perfect choice for my time frame and for a playable house which I will be able to finish renovating in time.
Original 2nd bedroom with new darker flooring
Who knows if your thinking about it, or are currently renovating a dollhouse now for your own child, these next few post might inspire you and help you with some doll furniture making yourself.
Who knows if your thinking about it, or are currently renovating a dollhouse now for your own child, these next few post might inspire you and help you with some doll furniture making yourself.
I'm having a great time renovating this house and because I not only inherited a dollhouse, but also a camper bus, and have came across two used cars recently, my next project is going to be all about the wheels, which I will also share with you all on here.
I also inherited some really cool vintage Barbie furniture and accessories that light up and move or make sounds, I will be using as much of the original furniture as I can with some makeover touches to the pieces if needed and whatever I don't have I will be crafting.
I decided to first work on the top landing, making it into a study with a tropical vibe, but until I complete the staircase I won't be finishing this room, so I have wallpapered it and finished off the floor and will leave it for now and begin a new room.
Here is a sneek of the landing before the reveal.
So be sure to read my latest dollhouse renovation posts where I will share each room and what I have done.
My first 'completed" room has to be the master bedroom now: and ive decided to go for a boho vibe with pastel tones and textured fabric to give the house a fresh feel to match the landing.
Here is a sneek pic above of the beginning of the feature wall in the master.
Originally it was so dark I wanted to make it bright and fresh so I decided on a cute feature wall made of paddle pop sticks with an Aztec inspired pattern.
This is the beginning of the epic renovations of this huge dollhouse.
I also inherited some really cool vintage Barbie furniture and accessories that light up and move or make sounds, I will be using as much of the original furniture as I can with some makeover touches to the pieces if needed and whatever I don't have I will be crafting.
I decided to first work on the top landing, making it into a study with a tropical vibe, but until I complete the staircase I won't be finishing this room, so I have wallpapered it and finished off the floor and will leave it for now and begin a new room.
Here is a sneek of the landing before the reveal.
So be sure to read my latest dollhouse renovation posts where I will share each room and what I have done.
My first 'completed" room has to be the master bedroom now: and ive decided to go for a boho vibe with pastel tones and textured fabric to give the house a fresh feel to match the landing.
Here is a sneek pic above of the beginning of the feature wall in the master.
Originally it was so dark I wanted to make it bright and fresh so I decided on a cute feature wall made of paddle pop sticks with an Aztec inspired pattern.
This is the beginning of the epic renovations of this huge dollhouse.
KJ
xoxo
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