Now that the base of the dollhouse is dry, I can decorate the floor. I plan to draw clapboards on mine. You can also create clapboards on your floors by using a box cutter or craft knife to score lines. Be careful not to cut too deep, as this could weaken the 1/8" thick plywood. Since it is hard plywood, you'll need some strength to score it properly.
I’m using a pencil, a straight edge ruler, and a fingernail file to measure the widths between the planks. Fingernail files are great for measuring lap widths of siding and plank widths on flooring, especially at this scale. Instead of making all the lines go in one direction on the L-shaped floor, I’ll draw one half first and then the other, allowing the lines to cross.
Keep your lines straight. Remember that the flooring may not be as straight as your ruler, so you might see some deviation as you reach the opposite wall. Don’t worry; once the staircases and partitions are in place, these variations won’t be noticeable. Just aim to keep it as straight as possible.
To create plank joints, I used the fingernail file as a guide and staggered the joints throughout the floor. Next, I stained the floor with my faux stain mixture of varnish and acrylic paint. I chose a light brown similar to what I used on The Pierce Dollhouse, but since both halves of the first floor are made from different wood grains, they stained differently. The dining room and kitchen ended up darker than the living room. I love this effect, but keep in mind that your results may vary when staining dollhouse floors, so always have an alternative flooring option ready in case issues arise.
I also painted what will be the porch floor. This is just a rough coat to define the area. Don’t use spackle for gaps or slots yet; it’s too early to know what will be covered by lattice later. You might end up wasting spackle if you try to do fixes now.
