As you can see, this time around, I changed the color scheme of the dollhouse just a little. I decided to paint the half timber trim instead of keeping it stained. It gives it a bit more contrast. I used dark brown paint. I was able to change the half timber trim color even though it was already installed because of it's straight lines and accessibility. This does not make it impossible to change its color after installation but it does make it labor extensive. It's always best to do these detailed finishes before assembly.
This time around I used a brick paper for the chimney. I also made my own terra cotta color for the chimney top. I just mixed equal amounts of light brown and yellow paint and then added a touch of red. After it was perfect, I mixed in a dab of spackle for texture. The result is a realistic clay looking chimney top. I painted the flue black and then went over it with the terra cotta spackle mixture, rubbing off some of it from the very top edge so the black shows through. This makes it look like the clay is soiled at the top with chimney soot.
I decided to assemble the optional yard that comes with the dollhouse but I didn’t glue it permanently to the dollhouse this time around. I like the removable idea because it makes moving the dollhouse around so much easier without the yard attached. So when I want to display it with the yard, I just butt the yard up right up to the dollhouse and when I don't want the yard, I just remove it. Very easy. It also make re-decorating the yard that much easier.
THE ROOF
I thatched the roof of this dollhouse and you can see the tutorial of how I did it here.
THE FLOORS AND WALLS
I used a sand color for the exterior rather than white. I like how it compliments the half timber trim.
First what makes this a challenging build is the way the shell of the dollhouse goes together. It has a lot of walls and they must be put up all at once because many of these walls can not be permanently glued until the next one is up so you have to make sure you have plenty of time to finish the shell completely before you even begin it.
I suggest for you to glue the Back Foundation Wall and Right Wall on to the First Floor and let them both completely dry before you even begin the rest. Having these walls completely dry and sturdy will really help you achieve the support needed to hold the rest of the walls in place. If you try to put them all at once, they will continue to fall over because there is basically nothing to clamp them to that will be sturdy.
Keeping this dollhouse square is essential for it to come out correctly. Make sure all tabs go all the way into the slots and all walls and floors are tightly jointed together. Remember that the staircase will go into one side of the dollhouse. It is essential that the dollhouse does not have gaps or is misaligned for this staircase to fit properly.
THE WINDOWS
I decided to paint the little round designs on the top of each window. I wanted it to look like stained glass. I used regular acrylic paint.
I painted the interior side of the window with a fine brush. The circles don’t have to be perfect but you want to stay inside of the white line as much as possible because it will be visible on the interior of the dollhouse.
You might want to apply two or three coats of the paint, letting each coat dry first before applying the next so that you don’t see a lot of brush strokes on the exterior. You do want a little bit of a brush stroke though because it's suppose to resemble stained glass so you don’t want a completely solid color to the circle.
This is just one way to achieve a "stained glass" look. It's simple, easy and uses materials you already have on hand but there are better techniques to achieve stained glass. One of the best ways is to paint your glass with Sharpie markers, rather than paint. Then give the glass, on the opposite side of where you used the markers, a coat of clear nail polish. It gives it that color variation seen in stained glass.
THE INTERIOR
I went with stucco this time.
I also did some half timber trim on the inside as well, using balsa wood. This wood is very easy to work with because its so soft and this makes it easy to cut with scissors.
I decided to wallpaper the gable walls with same brick paper I used on the chimney.
I bought some ribbon at the fabric store and used it to make a staircase runner. I also bought some fabric to make the upstairs window seat cushion.
You can visit this dollhouse gallery here.
