ASSEMBLY RECAP
This is a very difficult build which is not recommended for a beginner. I recommended that you take plenty of time and assemble the dollhouse slowly. Taking frequent breaks from the assembly will help you return to it later with a fresh mind and new ideas.
The hardest part of the dollhouse assembly is the mansard roof and the porch roof.
1. Do not use the wooden mansard panels. Replace them as I did with poster board or thin, flexible wood veneer.
2. Do not use the wooden dormer roofs. Replace them as I did with copper paint swatches on the exterior and ceiling paper on the interior.
Replacing both of these roofs, which require curving of the product, will not only make assembly easier but give you an overall better finish.
The attic needs to be trimmed with strip wood in order to hide interior gaps. This is best done with the top flat roof off.
The dormers need to be finished completely before they are installed on the dollhouse. This makes finishing them easier.
Applying various size trim on the exterior of the dollhouse will hide siding mistakes and gaps, giving the dollhouse more detail but also a cleaner finish as using too much spackle to hide gaps can cause a rougher outcome that can interfere with small details.
The porch roof will have issues. It will most likely not line up correctly but once the vergeboards are on and the porch railing in place, it will be unnoticeable. Staining the vergeboards of the roofs was a lifesaver for this dollhouse. Staining these parts helps hide inconsistencies and the use of spackle is not needed. This helps give these areas a more crisp and clean look which is lost when they are painted and spackled over to hide gaps. Both the top and porch roofs would have required a lot of spackle to hide many gaps and this would have made a smooth look difficult.
Applying texture to the porch roof is a must. This section is very large and takes up most of the visible area of the dollhouse so it must be pleasant to look at. The texture hides all gaps and joints so it makes the porch roof look even and well finished.
Making the windows operable was extremely easy and well worth the simple, extra steps.
This dollhouse can be challenging to decorate. For this reason I did have to make several miniatures myself, like the doll cabinet pictured below and child's bed canopy. Measure your furniture well and take into account the dollhouses room layout before choosing as this can affect what pieces of furniture will fit.
The pantry I made under the staircase is a nice architectural extra but keep in mind that it will dramatically affect what furniture will fit in your kitchen. For this reason, you might want to omit this modification. If you don't, then your kitchen might end up like minds, with furniture covering the doorway. Oh well, it is a dollhouse after all, not a real house so you can get away with things like this if you really want to display your items.
Creating the back cover was not difficult using the railing system, but the top attic back cover can be a little complicated. This attic back cover must be made using poster frame acrylic so that it is bendable. You will need it to bend a little in order to fit it in place. The side and large back cover was made using thicker acrylic cut at the hardware store.
You can visit this dollhouse gallery here
