The dormer fronts have one side facing the interior of the dollhouse and another side facing the exterior, so both sides need to be finished accordingly. Since my interior trim is white, I painted the interior-facing areas white.
Next, you need to fit in the casings. Unlike traditional designs that use two pieces laminated together with an acetate window sandwiched in between, these casings are single pieces with the acetate glued to their backs, leaving it exposed. This requires extra work to ensure they look right. I sanded each casing until it fit loosely inside the front trim. This process must be done gradually; you want the casing to be loose enough to move but not so loose that it won't stay closed. There should be a slight snag to hold it in place when closed. I dry-fitted each front trim with the casing temporarily hinged using masking tape to ensure they moved correctly. Now, you need to decide how to hinge these casings. You can use miniature hinges or fabric. The instructions suggest fabric, but after trying various methods, I found that masking tape provided the best movement. Masking tape is strong and won’t break unless torn at a specific angle, which is hard to achieve when used as a hinge. While it’s not suitable for doors, it works well for these windows because it doesn’t wear down with movement. It lays flat and can be painted white to blend in with the trim, making it nearly invisible once applied and allowing for smooth movement.
To use masking tape as a hinge, cut it to size and glue it down to both the trim and the door, avoiding any glue in the joint that needs to move. Once dry, paint the tape white for a seamless look. Now you have swinging dormers. Next, apply the acetate window to the back of the casings. You may need to trim them for a proper fit. Ensure all pieces are the same size and that the diamond pattern is consistent across all dormers to avoid uneven heights. After the window is dry, paint along the back edge of the acetate to create an interior "trim." This will hide any shine from the acetate and give the appearance of an actual interior trim. Attach a doorknob or pull on the side of the casing that opens. Touch up any paint now since it will be harder to do later.
Glue your dormer fronts with the hinged casing in place. The dormer front legs should fit into the slots of the window sill, resting against the sides and roof of the dormer opening. Ensure everything is flush and apply glue only to the legs and sides; avoid getting glue on the copper paper. Use masking tape to clamp while drying.
Finishing the Tower Dormer
I installed the tower dormer according to instructions since I did not want it operable. If you prefer it to be operable, follow the same steps as above.
Keep in Mind
There may be small gaps along the top or sides of the dormer roof. I recommend leaving these gaps alone and using touch-up paint instead of spackle. Spackle can create a mess in detailed areas and may cause more harm than good. The gaps are usually barely noticeable and can be hidden with paint. Avoid letting spackle seep into the interior of your dormer, as it will be difficult to fix later.
The dormer has a round arch shape, meaning your casings won’t swing open fully because of its low top arch; they will only open halfway inward. If you want your casings to swing outward, you would need to assemble them in reverse order by placing the large trim on top of the small trim. In this case, I recommend using real miniature hinges since they will be exposed on the exterior of your dollhouse. This will alter how your dormer looks from outside, resembling my interior design shown below. If this doesn't bother you, you can hinge them outward without affecting installation.
