This building is a quarter-scale replica of The Arthur Dollhouse, found in the Greenleaf Village Kit. This kit can be used for model railroad displays, Christmas displays, and as gift boxes.
To transform it into an open-back dollhouse, some modifications are necessary. In the kit, The Arthur Dollhouse replica is called "The Victorian House."
I separated all the parts for the dollhouse and prepared them by sanding and punching out the trim. Since the dollhouse will have an open back, I can discard the back wall, which means some trim won't be needed either. However, I will keep the extra trim for use inside the dollhouse. The interior will also require trimming to match the open back.
Next, I need a floor template because I plan to add a second floor to recreate The Arthur Dollhouse floor plan. I used the existing floor as a guide to make the second one. While 1/8-inch thick foam core can be used for this, I chose to use cardboard from the kit box instead. Balsa wood is another option if you want to stain the original floors.
Now, I will assemble the dollhouse. After it dried, I inserted the cardboard second floor, ensuring it was even and level on all sides. I clamped it gently to hold it together without squeezing too tightly since it's cardboard.
Once the assembly was dry, I added the first-floor wall partition. I found it easiest to measure with a piece of paper. After getting the size right through dry fitting, I cut it out of cardboard and glued it in place. You can customize your partition by cutting out a door, but I chose not to so that there would be ample space for furniture inside.
I can't install the second-floor partition until I'm sure how the roof will fit. I'm not concerned about the exposed edges of the cardboard because I'll trim them with wood trim later. You can also smooth them with spackle.
Once everything was dry, I primed the entire interior of the dollhouse.
