Now that the structure is completely dry, I can continue with my project. I primed the dollhouse inside and out, spackled the exterior, sanded it down, and painted it again. Next, I started painting the trim. Before proceeding further, I need to focus on the interior.
Although it’s possible to wallpaper before assembly, this dollhouse is simple enough to wallpaper afterward. I printed out some wallpaper and flooring in quarter scale. Printing wallpaper from a computer is both ideal and inexpensive at this scale. For high-quality prints, I recommend taking your files to an office supply store.
After printing my patterns, I created a template for the floor to cut the flooring to the right size from the printouts. This approach saves ink since I can make mistakes with the blank paper template instead of wasting my printed designs. Once the template fit perfectly on the floor, I cut it out from the printed pattern and glued it down using a glue stick. This type of glue is best for small-scale printouts because it won’t soak through the paper and provides strong adhesion. I placed the paper on the future kitchen floor. To avoid damaging the pattern with fingerprints, it's better to press down the paper with a wood strip or another object, which allows for better access to corners without rubbing off any ink. Since printer ink is delicate and can easily smear, sealing the paper could be risky at this stage. The glue will help strengthen it for later sealing with matte varnish; just be sure to test a small area on another sheet first.
When cutting out wallpaper for the windows, wait until all the glue has dried. The side windows must be cut from the outside in since a knife won’t fit from the inside. It’s crucial to use a sharp X-Acto knife and take your time.
I’m completing the first floor entirely before moving on to the second. The gable shape of the roof will require careful planning for wall partitions so that they fit properly underneath. I also need to decide whether to wallpaper before or after installing these partitions.
To cut out interior windows to size, use one of the window trims as a guide since they are too large as they are. I trimmed mine to match the interior trim’s outer edge so that they fit snugly beneath it. Centering each window is important for a uniform look; I used the middle line of each window as my guide. I glued in the plastic windows first, ensuring they were centered before attaching the trim over them. I also applied trim on the outside. Since I won’t have enough interior trim for all windows, I'll make additional pieces from thin white cardboard, like cereal boxes.
After gluing all of the bottom windows, I attached the door and created its interior trim in the same way as before. I plan to leave the door wood-colored inside and varnish it later. Next, I touched up the exterior paint and glued on the shutters before inserting and gluing down the front porch floor.
Now it's time to work on the second floor. I temporarily placed the front roof and held it with tape while measuring where it meets the two side walls, as I'll need to wallpaper before securing it in place. I dry-fitted and marked where to cut for an open back roof. Now, I need to create partitions for three rooms instead of two up here. By following the shape of the side walls, I shaped each partition wall carefully through trial and error. Using one wall as a template for the second allowed me to mark where each partition would go along with roof placement. Then, I began applying different wallpaper patterns for each room on their respective walls and ceilings. Once everything was wallpapered and in place, I made sure not to confuse patterns or orientations during assembly.
Before gluing anything down, I ensured that the floor was installed first and wallpapered all partition walls prior to attaching them. When that was complete, I glued on the front roof first. Notice that I didn’t need to use any roof supports from the kit because my partitions serve that purpose. Finally, I glued on each partition wall, ensuring they aligned perfectly at seams where different wallpapers met.
