Today, I added the trim around the front opening of the dollhouse, with pieces on the top and sides. The top trim fits together easily, just as shown in the illustrations, and it’s simpler to assemble while attached to the dollhouse. The side trim is a bit more complicated. It involves two long wood strips that need to be laminated together and placed on the sides like narrow walls. Then, shorter strips are added behind them, between the floors, to create a thickness of three laminated pieces. This thickness is important because it supports the weight of the front panels where the hinges will be attached. Although the illustrations may look crude, they provide detailed guidance on where each piece goes.
I want to point out a difference between the dollhouse box photo and my assembled shell. The box shows the staircase on the right side, while I mistakenly placed mine on the left. I confused this model with the Gloucester Dollhouse, which has the staircase on the left. Fortunately, I don’t need to disassemble my shell to correct this error because it won’t affect the assembly outcome. I just need to flip the large front panel around so that the door fits properly between the two windows. I want to emphasize being cautious about this common mistake. In this case, it’s not an issue, but with a dollhouse that has a winding staircase, such a mistake could be problematic. It would be very confusing for a beginner to have to rearrange all the parts to fit a winding staircase correctly if they flipped the shell. Always read through my entire assembly blog before starting your dollhouse to avoid repeating my mistakes.
There are many pictures of the Cheltenham Dollhouse online that show staircases on both sides, which can be confusing. It doesn’t matter which side you choose for your staircase; just ensure that when you hinge your front panels, they align with the interior rooms. The front door should open into the largest first-floor room and be positioned between the two front panel windows. You may need to flip your large front panel over, as I did, so that the back faces the front.
Once you reach this stage in your dollhouse shell construction, there isn’t much more you can do until you finish the interior. I recommend completing the interior before adding the roof or front panels.
