Like I have mentioned before, real miniature moulding can be very expensive and so I like to leave it for when I am adding an architectural element like a staircase that wasn't there or a gazebo to the front porch.
For crown moulding, baseboards and general trimming, which I have to do over and over on all of my dollhouses, I like to use basswood strips and thin dowels. They are not only relatively inexpensive, they are easy to work with because it eliminates the need for miter cuts and they are user friendly for tab and slot dollhouses which have unique measurements that do not always work well with real moulding. Tab and slot dollhouses are truer to scale than other types of dollhouses so real moulding sometimes looks too large for them especially for the smaller two and three room cottages. Not to mention all of the different angles and heights for windows and doors which might get in the way.
Speaking of which, is an issue in this particular dollhouse. The front door basically reaches the edge of the ceiling so applying moulding on top of it will not be possible. You will have to cut your molding up to the door frame and then continue on the other side. It's not the ideal situation but these are the types of things that come up with tab and slot dollhouses so you have to work around them in the best way possible.
Trimming is essential for these types of dollhouses. In other types of dollhouses they can be considered a nice decorative detail to add more realism but in tab and slot dollhouses, they make all the difference in the world. You will not get a nice finished look unless you trim everything you possibly can. It makes the difference between just a dollhouse you put together to play with and a true personalized display case for your miniatures. You need for trim for aesthetic reasons and for the sturdiness of your dollhouse.
I trimmed the dormer openings of the attic with basswood strips. It hides any wallpaper edges on these walls which had to be wallpapered before assembly. You will need to do some miter cuts for this. I eyeball all of my cuts, if you can believe it. I used the dowels for the wall joints of the attic and the first floor ceiling.
You can use as much trim as you want. Some people even add trim along straight wall joints. This dollhouse though, did not require as much trim as I thought it would. I think it looks good with what I used.
I also trimmed the back edges of the walls and floors. This is another must. You want to make sure your edges are nice and finished and though you can sand and paint/stain them to match, I find that nothing gives it that truly finished look like trimming. With trim you can also straighten any curves or slants in your floor or walls and hide some areas that are not so nice to look at like the back, top edge of your staircase.
This little dollhouse is just about done. Shingling is what's left and I will begin that tomorrow.
