Furnishing Your Dollhouse
So you have an antique or vintage dollhouse and you want to furnish it. This can be a very expensive hobby.
You'll find, depending on the period of dollhouse furniture you're looking for, that some pieces can be almost as expensive as their full size counterparts. What you hope is that you get lucky and find something in a junk shop or charity shop which is worth far more than the sticker price.
Sadly, a great deal of vintage and antique dollhouse furniture is thrown away as people simply don't realise how valuable they can be, even in what may be considered relatively poor condition.
The same rule applies as with the houses themselves (see my other lens Vintage and Antique Dollhouse Collection) it is better not to "restore" the furniture. A lick of paint which you might think freshens them up, in fact will devalue the item.
You might also be interested in this lens on Dollhouse Restoration.
Nor is it important if there are broken pieces, someone may have another which they are looking to repair.
There are many makers to look out for and it will take some time to work our way through them all, so keep returning to see what's new.
I will add anumber of items to this lens and then go back through some of the items giving dates and more details about the makers.
Furnishing Vintage and Antique Dollhouses by Katherine Carington Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 UK: Scotland License.
Based on a work at www.squidoo.com.
The lens photo.
This is a magnificent 12th scale sideboard, maker unknown.
The quality of this piece of furniture is evident even without more detailed photographs, which makes it all the more frustrating that we don't know the maker.
All vintage and antique furniture should be expected to have small faults, scratches, stains etc - none of us gets past 50 without picking up a few scrapes along the way - but the condition of this piece is exquisite, regardless of any tiny marks.
Frequently with vintage or antique pieces one finds the old glue has deteriorated. It is always worth checking over the furniture in case there is a loose leg etc. If you are unsure of how to mend a break then it's better that you leave it alone.
In general, mending dollhouse furniture requires steady hands and tweezers along with minute amounts of glue.
My Dolly's Tin Lithograph Kitchen (BrimToy) and Kleeware plastic table and chairs
A delivery of My Dolly's Tin Lithograph kitchen furniture (sixteenth scale).
This is pictured outside the Tri-ang number 45. A similar thing happened to me when my new bed was delivered to the wrong house.
This furniture appears to date from the 1950s but we can't find definitive information for this series so if anyone knows more precise info it would be really useful if they could get in touch.
The broom cupboard only has its carpet sweeper, there should be more contents for this cupboard but we are unsure exactly what is missing.
The kitchen table and chairs are Kleeware plastic but the nearest match the owner of this house could find for the beautiful new kitchen.
We think the manufacturer of the My Dolly series is BrimToy but can't be certain of this, any suggestions from readers would be appreciated.
Antique Tin Dressing Table
Here is a stunning 1:12 scale item which has survived since the very early 20th century. I hope I look as good on my 100th birthday.
Such items are often passed over, perhaps because we don't normally associate 'tin furniture' with the Victorian / Edwardian period.
Of course, you can't expect an antique mirror on a child's toy to survive unscathed over a century, so that is often replaced - a great shame in my opinion, as the collector would rather have the original, even if in poor condition.
It is possible to have an antique mirror 're-silvered' but I would guess this would never be considered for dollhouse furniture. It would be possible to have a piece cut from an old mirror and placed into an item like this but no-one thinks of that when they come to selling such an item and the replacement of a damaged mirror with a modern substitute is detrimantal to the piece.
This dressing table has its original mirror and is in good condition overall for its age.
Schneegas Piano
This 12th scale piano will feature in another lens as well in future as it came with a resident woodworm grub - you can probably see one of the holes in the front of the piano.
This is not unheard of, particularly with the solid wood furniture which was produced by quality makers some years ago. Schneegas was a German maker of dollhouse furniture
The piano 'keys' appear to have card 'hinges' to pop them back up when pressed.
The wardrobe behind this piano is also by Schneegas.
The Fancy Schneegas Piano
Here is a fancier version of the Schneegas piano, not hard to spot the difference really.
Again, it is 12th scale.
Schneegas Writing / Sewing Table
A beautiful little 1:12 scale writing table (or sewing table if you like), another piece from Schneegas.
The writing set is from Deb Jackson Designs
You may note that all Schneegas furniture goes perfectly together. It would be wonderful to have an entire house furnished with these pieces.
More Schneegas Furniture
The wardrobe which the piano above stands beside and a chest of drawers from Schneegas, both 12th scale.
Inside the wardrobe is all original but this item is missing a little decorative plinth at the top (it should run between the finials). This hardly detracts from its value though and you can see that this piece of furniture has proper mirrors.
Scneegas dollhouse furniture is top quality as you can see from the attention to detail and very well made.
There is one handle missing from the fully working chest of drawers. It may be possible to find a broken piece of Schneegas furniture to obtain a spare handle.
If you have broken dollhouse furniture, it is always worth checking whether any of the parts are salvageable for re-use.
Schneegas bed
Schneegas bed with the wardrobe and chest of drawers shown above.
All this Schneegas furniture is twelfth scale.
Beautiful Schneegas Extending Dining-room Table
A stunning piece of furniture in miniature, these tables are quite hard to come by and can be very expensive.
This is a fully extending Schneegas dining room table in 12th scale (1 inch scale) which my daughter was lucky enough to find at auction. Note the beautifully turned legs.
We spent ages marvelling at the expertise and quality design which has gone into its making and I took plenty of pictures to show how the table extends and where the additional leaves are stored.
I think it kind of speaks for itself.
Incredible to think that this tiny, yet very grand table is an antique piece.
This is a fully extending Schneegas dining room table in 12th scale (1 inch scale) which my daughter was lucky enough to find at auction. Note the beautifully turned legs.
We spent ages marvelling at the expertise and quality design which has gone into its making and I took plenty of pictures to show how the table extends and where the additional leaves are stored.
I think it kind of speaks for itself.
Incredible to think that this tiny, yet very grand table is an antique piece.
DolToi Four Poster Bed 1:16 scale
This particular sixteenth scale bed is in wonderful condition and had never been out of the box.
Although it may not be obvious on the pictures, the sponge 'mattress' has deteriorated in condition and is beginning to turn to dust. Sadly, this is what happens with very old manufactured sponge.
The bed with ottoman and stool.
The items in situ in the Gamage house.
DolToi Deco style Bedroom
DolToi bedroom furniture in Deco style 1:16 scale.
This little set was a really lucky find in a thrift shop. Frequently they are passed over and thought to be of little value but, remarkably, this little set even had the clock ... a rare find indeed being so very small that they were normally lost.
The mirror on the dressing table shows signs of the years since it was made, other than that, the set is all in very good condition, even the mirror in the wardrobe is perfect.
Purchased for a fraction of its true value, it proves you can still find those unexpected treasures out there.
I'm not sure if little Miss Grecon is waking the baby up or trying to get him to settle down.
Vintage Twigg
This 1:16 deco style bedroom suite from the 1950s may be a little twee for some tastes.
Twigg was a British Manufacturer producing quality dollhouse furniture which still fetches good prices on the secondhand market.
The pieces are beautifully constructed from wood.
This furniture has all its original transfers.
Antique bathroom fittings
... rare items hard to find
For an antique house, it's often necessary to mix bathroom fittings as it is very rare to find a complete dollhouse bathroom suite in good condition. Even if one could be found, the price would likely be prohibitive.
These items are a little bit of a mixture, metal washstand, wood and metal toilet and a nice, deep china bath. There should be a mirror in the top/back of the washstand, this is missing but the space can easily be filled by fixing a piece of shiny foil behind the space.
On an antique piece it is best to use tiny bits of stickytack to fix a 'mirror' on, rather than glue or sellotape which would cause damage to the item.
Fairylite Bathroom
A beautiful Fairylite (TM) 1:16 scale bathroom in blue.
This bathroom set is made in cast metal and although not perfect (there are a few chips and marks to the paint) is in remarkably good condition for a vintage set.
As you can see, it is complete with its stool and laundry basket and still has the toilet lid - this often breaks away. It is normal to find small pieces broken off taps etc in dollhouse bathroom sets but this is hardly noticeable when the set is in situ.
It may cost up to around £20 (c $40) for one of these bathroom sets in good condition.
The Fairylite trademark is to be found on the underside of the toilet lid, bottom of the bath etc.
DolToi Deco style Bathroom
This little Deco-style DolToi bathroom set is made in wood and is in its original painted condition.
Always with such sets you expect to find some damage to the soft metal taps etc, neverthless, these are highly sought after 1:16 scale bathrooms.
Vintage Lundby Bathroom
Fabulous and funky Lundby bathroom from the 1970s.
Everthing has been thought of here, from the detailing of the 'tile' backings to the shower attachment (which is frequently missing or broken, in this case the shower hose is missing), even the 'toilet roll' hangs ready for use.
The set is 1:16 scale and could just as well be used in any of the later Tri-ang models as in the Lundby houses.
Very well made in plastic.
This particular set, which even has its original towel, is currently for sale on eBid.net
Tri-ang Spot-on
Adi was a little surprised to find a photographer when he walked into the bathroom.
This is a lovely 1:16 scale Tri-ang Spot-on cast metal bathroom suite. It is quite unusual to find one in such excellent played with condition. This set even still has the toilet seat.
Dol-Toi and Barton side cupboards
These small side cupboards in 1:16 scale from Dol-Toi and Barton would clearly be a little odd in the same house yet are roughly from the same vintage period of manufacture.
The Tudor sideboard and dresser (with matching panels and opening doors) from Barton are interesting. The older Barton Tudor furniture, as shown here, is the darker, Barton seem to have decided at some point in their manufacture to lighten their colourscheme and the later furniture is in a lighter stain.
The colourful bookcase on the left is also Barton, sitting on top of this is a Caroline's Home fishtank. The painted wood "books" are not removeable.
On the right of the picture is the little Dol-Toi bookcase. The paper covered books are removeable in this instance (as two blocks).
All these cupboards are made from wood.
Sewing Machines
Do your dollhouse dolls have hobbies? I hope they don't just sit around watching TV all day.
Here we have a selection of vintage 1:16 scale sewing machines from various makers and an antique 1:24 scale soft metal spinning jenny which has all moving parts.
On the left is a FairyLite plastic sewing machine which folds away completely into its table. Front centre, the small white machine is Lundby, plastic. The black Singer machine at the right is cast metal.
Behind is a treadle style seaing machine from Sylvanian Families, all parts move, including the tiny reels of cotton and the functioning scissors.
Here we have a selection of vintage 1:16 scale sewing machines from various makers and an antique 1:24 scale soft metal spinning jenny which has all moving parts.
On the left is a FairyLite plastic sewing machine which folds away completely into its table. Front centre, the small white machine is Lundby, plastic. The black Singer machine at the right is cast metal.
Behind is a treadle style seaing machine from Sylvanian Families, all parts move, including the tiny reels of cotton and the functioning scissors.
Outdoors
It is never easy to get vintage or antique outdoor plants for your dollhouse, they only come up for auction occasionally, so what can you do?
Well, I have never seen any problem mixing new handmade items with antique or vintage as long as they are in keeping in their general look. Originally, many of the dollhouse pieces would have been individually handmade, in fact, I will add another picture very soon of a beautiful pair of items I was given by my daughter which are vintage, heading for antique and lovingly created by a craftsman for a child.
But back to the outdoors ...
This is a Cherry tree I put together in approximately 5 hours of work. I started with a green glass blob for weight and stability and built on that. The items used are almost all plant material, twigs - bound together with a covering to resemble a trunk, dried flowers (painted), dried leaves etc and a tiny, genuine snail shell.
The tree stand a total of just 7 inches tall and I would have no problem with this appearing beside antique or vintage houses, given a year or so the 'freshness' will be mellowed.
Well, I have never seen any problem mixing new handmade items with antique or vintage as long as they are in keeping in their general look. Originally, many of the dollhouse pieces would have been individually handmade, in fact, I will add another picture very soon of a beautiful pair of items I was given by my daughter which are vintage, heading for antique and lovingly created by a craftsman for a child.
But back to the outdoors ...
This is a Cherry tree I put together in approximately 5 hours of work. I started with a green glass blob for weight and stability and built on that. The items used are almost all plant material, twigs - bound together with a covering to resemble a trunk, dried flowers (painted), dried leaves etc and a tiny, genuine snail shell.
The tree stand a total of just 7 inches tall and I would have no problem with this appearing beside antique or vintage houses, given a year or so the 'freshness' will be mellowed.
This lens belongs to ...
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Dollhouses and Dollhouse Miniatures
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Collections of any kind can be a very satisfying hobby and dollhouse collections can provide an opportunity for the collector to specialise. Not only can you specialise in one type or make of dollhouse, within the dollhouses themselves you can equip...
Please feel free to comment or add to the information on this lens.
For example, if you spot an item we can't identify to a maker and you know who the maker is, we would be perfectly happy for you to point us in the right direction.
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- spirituality spirituality May 10, 2009 @ 11:29 am
- Great lens - you've been blessed by a squidoo angel :)
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- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen Nov 21, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
- As a child I always wanted a doll house but knew I would never get one. I had hoped to share one with a daughter one day but God blessed me with sons and not daughters. Maybe the next generation...
Thank you for the memories and thank you for your kind comments on my Say Something Nice Lens.
Lizzy
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- LMD630 LMD630 Sep 17, 2008 @ 9:52 am
- What a beautiful site - love all your pictures!! If you get a chance visit my site:
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- JudyDunn JudyDunn Sep 14, 2008 @ 10:11 am
- Wonderful!!
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- starlitparlit starlitparlit Sep 6, 2008 @ 6:35 pm
- Very beautiful furniture. I love dollhouses even though they scare me sometimes, lol. Thank you for visiting my Fruits Basket Anime Serieslens as well :)
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- Evelyn_Saenz Evelyn_Saenz Aug 29, 2008 @ 10:46 am
- Oh, What beautiful, beautiful furniture. 5 Stars and Favored! I never knew that doll furniture could be made with such quality.
Fancy Nancy loves your lens so much that she is sending you virtual cup of coffee to hang on your wall.
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- sbucciarel sbucciarel Aug 27, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
- Great lense. The Firestorm Forum is great for promoting your lenses and blogs. There's a very active Squidoo community there. firestormforum.com Hope you check it out. I also have a lense about it at http://www.squidoo.com/firestorm
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- The_Homeopath The_Homeopath Aug 26, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
- An expensive hobby indeed! LOL. My last full project was a 1930's bungalow based upon my Great-Grandmother's house that I made for my mom. Getting into the Hummel miniatures, hand blown miniature cranberry glass, and custom linens really adds up, but the results are just spectacular! I'm planning a lens about that particular house as well as the "pet fantasy" house I did for my oldest daughter. I adore your collection!!
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- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Aug 26, 2008 @ 12:02 pm
- I inherited my grandmother's collection of mini-crochet and have put together a few shadow-box-type rooms. Your furnishings are the prettiest I've ever seen. Wonderful lens! Squid Angel Blessed.
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