Finding a New Dollhouse

      After the initial child disappointment and whining was over, I promised to find an actual dollhouse to build or rehab. This promise was probably the biggest mistake, it created a rush to find one. I searched more on the local Craigslist, I searched hobbyists, I searched ebay, I searched.... Locally there is an antique store called Yesterdays Treasures about 7 blocks from my home. I walked into the antique store where a woman was sitting behind a desk watching soap operas. I asked if she had any wooden dollhouses or kits available anywhere in the store. The store was crammed full of items, and I did not expect to find one, but I did.

    She stood up from the desk and took me out a side door to an area covered with a tarp. I could see the siding from the dollhouse peeking through the bottom of the tarp and immediately began to feel hopeful. The question that I feared asked was, "How much are you asking for this Dollhouse?" I asked, I sealed my lips to not allow my mouth to fly open, and her answer was $40. SOLD!

    I probably should have looked at the dollhouse more thoroughly, but I didn't. The price was perfect, the house was sturdy and strong, and I needed to get this thing home to appease the children that have been driving me crazy. Here are some of the things that can be an issue with dollhouses that are pre-built by hand.

• They could have no doors to open the actual house.
• They are made from termite infested woods
• They were hand built with nails/tacks/staples

     The dollhouse has NO doors, is handmade and weighs around 50lbs. Though it is HUGE (standing 4ft tall ) the only access are these strange windows. So I stared at it, I investigated it with a flashlight and a hammer. This could be an easy fix. Here is the picture I took from my telephone, so it is not the best. It will show the actual size of it....

The 1st plan::: 

• Cut off both side panels and attic pieces. This would create 4 pieces, 2 attic triangular pieces and 2 rectangular pieces.
• Trim off excess wood that would allow hinges and small clasps to close the doors. 
• Purchase small piano hinges, finish the inside of door that will be hung, all 4 pieces
• Add ribbon to the attic piece so when the door is opened downward, it will be secured and lay straight out from the doll house. 
• Create moldings to hide all of the new hardware
• Build a porch, decide on a door/window/etc. 

 
This is stage one of the rehab. We are taking the panels off today, once they are removed more pictures will be added, and a step by step on what we are doing to remodel this beast of a dollhouse.