From the earliest known dollhouse over 400 years ago, there has always been a certain reverence given to the miniature buildings and furnishings that inspire people to treat them with respect and covet them. With the dawn of mass production many of today’s dollhouses are made from plastic and non-breakable material for children but authentic, handmade, intricate wooden dollhouses are still held in very high regard as a display item for the home. If you have recently discovered the joy of these diminutive houses and their contents, then you might be surprised at just how wide the choices are when it comes to picking your first dollhouse. Knowing how to buy a dollhouse for display begins with deciding what type, style and scale of dollhouse you want.
Types of Dollhouses
The range of options is so varied that from newbies to skilled collectors there will be a dollhouse to suit your vision.
Dollhouse Kits – Dollhouse kits come complete with all the parts needed to build an architectural masterpiece – from windows and doors to intricate crystal chandeliers. The end result though, lies entirely on your skill and imagination.
Finished Dollhouse – Finished dollhouses are dollhouses that have not only been built, but also completely decorated. From the walls, the windows, the doors and the siding, to the chandeliers, the kitchen utensils and flower pots. Finding your perfect finished dollhouse is a lot like finding your perfect home and you will have search until you find the right one.
Custom-Built Dollhouse – Just as someone would get a contractor and an architect to build them an actual house, a dollhouse can be custom made to your liking. This is a fantastic option if you have a vision but not the skill.
Styles of Dollhouses
As dollhouses are just small-scale replicas of life-sized houses, you can find them in various styles of modern and historical designs – from a traditional style house to an elegant mansion, or maybe even a castle. Although you can purchase most any style of dollhouse, there are four styles that are more common.
American Style Dollhouse – A small-scale typical family home. Usually square with a triangular roof, five windows, and a door it normally has a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and a few bedrooms.
Victorian Style Dollhouse – In true Victorian style these have towering, precipitous oblique roofs; multiple roof tops; and elaborate trim or decked slanted boards accentuating the roof space. The windows tend to be different sizes and shapes and may even protrude outward from the house.
English Style Dollhouse – Similar to the American style just a little less simple. This box style house is one that grows taller as opposed to longer.
Tudor Style Dollhouse – A lot of intricate handy work goes into making the least common, yet beautiful Tudor dollhouse. In creating a truly authentic look with pronounced wooden rafters, course white exteriors, tiled roofs, and leaded windows.
Choosing the Perfect Scale Dollhouse
The scale of your dollhouse will largely depend on the space you have available. The scale will affect how large or small the dollhouse is and how well it will fit in the room where it will be displayed. Buyers can choose among five different scales.
Full Scale – This scale is 1:12, meaning one inch on the dollhouse is equal to 12 inches in the real world. Most accessories and decorations are made to fit in houses of this scale because this is the most popular choice.
Half Scale – Half the size of the full scale – meaning that one inch equals two feet in real life, labelled 1:24. This would be a good fit for a smaller house or a house made with smaller rooms.
Quarter Scale – Even smaller is the quarter scale, 1:48. In this size one inch equals every four feet in real life so it is rather small, and made as a decoration more than something to play with.
Less than a Quarter Scale – This is the smallest scale of 1:144, or one inch to 12 feet, and is so tiny that it would fit in the palm of someone’s hand.
Article written by Melody Jane Dolls Houses