The Doll House Do Up #1

Following on from  the successful dolls house finding mission, here is the first installment of the dolls-house-do-up-saga... So. I liked that it was reminicient of our own house and my initial thought was to replicate in miniture our place.

However, after a closer inspection of the house my mind wandered a little further afield...

Haunted house maybe? The front door even creaks! Or take the recently-raided-crack-den ambience a little further-think bratz dolls, a stained mattress, teeny tiny baccy pack and rizzlas? It'd be an antidote to the picture perfect pink ye olde worlde of the average dolls house for sure, but, to be honest, I have been rather brainwashed charmed by the world in miniture I've explored so far. And, oh yeah, nearly forgot, it's for my kid! Well once her interest in such things develops beyond climbing it in order to slide down the other side anyway, heh!

                                                The clean-up operation has been extensive

Icky chimney gubbins.

(The cup and train we're keeping, kinda like 'antiques-we-found-in-the-attic', and will be incorporated into the make over somewhere)

Sugar soaped, sanded, filled, sanded, ceilings and floors replaced, filled, sanded. Sealed. B.O.R.I.N.G!

Eventually some creativity was required to answer my first decor question "how am I going to replicate the    
stucco?" A quick rifle through my aging brain and the kitchen cupboard produced a light bulb.                    
  
                                                                  Cat-litter stucco!

It took me a whole afternoon of experiementing. It failed. Although cat litter looks the part perfectly when glued on and painted over (bottom left) it's just too soft to handle kiddy-handling (I sound like I'm taking it really seriously don't I?! That's because I did!).
Anyway, I was about to tootle off to the shop to get the necessaries for stucco-replicating idea number two when hubby (who has been banned from further interference in doll house matters-"it's mine, go play with your truck") asked what I was up to. He gave me a creativity-sapping stare when I said I was off to buy 'that gravel you get in fishtanks', and said "wallpaper" before returning to his brown pottery almanac. Feeling a bit stupid (I didn't mention that bubble wrap and arborio rice had crossed my mind) and deciding his suggestion didn't constitue interference I took off and found an off-cut of lumpy wallpaper in a bargin bin a the local decorating shop...bingo!

BINGzzzzzzzzzzzz Stucco...far out...bored of that already. Replica house plan abandoned.

                              Well, except for this state-of-the-art-in-1982 clock radio. I couldn't resist!

So, stuck in doll house inspiration no mans land for a few weeks, I was intriged when I saw this real estate firm advert on my trip to Oamaru last week.

Great vintage store, with doll house mania as a bonus!

Then I read this blog post about a cool doll-house 'styling' challenge.

 I've signed up. Dec 15th deadline, with weekly blog updates.

That should help get my A into G!

My enthusiasm is rekindled.

I've got a gazzillion new ideas!

So here's how she's looking thus far, my blank canvas, ready for the make-over

                                                                     To be continued...