The Dollhouse

I think you all know by now that my dad is a genius when it comes to woodwork. He is a carpenter by trade and makes beautiful things, both professionally and when his daughters have a request. There have been doll cradles, book shelves, rocking elephants, tables, chairs, built-ins, closets, window treatments and now this.

My dad knows I’m kind of notorious for last minute ideas. I’ve been thinking all summer about what to buy Ella for her birthday when out of the blue she told me she wanted a dollhouse. I talked to my dad in early August to see if that was even possible and we formulated a plan. I drew him a sketch of what I wanted… four rooms and an attic, shingles and shutters. I originally planned for it to be on casters and to be open on both the front and back so that she and her friends could play together. Poppy kind of took it and ran with it. He decided it needed to be collapsible and have a front porch. We compromised and added the back panel to help stabilize it and the design was born.

This puppy was ready to paint on the Wednesday before her party. I spent three nights rolling and brushing and fighting off mosquitoes with my parents in their front yard, while SD kept up the pretense of my “working late” and took care of the girls.

The day before her party, I dropped Ella off for a birthday party and we got started. We had sanded each piece and touched them all up the night before. Here is my dad putting the first floor together and my excited face after she was all in one piece. Don’t laugh at that shirt, I was clearly not presentable for photographs! This is my favorite Grateful Dead tee of all times and is only 17 years old. I swear I’ll cry when it finally bites the dust.

Once it was together, I painted the inside edges of the doors, windows and arch ways and touched up a few places that I missed after dark the night before.

A tiny sponge brush and mini roller were my best friends and made this job so much easier. I painted the house itself a pretty ballerina pink. My original plan was to paint the shingles and shutters black and to wallpaper the inside. Once I saw the shingle color, I decided to leave them unfinished and sprayed the shutters pea green instead. I decided to wait on the wallpaper and see if Ella wanted to help with a little “home makeover” sometime over the Christmas holidays.

Of course, I had help. Not only did Poppy help me in every way conceivable, but K & Cory babysat and Sophie finally came out for a little assistance herself. She was just the right size and thought it was too funny to be tucked into the rooms.

I had this tiny chandelier that I picked up at ZGallerie for Sophie’s room, but never used. It was perfect for the attic and with 3 triple A batteries, it lights up the whole house.

I’m sorry that I don’t yet have party pictures, but Ella was ecstatic when she opened her present. She tells everybody that Poppy built it, I painted it and SD paid for it! As big as it is, we even managed to wrap it and let her open it at her party. Even her little friends were impressed. Here is where the dollhouse stands today.

A luxurious bathroom is in the attic, complete with clawfoot tub, crystal chandelier and a fainting couch, of course.

The second floor boasts a state of the art kitchen, dining room and make shift garage?!

The lower floor houses our vintage canopy bed and a beautiful dressing room. While some of the furniture was gifted at her party, the vintage pieces came straight out of my basement. I kept all of my Barbie things, as well as my mom’s, and after some good old fashioned scrubbing this house was fully functional.

She has spent countless hours in this spot since her party and we realize we definitely made a wise investment. She loves it and I couldn’t be happier watching her play with my childhood Barbie dolls.

Kristin is married to her high-school sweetheart and the mother to two daughters. Professional by day and creative by night, she is a family lifestyle blogger who writes about faith, family, and fitting it all into a busy schedule. At Taz + Belly, you’ll find healthy recipes, children’s party ideas, tutorials, DIY projects, and more. Click Here to Read More About Kristin