nuttiwebgal Posted November 28, 2005 Share Posted November 28, 2005 Well after watching this house at Hobby Lobby for almost a yr. it went on Clearance and the kid batted her baby blues at daddy and we are now the proud owners of the Marquam Hill Mansion. we couldnt resist the lure of the box when we got home. first a shot of my daughter and her father who will be doing the building of this huge monster. and of course what house builder can resist looking into the box and retriving the instructions. and for all of you who are curious...yes its alot of Pieces! a few comments at this point. the wood is very thick for the walls and floors...it makes the house almost like a toy. but I have seen a few that looked wonderful so...we will let it slide. the basic build seems straightforward and the siding is milled onto the walls already which is a huge plus as I dont wanna do siding even though it adds such a nice finished look. I have been trying to get Catie into working on Dollhouses for 3 yrs thought it would be something fun we could do together. butshe wasnt interrested untill she found this house. ok so she will get the house...but I have no idea where it will go. at this point we think the rolly cart Dean made for me will be its home...but when I start back on my Granville where will he put his house?? now if anyone has built this house I am definatly in need of some hints. I want a larger kitchen so that will be bashed....what does one do for wood for such a thick house? They will not be starting untill after Christmas. so any tips would be great. Thanks nutti :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Nutti, this is so wonderful!!! another Mini person is born!! Rachel got an "A" on her school indian project and wants to add on to it. Soon us mini folks will rule the world ha ha ha :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Nutti, Is your Marquam Hill wood or MDF? The kits redone with MDF state it's 3/8", I seem to recall the little sections of milled siding wood that glued together tongue & groove were at least 1/4" thick, I think the rest of the plywood (interior walls, etc) was 1/8", same as Greenleaf. I has been a while since I finished the Cambridge, and 5 or 6 years since completing the San Franciscan, so I don't remember. Congratulations, Rachel, & way to go :lol: ! I don't know whether I liked the story or the diorama best, but she certainly deserved her A. I hope her teacher this year appreciates what a smart, sweet little girl she is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 Wow Nutti! That looks like a fun project! Are you going to let daddy and daughter rope you into helping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted November 30, 2005 Author Share Posted November 30, 2005 Are you going to let daddy and daughter rope you into helping hahahaha! I wonder how hard it will be for them to keep me from it? I think I am as eager as them to get started on it. but we really have to do some major moving around of furniture. and make better use of my wall space for this room that Im working in. it is suppose to be a formal dinning room but my kitchen is sooo large that I have never desired to use this room like that...although we have had our big dinners in here. and large parties. it also stored and collected much junk over the years. but now we have all of our computers in here and a nice smallish work area for me but when its all done I will have a largeish work area and display area for MY houses. I have no idea where we will put the Catriona's 4 ft high house. holly....how would I know what the house is made from? it is thick some of the pieces will need some woodputty added to the inside of it....the siding is milled onto it. although it seems nice looking I see some definate things I already am not happy with. but Im not sayin a word until we start coz maybe Im just partial to the GL line. and yes the trim and such is all from the same type wood as what I am used to working with. if I let hubby do it than he wont know if its poor quality or not coz he hasnt done one yet. I know both of them are looking forward to working on this together. I think its a perfect thing for the 3 of us at this time in our young teenagers life not a child but not yet a woman. she is very excited about having something to pass on. I know somewhere I have the webpage of a woman who just finishe one for her Granddaughter and she is the one who gave me the bashing ideas. so knowing what kind of wood is good if I need some for the bashing? making kitchen bigger with garden top roof. nutti :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 so knowing what kind of wood is good if I need some for the bashing? We picked up some 1/8" plywood at Home Depot for bashing purposes, although I haven't needed it, the foamboard worked for dividing walls, but I'd be more comfortable doing a structural bash with the plywood. I asked about the MDF because Dura-Craft redid some of their kits with it, I think the big newer kits (like the Alexandria, etc) are made of it, and I finally got to work with some when I did the Grand Ballroom kit for the HBS contest this year, and I still prefer wood, even at the risk of a few splinters. I think y'all will have a lot of fun building this house together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fov Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 I have always loved this house. It has such a neat shape. Can't wait to see what you and your daughter do with it! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nameless1 Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 Oh, how fun, nutti! Another model that has a tower! On the issue of how to tell MDF from plywood... two ways: 1. Look at the face of the wood (front or back, doesn't matter). Plywood will have a wood grain. MDF won't -- it'll look like a solid surface with maybe some speckled pattern. 2. Look at the edge of the wood. With plywood, you'll see stripes. These are the different layers of wood. With MDF, the edge will look just like the face. Plywood is made by gluing together layers of wood. (Here's too much information.) MDF is made by mixing ground-up wood scrap with glues, heating the mix, and pressing it into sheets (again, TMI). If the siding is milled-in, you have MDF. Milling-in siding would penetrate to the inner layers of the plywood and make a mess. You can bash with plywood on an MDF house, though. I have at least one kit where parts are MDF and parts are plywood, and that was the manufacturer's idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted November 30, 2005 Author Share Posted November 30, 2005 lol Oh, how fun, nutti! Another model that has a tower! oh those are my favorite kind! I love towers. she has had what her attic tower room will be since deciding on this house. she wants a music studio with funky wallpaper....matter of fact all she has picked out is weird paper but now the house is here she only wants a couple of rooms to be wild. and the rest she wants a more uptown look. she has a small collection of little boxes from HL and they have vintage looks I think now she wants this kind of look for the lounge and the master bedroom suit. and the house is MDF so I can use plywood for the bash but than what do I do with the siding...how can I match it or camoflauge it? the kitchen is quite small we are wantig to add maybe 4 inces to it. nutti :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 If you don't have any siding leftover from the Westville (I still do, even after siding the HH porch), you could use card strips, or finish your restoration/ addition with "brick" or "stone". The old all-wood Dura-Craft kits' exterior walls looked like actual thin pieces of board with the siding milled in, similar to the MDF. However they were in 2" wide sections with a tongue along one long edge & a groove along the other. The wall was built up by gluing the sections together. It made "stripes" horizontally on the interior wall, definitely made woodputty/ spackle necessary, but the siding looked good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggi Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 Nutti: I've looked at this house at HL several times when I've gone and the size is one of the things that kept me from buying it. So I too will be glad to watch it come together. I think its wonderful that your daughter wants to build it with you and her Dad. This shows what great parents you are. Usually teenagers don't want to admit they have parents, much less do anything with them. LOL Peggi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted November 30, 2005 Author Share Posted November 30, 2005 Usually teenagers don't want to admit they have parents, much less do anything with them. LOL ugggggg dont I know it!! she is the baby last one at home. her 2 big brothers are 19 and a month shy of (gulp) 21! she is 14. she is still kind of attatched to us. and she and I have bonded alot from our Homeschooling experience last yr. so we are all looking forward to this project. I have been reading the directions and I have to get wider masking tape. I hope it goes smoothly when we do get started. nutti :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Nutti, what a fantastic house! I can't wait to see how this progresses! :lol: Can I say what a pretty girl Catriona is?!! Well, she is!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Nutti .... I built a MHM for my grandaughter last year. I also enlarged the kitchen. You can take a look at my progress at http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p...7940&uid=410136 If that doesn't work, just go to my Picture Trail site and look in the MHM Album. Good Luck, Marcia http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Marcia, when I first saw your house my words were "Oh my Goodness, it's stunning" and it is!! Blue is my favorite color (even some lavanders that looks similar to blue ) I was just so shocked to see it because everything flows wonderfully! I love the color wash you used on the shingles too. Thank you so much for sharing your BEAUTIFUL house with us!! I think I am in love (I love Turrets) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Thanks Tracy! It was a fun house to build, except for the tower. I was practically in tears trying to get those pieces to fit. I'm hoping that the RGT towers go together easier. I started the foundation for my Queen Anne tonight. Marcia http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted December 14, 2005 Author Share Posted December 14, 2005 ohhhh I have your house already bookmarked to the favorites! it was your Emmas house that really sparked her off wanting this house. and your larger kitchen and rooftop garden are also very much going to be done to this house also. I cant wait to see it come together. nutti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molmrath Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 What a beautiful house! And what a lucky girl your granddaughter is. I can't wait to see how your daughter's Marquam Hill goes together Nutti. I'm sure it will be gorgeous too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Marcia: Thanks for sharing the photos of the creation of your MH. Watching the pictures through to seeing Emma's delight was wonderful. I have tears in my eyes. What a marvelous Christmas you must have had when you presented that dollhouse to her. Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted December 14, 2005 Author Share Posted December 14, 2005 and I personally thought it very cool to post the photos so emma could feel a part of the whole process! what an incredible experience I hope to share with my own Granddaughter someday! great job all around! nutti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Great job, Marcia. Did you ever make Mom & Grandma new skirts? Good reference picures for Catriona & Dad, Nutti. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josi Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 What a beautiful house, Marcia! I love the gorgeous wood on the floors and staircases. Emma looks so delighted with the house. Lucky girl. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Marcia your (Granddaughter's) house is so stunning! Love all the colors and those shingles are amazing! Nutti, can't wait to see the progress on your (Catriona's) Marquam Hill. This is a gorgeous house!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Marcia, it's absolutely beautiful! And huge! Great job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evervescent Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Great to read about your experiences with the Marquam Hill. I also came across this house on sale at Hobby Lobby before Christmas and my 11-year-old daughter, Alex, got a great present. Especially since my father put it together. Alex already has a story about the house and its going to involve turning the first two floors into a veterinary clinic. I'm going to let her drive the completion of this house at her own pace, so it will probably be done when she's about 40, but I really can't wait to see it done. Alex's Victorian Veterinary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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