critter Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 Hi all! I am very new to the dollhouse/miniature craft and just wanted to ask about measurements. I have also chosen the Orchid as my first build and have not begun building yet but I have started looking at some furniture and other things to put inside the house. I noticed that there are different scales to the furniture (1", 1/2"...) I was wondering if anyone could explain this concept to me. I found a photo of the Orchid furnished but I just think that the furniture looks awfully big to be in such a tiny house. (I have included the photo as an attachment) I was thinking of scaling down a bit. Would this mess with the look of the finished piece? I would love to hear anyone's opinion or advice. I'm sure I will have a million more questions before I even being this project! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uppitycats Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 Figuring out scale can be challenging. To me, the furniture in your picture looks right. 1:12 means "one inch equals one foot (12 inches)". A piece of furniture that is 3 inches tall in "dollhouse" would be 3 FEET tall in real life. A 6 foot tall man would be 6 INCHES tall in a dollhouse doll. If you measure the furniture in your real house, and do the math, you might be able to see how large a kitchen sink would be in a dollhouse, for example. Having said that -- there is dollhouse furniture that looks "large", and some that is so dainty it looks lost in a larger dollhouse (like my Garfield), even though the Garfield is 1:12 scale. And some of the houses just are smaller, so even if they are 1:12 scale, some of the larger furniture which also is 1:12 looks awkward. So you do sometimes have to just "eye" it, and if it looks awkward to you, then you need to look for the daintier furniture that looks smaller. We've all been caught in this dilemma, I think, especially when buying on line, as it's hard to tell from the pictures just how "big" something is until you have it in hand, and are placing it in a room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfieldzoo Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 I think Ann about covered it. I think the furniture in the house you pictured looks fine. Maybe too many pieces is all. In real life that house is about 500 square feet. So realism is really not an issue. It is more fantasy and make believe. Dollhouse furniture is just like real furniture. Some is large and some is small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Trying to minimize confusion is why I express scale as a ratio, so 1:12 is the same as 1"=12"=1'; therefore 1:24 is the same as 1/2"=12"=1' (1"=2') and 1:48 is the same as 1/4"=12"=1' (1"=4'). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 The Orchid does have small rooms, so it takes some planning. For instance, instead of the double bed shown in the photo, a single bed would make the room appear less crowded. The wooden ice box in the kitchen is one of the pieces that is on the bulky side. I think I'd opt for a smaller one. And although I can't see all of the parlor furniture, I think replacing the chair that backs up to the kitchen wall with a bookcase would add some interest to the room and reduce the clutter. And whoever did this one left out the stairs, which would cut into the floorspace even more, and only hinted at a doorway between bath & bedroom. As was said above, it's a matter of putting the piece in the room to see if it "fits". Here is an example of how items can vary. All of these chairs are 1:12 scale, but they almost look as if they would work in the 3 bears house --- papa, mama, and baby! The ladderback with rush seat will go in this room (see its mate back by the window). The chair with the scrollery back will go in the next room. As long as they're not next to each other, they look fine. The unfinished garden bench is going into the box of not-quite furniture until its perfect place can be found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justmesue Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 I also think the furniture in your pic looks awkward because there are too many peices crammed in there. I have a furnished Orchid in my gallery, and as previously stated it needs smaller made 1:12 furniture. It's kinda like full size/apartment size real life furniture. There are size variations within the same scale. Have fun building your house, and can't wait to see pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 When I first built my Orchid I furnished the upstairs with furniture made from the Corona Concepts kits and later replaced some of the pieces with Greenleaf kit furniture, which is smaller and daintier-looking (IMO), and it made a tremendous difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 I also think the furniture in your pic looks awkward because there are too many peices crammed in there. Suzanne, the arrangement in the photo was never meant to be a final arrangement. I only put the 3 pieces together there to show the variation in scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critter Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Thanks to everyone for the advice! I will take all of this into consideration when furnishing the house! That is, if I can find the time to sit down and construct it first. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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