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Help with House ID


FreeDragon

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:lol: I picked up this house for rehab from my sister's garage where it had been stored for ages. She told me she's had it 15-ish years, maybe more. I thought I recognized it as an older Greenleaf, but couldn't find a stamp (like on my 1979 Harrison.) It's tab-and-slot, and has many "Pierce" qualities: lattice board, the acetate window style and trims, attic style, porch railing cut-outs, more. In addition, this house has two drawers in the bottom at the opening. No front, or back (not sure which) as the house was built to hang on a wall.

Any ideas who she is? Seems there was a house like this for ID on the forum before, but I would never be able to find that post again! Appreciate any help. (There are a few more pics if they might help. Just ask.) Thanks!

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Kelly, LLyn Marie -

Wow! You guys are fast! It is a lovely home, has great bones!

The wallpaper and what-not is awful! and is coming down fast! I've had her about four days and have one outside wall painted and all the interior paper, etc. removed for rehab. Now that I know how to post pics, I just might start a gallery!

Thanks gals! You're awesome! :lol:

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Ooh, lucky you! This is a neat house, I think you'll have fun with it.

I started to rehab a McKinley... oddly enough, it was painted the same color as that one! I ended up giving it away when we moved last year in an attempt to downsize, but I took some pictures during the early part of the rehab process that you may find helpful -- you can see them here (scroll down to Restoring the McKinley).

There are also a ton of great McKinley pictures in the Galleries here.

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Just out of curiosity, is that deep enough to really do anything with the rooms, or are you pretty limited in what furniture you can put in it?

Sherry, mine's pretty full. And I probably still have some room for a little more. It's 9 inches deep. Take a look in my gallery if you want some ideas. It's not as big as a 'full-sized' house, but it hangs! I have a lot more furniture in it than I have in my Buttercup or Winston Cottage or Haunted House, of course those are small houses.

PS I got it hung up last night! Hooray!

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Just out of curiosity, is that deep enough to really do anything with the rooms, or are you pretty limited in what furniture you can put in it?

The furniture fits okay, but the orientations you can use are pretty limited. In the bedroom your only real choice is to put the bed against the back wall, for example. If you keep the kitchen door, it's impossible to do cabinets that go around a corner. I actually closed up the doorway because of this. On the other hand, the attic is nice and big, unlike some houses (*ahem* Westville) that have cramped, low-ceiling attics.

A while ago I saw a picture in an old Nutshell News of two McKinleys bashed together to make a "full" house. Ever since I've wanted to try it - I even have the kits in my stash - but I don't know when I'll get around to it (or where I'll find the space to keep it!)

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I've thought of just making it deeper by at least six or seven inches and extending the roof to go over the added floor pieces. The part that's supposed to go against the wall I'd have to finish somehow with windows. It would be great if they would make a deeper version because I like the floor plan. I also wish they'd make a 1/12 scale Fairfield. That's another one with a great floor plan. My Irish Grandmother always used to say "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride". :lol: :(

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This is a wonderful house - I could build a hundred of them! It is stamped: "Greenleaf Steel Rule Die Corp Copyright 1981" Not sure if that means anything, i.e. does it make the house "vintage" or just old! Irregardless, she's in great shape for a house nearly 30 years old.

It does have a great floor plan, though the rooms are small-ish. I think it can be furnished in an elegantly "austere" manner and look fabulous, although it looks terrific no matter how it was done in the many gallery photos I've looked at. The stairs are nice, going up the back, so you have their look without them taking up lots of space. My McKinley has no opening in the second floor for a stair landing, they go to the ceiling, and, in fact, before I knew what she was I was affectionately calling her the "Winchester" house (you know who I mean)! Have noticed a few differences between mine and some of the McKinleys in the galleries, for instance mine has no gingerbread (probably broken and/or lost over the years), and it has a built-in wall cabinet on the second floor left room (which I've removed.) Don't know anything about the original kit (though I'm going to look, may add another to my collection) or if these features were standard.

Rehab is coming along nicely. Great, in fact. Love the house and perhaps, with some practice, I'll put together some gallery pics. Keep the comments and info coming, please. It's gray in Ohio and I'm getting a little cagey, needing to shake off the winter-blue(s).

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... I made a special trip to pick it up. My boyfriend commented that I'm the only person he knows who would go 60 miles out of her way to buy a dollhouse ...

fov - I drove more than 400 miles for my Harrison!

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There is not a hole in the ceiling for the stairs to come out originally in the design. Would be easy enough to cut, though, but hard to see. Which is okay, you would know it's there! I closed in the hallway in mine, so you can't even see that anyway. I purposely didn't put the gingerbread on mine, it just didn't feel that fancy. And the bookcases you have in your 2nd floor room did not come with the kit. There was a small one that did, about 1/3 the size of yours. I do like the way your stairs are, though. Adds an interesting look.

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The McKinley is a wonderful kit! I absolutely love mine! It's like a big house shaped shadowbox! The little cabinet that you're talking about was meant for a bathroom cabinet ( it does come in the kit). On the second floor was a false wall in the bedroom and one with a door way for the hall, to create the illusion of a hall where the staircase would be. :lol:

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Okay, this is good ... so many of you have owned, loved, and/or rehabbed a McKinley. Got to ask: Had no gingerbread with mine and would appreciate some. I'm missing original stair railings as well, and hope to put them back as they belong. This home came to me as a rehab; no box nor schematic sheets for reorder info. Anyone out there willing to donate to the cause? PM me, please - if you're willing to offer unused gingerbread, etc., or have sheet schematics you can forward. Ultimate thanks.

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If you choose to remove that false wall you can cut an opening for the top of the stairs, and also make a second stairway to the third floor and cut an opening in that floor, also. I was going to do that originally when I was going to electrify the house; but the person who wanted it shares my attitude towards lights in a dollhouse, so I built it as was. I put the cupboard in the kitchen, instead of in the bathroom.

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:thumb: Seems we're on the same page there, Holly. Think I'll remove that wall anyway, making the hall part of that bedroom. Still looking for schematic sheets; Ideally, I'd like the (new) stairs and their railings to be original to the home (the railings now are not standard.) If I could lay hands on a set of schematics I can reorder the specific sheets or, in the very least, make my own railings.

The cupboard in mine, also, is not original to the house, and is 3X bigger, covering the entire back wall of the bath. Unsure if I'm going to use it or not.

P.S. What exactly is your attitude toward electrifying/lighting a dollhouse? Pros and cons. Curious as I haven't done it myself, but the McKinley had been wired when I got her. Thought I might try my hand at it with this house.

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