Any tips on restoring an old beacon hill?

[Holly Sue]

I bought an old Beacon Hill dollhouse off of craigslist for about $125. The lady already put wallpaper up and did the flooring in some rooms. The house was put together using super glue and some of the boards have huge gaps in them. I have not even finished putting together the Garfield yet, but I couldn't pass this awesome deal up on Craigslist! It needs a lot of TLC. Can I just rip off the wallpaper and the flooring? She used super glue for the floors for some reason and I'm afraid that there will be a huge mess leftover under the floors. I wanted to put lighting up and redo the entire dollhouse. So I guess the questions that I have are as follows:

Can I rip off the floors and wallpaper, and use a blow dryer to get rid of the excess glue? (Sorry if this is a stupid question)

Where can I buy cheap victorian-style furniture in mahogany? 

Where can I buy replacement parts or actual sliding windows for the Beacon Hill? 

Thank you!! 

[havanaholly]

1 hour ago, Holly Sue said:

I bought an old Beacon Hill dollhouse off of craigslist for about $125. The lady already put wallpaper up and did the flooring in some rooms. The house was put together using super glue and some of the boards have huge gaps in them. I have not even finished putting together the Garfield yet, but I couldn't pass this awesome deal up on Craigslist! It needs a lot of TLC. Can I just rip off the wallpaper and the flooring? She used super glue for the floors for some reason and I'm afraid that there will be a huge mess leftover under the floors. I wanted to put lighting up and redo the entire dollhouse. So I guess the questions that I have are as follows:

Can I rip off the floors and wallpaper, and use a blow dryer to get rid of the excess glue? (Sorry if this is a stupid question)

Where can I buy cheap victorian-style furniture in mahogany? 

Where can I buy replacement parts or actual sliding windows for the Beacon Hill? 

Thank you!! 

Try the water & white vinegar to remove wallpaper.  Rip up the floors ( a metal putty knife & hammer are my instruments of choice); you might want to invest in a Mouse or Dremel sander to remove the dry glue, especially if it's super glue.  A blow dryer works well on hot glue; I don't know about super glue.  Give me a hot glue-built house to rehab I can have that puppy apart with a heat gun in no time flat.

If you can score some of the Reallife or Scientific Victorian furniture kits for a good price the Minwax mahogany stain works beautifully on basswood.  Chilton used to publish a book of early American furniture patterns, and I can't remember the name, but there were a series of booklets published at one time with various Victorian furniture patterns.  The Chrysnbon kits are perfect for late Victorian kitchens & bathrooms, and I have successfully used the Minwax stains on them.

Contact Greenleaf for the schematics sheets for the Beacon Hill, and then you can see which parts you need to order direct from them; or you could make your own replacement windows & doors.

[Elsbeth]

Alas, there are no pre-made opening/sliding Beacon Hill replacement windows that fit the original openings of the kit. If you remove window frames, you'll need to refurbish them or use them as patterns to make your own.

Nice score on the built Beacon Hill. I'm always looking on Craigslist for the Beacon Hill I'll get to go pick up. Someday...

[Holly Sue]

Thanks for the tips!

 

[WyckedWood]

I would try ebay for furniture. You could search under 'dollhouse miniatures lots' which gives you people who are selling several pieces of furniture, usually 10 or more pieces at once, in one listing. Sometimes an entire house full. This would be used furniture (not sure if that's what you had in mind). Congrats on acquiring the BH, love mine  

[Sable]

I have a friend who used to own a long standing dollhouse shop in Delray Beach, Fl. She still has some store inventory left. If you PM me I can give you her email address, if you are interested.

[Holly Sue]

7 hours ago, Sable said:

I have a friend who used to own a long standing dollhouse shop in Delray Beach, Fl. She still has some store inventory left. If you PM me I can give you her email address, if you are interested.

Sable, sure that would be great! I will send you a PM. 

[Summersethomes]

congrats on your purchase, I scour CL looking for houses like that all the time  

[Deb]

A rehab trick that has always stuck in my mind was from one of our members who found a BH on the side of the curb on trash day.  The wallpaper was determined not to be removed so she soaked a washcloth in Downy fabric softener and laid it flat over the wall to let it soak in, then used a paint scraper to slide the wallpaper right off.  She said not only did it defeat the wallpaper but it helped make the house smell much better by removing the musty odor from too much time in a closed garage.