Interior Walls?

[tunatoo]

Getting ready to build my first house, the Garfield. Seems to be a lot of decisions to make before getting too far in. One of the biggest I'd like to know how people here have handled, is did you finish the actual interior walls with paint/wallpaper, or use "Method C" in the warmup sheet and wallpaper cardboard to place against the walls, for flexibility in changing the color or patterns later on.

I'm guessing doing the actual walls with the trim put on last might be a cleaner look than putting the trim on first and fitting the faux wall against it, just harder to change later on.

I'd like to get opinions before diving into this project. Thanks so much.

[Shakyshaky]

A lot will depend on if you want to electrify and if you use tape or round wire.

I don't electrify and I paint paper right to the wood. I also do most of my painting and papering after the house is built. Whether you do it before or after is also a matter of personal preference.

Another thing to think of is stairs. You will need to do that section before you put the stairs in. Also you may not want to glue the stairs in if you think you will want to change the paint or paper.

[tunatoo]

Thanks for the quick response and info! Given how detail oriented I can be with papering and painting in our own house, it might be just as easy to do it after construction. I am thinking about electrifying it (guessing tape at this point), so again, not sure how to best handle that one on the walls (how to hide it).

Originally bought it since my daughter just wanted a BIG dollhouse (she's 12), and of course now with all the options of decorating, electrifying, etc... we have a lot to decide on!

Also, do most people seal the wood with the recommended shellac/alcohol mix?

[Color Me Holly]

I apply paint and paper directly to the primed wood. I don't electrify either.

[darrellandmelissa]

I thought I would mention I often print my own wallpaper. Because of the limitatins of paper size I can print on I often end up patching it in. When I do this I start on the back wall and work toword myself. That way when I have to overlap a seam the lap edge is away from my line of vision.

Melissa

[havanaholly]

"Method C" in the warmup sheet and wallpaper cardboard to place against the walls, for flexibility in changing the color or patterns later on.

Two things with "method C": You make patterns for the templates you'll paint/ paper later before you get so far into assembling the house that you can't get to them later. If there's a hallway that'll be impossible to get to once it's assembled you may want that decor to be permanent.

You will want to use acidfree cardstock for your template.

I don't use this method (so far no one wants an electrified house but me, and I haven't built that one yet).

do most people seal the wood with the recommended shellac/alcohol mix?

I don't. I stain whatever I want to stain and I used to use clear sanding sealer to seal the wood to minimize warping. I have since then begun to use primer instead, since it seals the wood just as well and there's my surface ready to paint, paper or play with spackling compound.