Samantha Posted April 23, 2021 Share Posted April 23, 2021 Hi everyone! I just bought my very first dollhouse kit..I've never done anything like this before. I've been watching some YouTube videos which have been helpful but I have a question about something I haven't yet figured out... When do you decorate the interior pieces - like the stairs, the fireplace..should you or do you complete those things in their entirety before gluing them into the house? I'm working on the fireplace now (Fairfield) and I'm not sure if I should out the stones and such on it now or once I've installed. Help!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted April 23, 2021 Share Posted April 23, 2021 Samantha, sometimes things won't fit together properly if they're decorated first, like the Fairfield fireplaces, since the floor openings fit fairly snugly over the bare wood framing. I hope, btw, that you're dry fitting as you go. I built two of the Fairfield at the same time (one of them inside out) and I lost count of how many times I had to do the dry fit! I wound up decorating the first floor after I had glued the exterior walls, then installed the second floor, etc. I think I did stain the staircase before I finished installing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mid-life madness Posted April 23, 2021 Share Posted April 23, 2021 Hi Samantha, Have you done a dry fit of the whole house yet? I imagine it would be easier to decorate the fireplace before it is installed. As long as you are careful you can do it. Just make sure the stones don't protrude or impede a flush fit etc. I would decorated the staircase before....http://gleise-crafts.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-fairfield-dollhouse-day-41-and-42.html It looks tough to paint and wallpaper that area. ***Remember, it is your house. You don't have to do something the exact way other people have. The main thing is to do the dry fit so you can see where you can avoid problems with difficult hard to reach areas.*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted April 23, 2021 Share Posted April 23, 2021 Build it with masking/painters tape holding it together instead of glue first (dry fit), then you can figure out what you want to do with each room and see if you can fit your hands in to do it! When you know the bits fit properly, take it apart (decorate it) and glue it back together again more permanently, and finish decorating Different people prefer different ways, but dry fit is important, especially with little Fairfield sized houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha Posted April 23, 2021 Author Share Posted April 23, 2021 Thanks everyone!! Yes, I'm doing a dry fit...I hadn't really considered that I would be able to gauge what needed to be done before or after! I'm only on step two so its a mixture of not wanting to mess up, wanting to take my time but also wanting to do it as quickly as possible, and the excitement of FINALLY being able to do my first dollhouse! Perhaps I got ahead of myself. Sometimes, though, I do things that seem logical at the time and then aftereards, I realize I should have asked more questions. So now I'm just trying to learn as much as I can to make this as beautiful as possible. I'm so glad I found this community! Thank you all for your answers. Look out for more posts from me...I'm sure there will be plenty more! Haha Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted April 23, 2021 Share Posted April 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Samantha said: ...also wanting to do it as quickly as possible... Unless you are in some sort of race we don't know about, with a huge monetary prize, I recommend removing these words from your vocabulary and take your sweet time. Let the kit talk to you whilst you work with it. I don't follow the instructions in any particular order (one purpose of the dry fit is to see what works best with a particular kit), but I do wait until I have decorated the walls before installing windows and doors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Call Me Crazy Posted April 24, 2021 Share Posted April 24, 2021 I agree with Holly - take your time. Enjoy the creative process. Get a notebook and write down all your ideas for what you want to do. Take note of websites for components, furniture, etc. and anything you want to remember. For the fireplace, see how tightly it fits through the 2nd floor. If you really want to decorate it before installation, how much larger will you have to make the hole in the floor? How much will you have to patch the floor afterwards? And is that something you're willing to do? Lots to consider, but it's your house and you get to do whatever you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted April 24, 2021 Share Posted April 24, 2021 ...or you can decorate your fireplaces floor by floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatFord Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 On 4/23/2021 at 12:24 PM, Samantha said: Hi everyone! I just bought my very first dollhouse kit..I've never done anything like this before. I've been watching some YouTube videos which have been helpful but I have a question about something I haven't yet figured out... When do you decorate the interior pieces - like the stairs, the fireplace..should you or do you complete those things in their entirety before gluing them into the house? I'm working on the fireplace now (Fairfield) and I'm not sure if I should out the stones and such on it now or once I've installed. Help!! Hello! I've completed an Aster Cottage and I'm now working a large house I've had for over 30 years! So very new to all this. My biggest advice would be... take your time!! I can't tell you how many times I've tried to rush a step and end up having to go back and do it again. Not fun. For me, the house was built 30ish years ago and the shell sat all this time. Luckily, everything, all the rooms and walls, are accessible as is, but many house are not. Good luck! Can't way to see your progress. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 While the kit instructions can be aggravating at time because it is hard to imagine just what they want you to do, the dry fit helps you to better visualize and interpret the instructions. I ended up making a punch list Everytime I did a dry fit because the instruction really seem to be just for assembly. When I am decorating as I go, I have gone off script with the instructions. Idk if that makes sense. But really they are a guide and that's all, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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