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The 'Willow'


Ms. Mini

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Alrighty I'm getting a 'Willow' tomorrow.. now i need some pics!! lol. anyone here built this house or know of a good site that has pics of it?

Thanks in advance :thumb:

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I had been eyeballing this kit on and off....I love the windows on either side of the fireplace!....after seeing the photos of the living room...I would love one! I love the bookshelves on either side of the fireplace!

Very pretty!

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  • 2 months later...

Jenny - did you build your willow yet? I decided it's the next house I'm going to get. I have to make myself wait for the HBS sale, though. I'm really excited about it.

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Thank you so much :flowers: I will be using that for reference :banana:

I built the Willow not to long ago...it is now sitting at the Flea market waiting for its new owners to come snatch it up :dog:

I've got lots of pics in my gallery of my process, and I used that same link that you were given as a reference...

My best advice is to not bother with the stairs and get a new set....they say they fit in there, well, they don't lol

If you do replace the stairs with the HBS kind, it will also leave more space to use in your living room

Oh, and be prepared to shave off the tops of the bookshelf assembly because that wont just slide in like the instructions say!!

Overall though, it is an easy build and the rooms are HUGE

Good luck and congrats!!!

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Amy, your Willow is simply beautiful! You did a wonderful job with it. I appreciate the advice. I usually leave stairs out of my houses, but looking at this one, I doubt that will be a good option. Chesterfield, sure, please send me the number for Joann's. Thank you.

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Amy, your Willow is simply beautiful! You did a wonderful job with it. I appreciate the advice. I usually leave stairs out of my houses, but looking at this one, I doubt that will be a good option. Chesterfield, sure, please send me the number for Joann's. Thank you.

Thanks! I like to leave the stairs out usually, but in this case it really needed them. I even added a second set, go figure.

I got my kit off of www.joanns.com during one of the 50% off sales...the prices are pretty good and the shipping isn't bad either. Think I got mine for like $75 total, including shipping.

Good luck with it!!!

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WoOhOo!! Congrats!!!

My advice? Get tons of furniture, the rooms are HUGE :flowers:

I have my kitchen and living room figured out, I think. Do you have the dimensions of the other rooms by chance?

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  • 4 months later...

I am currently in the process of building the WILLOW--NOT the Willowcrest !! I am finishing the siding on it....which seems like it's taking a long long time! However, the house is very nice, the rooms are large, and so far, I have not had any problems with any parts missing. Sometimes I misunderstand the directions though. However, I think I should have painted/wallpapered, did whatever I needed to do on the inside first...but, I received different advise from everyone..so, I am gluing it all together and worrying about the decor last. oh well...The thing that I WOULD recommend to anyone building the Willow is to stain/carpet/paint your stairs BEFORE you finally glue them in. I had no problems with the stairs fitting...the fireplace/bookshelf was a bit tight, but I jammed it in an it looks good--it will never ever be coming out though..! HA HA! Some of my windows are "crooked"...but, hey, that's from the house "settling," right? At any rate, I would recommend the Willow...it's a big fun house to work on..I can't wait to begin decorating it! I've been working on it a long time now, because sometimes, I have to "think" about the directions and contemplate exactly what they mean--but it all works out just fine! I just thought I would throw in my 2 cents on the subject! I wish I could see more pictures of someone working on the Willow though...

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I am so sorry--it's because I didn't post any...yet! I'm a bit "afraid" of what others will think...so I am trying to make it look a little better before I do...the only thing I have finished on the inside is one floor that I have stained...and the stairs...because I've been working on all of the outside first...because I want to prime the entire thing before I decorate...I hope to prime it outside..if the weather would cool off just a little bit and the humidity would drop a little, I would begin priming...(I'm in Michigan..and it's been a pretty hot and humid lately!)

I hope that makes some sort of sense...but, you talked me into taking some pictures...so I will probably take some this weekend and figure out how to post them...actually, I would like to constructive criticism...it never hurts ya know!

Thanks for "talking" me into it! I look forward to see other pictures...hopefully soon!

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Actually, I'm working on both the Jefferson and the Willow I got in trade. The Willow is bigger. I decided to keep the kit stairs because they seem to "fit" the look of the house. I cut a stair hole over the existing stairs and put a narrower stair to the attic. It looks really nice. There is room in both stair areas for a book case or something. The kitchen has lots of room for a table and chairs which is unusual. I'm still deciding whether to make the smaller room over the living room a bathroom or a childs bedroom, and have the bath on the left on the third floor. You really have a choice in this house because the rooms are large. Being a Colonial style the rooms are basically square. I painted it a kind of royal blue with off white window trim and a deep red front door. The roof and edge trim will be midnight blue, a Ceramcoat color. I did one of my Arthurs in this combination and liked it. Haven't decided the year it will be yet. I have a Bodo Henig wood stove I got at a garage sale ages ago for seven dollars and have been wanting to use it. I think its about $78 now. I'll get some pics in the gallery as soon as the wallpaper is done. It's a nice house to work on. This one seems sturdier than a Willow I bought about four years ago. With four Jeffersons, I guess you can say I like Colonial. :unsure:

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  • 1 month later...

Well, I finally have some pictures here...I hope I'm doing this right for them to appear...This is my Willow...in the process...I really like my stairs...I "carpeted" them with this velvet Christmas ribbon edged on gold trim...still working on everything else, obviously....I am making plenty of mistakes though...this is my first house I've ever done...! Any advice is more than welcome!

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wait, here's one more of my stairs....! which I am not permanently gluing in in case I ever want to change them, the walls around them, etc...does this make sense to anyone? Hopefully, I am not messing up too bad! The Willow is fun, though!

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Sadie, that ribbon looks so awesome on your stairs, you have set yourself a high benchmark of elegance for this house's decor. I love the lines of this sweet house, and I very much like the exterior so far. What colors will you trim it in?

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Havanaholly, thanks for your kind words! It makes me feel like I actually am doing something right! I plan on trimming the outside of the house , well, the siding is muted yellow, and I THINK ..opinions welcome here so feel free...my feelings won't get hurt.....I THINK I am going to do the trim in white and teal. Perhaps the shutters in teal ( a dark teal)...and some other dark teal colored trim ...with white...Not positive yet..kind of playing around with colors here...I have viewed some of your works...yours are great! Now , though, I'm going to be stumped on "stuff" to go with those stairs! HA HA..your comment really hit home! That ribbon was the lightly wired kind...it worked out great though...I'll be thinking about "stuff" in the room to go with those stairs now...I think on these things for a while, (like sometimes weeks)..then I take action! I hope to post more pictures as I move along...I love looking at everyone else's pictures...they all seem so much better than mine..but, hey--I'm a novice here! Your works are terrific as are everyone elses!

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I do have a question though....regarding the shingles for the roof....is it better to just stain them or should I paint them? They seem so frail and thin...and if paint is suggested...what color goes with a yellow/white/maybe teal trimmed house? Any suggestions are very much appreciated!! Oh, and one more question please...any special glue to use for these shingles? I have feeling the roof won't be very much fun....but, I could be wrong!

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I think on these things for a while, (like sometimes weeks).
The first kit I ever built, which I gave to DGD#1, took me more than 3 1/2 years for that reason.

I love the proposed color scheme, I saw a small resin "painted lady" house figuine at Good Will yesterday in those colors and I nearly bought it, even though it wasn't to any known scale, but then I figured I could remmber that color scheme. I will watch your progress with this house with great interest. I have mild sensory confusion so I "hear" colors, which makes matching them a little easier for me, and I also "hear" (echoes?) when I visuaize the colors other folks describe to me, and I heard some really gorgeous chords with that little resin house!

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