There is something incredibly exciting about getting a new shipment of dollhouse treasures.  Even after doing this for a while, I still feel so happy when a box arrives.  I open it carefully, pull everything out one tiny piece at a time, and then find myself saying, “Oh my gosh…look at this!”  The things inside these little boxes are just so charming.

Sometimes it's a piece I've been searching for, like a custom-painted, pale yellow kitchen island that I already know will be the centerpiece of a future kitchen. Other times it's something completely unexpected—a beautifully handmade plant tucked into a tiny twine-wrapped pot, a miniature kitchen accessory, or a little decorative piece that is somehow every bit as beautiful as something full-sized.  Or the joy of finding an amazing vintage item at an antique store.  It's one of my favorite parts of creating dollhouses: the details.

I find myself collecting these things long before I know exactly where they'll go. Some will find their way into the house I'm working on now. Others will sit safely in my collection until the right house comes along.  And that's half the fun. Every shipment feels like opening a box of possibilities. So many tiny things, and so many future little homes waiting to be made.

Behind the Houses

The Red Barn House was such an amazing and fun project; and from the day I found it online I couldn't wait to get started!  It had such good bones but needed a lot of work.  There actually was a cat sitting inside of it when I went to pick it up!  Sorry kitty, it's my house now! I got it home and took a couple days of just studying it... So many decisions and where to start?  First, clean up.  I carefully removed the stairs, tore out all of the carpet, sanded the floors and walls, then gave it a good cleaning.  Hmmm, still looks a little off.  I decided to remove 4" of the roof to bring the upper floor into scale.  I rebuilt the roofline and went to work fixing the shingles.  Both, quite a task, but looks good!  I decided right away I wanted a red house, but it took me awhile to find the right red. (I spend countless hours trying to find just the right details for my houses.)  I installed real hardwood floors throughout the house.  After sanding and staining them, wow! it looks great - let's start decorating.  Molding, paint, wallpaper, lights, furniture, accessories - a million little decisions - but so rewarding when it all comes together.  I worked on this house for several months and absolutely love the result!  I hope you enjoy the transformation of The Red Barn House.