Dawn74

I was researching the same question a few weeks ago. If you search "chair rail height" on the internet, you should find a few different measuring alternatives. Generally speaking, a chair rail is usually hung about a third of the way up from the floor. However, if you are going to actually have a kitchen/dining room table and chairs in the same room, they say the chair rail should be placed at a height at which it would protect the walls from being damaged by the top of the chairs (like if someone was sitting in the chair and attempted to push away from the table and backed into a wall). Chair rails were originally designed for this purpose. I hope this helps! :wub:

I am actually working on the San Fran right now and I ordered it from orangeonions.com via e-bay in December or January. Every now and then they will put some of their kits on e-bay for starting bids that are lower than the full price on their site. I got lucky with the SF, I think I got it for $20 less than they were asking on their site and shipping was free. The kit arrived brand new as advertised and all the pieces were accounted for. I think I remember complaining about shipping time, but then again, I was very impatient when it came to waiting for it! I think it took 2-2 1/2 weeks and there was a holiday in between there. By the way, sorry to hear about your mishap - but, congrats on the Marquam Hill... it's an awesome house! Hmmm, maybe I can get my hubby to buy me one - it is partially his fault that I missed the 35% off sale at miniatures.com!!

So, I was all set to place a pretty big order and managed to miss the cut-off by exactly 1 minute!!! I had half of my stuff in the cart and it calculated 35% off. I added a few more things and the discount went back down to 10%. :lol: I have no one to blame but myself. I went out with a few friends last night and totally lost track of time. So, now I'm impatiently awaiting another great sale... at this rate, by house won't be done for 10 years!!!

I got the same email and I could just kick myself... I orderd quite a few of the House Works kitchen cabinet kits during their last 20% off sale. Had I held off just a couple of weeks, I could of gotten an additional 15% off!!! Oh well, atleast I saved something!

I don't have any experience in trying to cover up old paint, but I can tell you that I used 3 or 4 coats of paint on the exterior of my house (after priming) before I was satisfied with the finish. I also sanded in between all but the last coat or 2 of paint. I used a regular craft paint brush for the first couple of coats and did the last 2 coats using a sponge brush. Rather than using craft paint, I used one of the Sherwin Williams Color-to-Go paints. It was a lot of work, but I'm pleased with the results. I probably used more paint than necessary, but I was trying to get a finished look that resembled vinyl siding, rather than wood siding (I have an MDF house that has milled siding on the exterior).

I just got back from the shows as well (and Lolly's) and while I do think a lot of the beautiful artisan work was WAY out of my price range, I did buy a coffee and end table from the Bishop show priced exactly the same as I'd seen on other websites. The price of admission was well worth all of the beautiful creations I got to see! I would definitely go to another show, even if it's just to admire the work. I actually thought Lolly's was considerably over-priced than the shops I've been to in Wisconsin and the sales tax is higher as well. So, I didn't buy anything from her shop (but, it is a very nice store with a big selection and a wonderful staff). I don't regret going though because that's where I met "THmini2" & very much by chance too! She is the first and only Greenleaf member I've met so far. The 3 Blind Mice show was great. Although most of the items sold there were not hand crafted, I thought the prices were in line with other items I've seen. I did pick up some gargoyles 1/2 off at one of the stands (I just need to figure out where I'm going to put them), a really cute black wire bakers rack, and a couple of sheets of wallpaper (one of which will inspire my entire kitchen in the San Fran). We went to this show first, so I tried not to go overboard thinking I still had plenty to see at the other shows. Next time, I'd probably plan to make most of my purchases here. I was honestly disappointed with the IMA show and I think my husband and I were in and out in less than a half hour. I would skip this one next time. So, that sums up my first experience with mini-shows. The drive was only an hour and a half for us, so I would definitely attend some of them again (we also walked through the huge IKEA store, that was a first for me too).

Thank you for the info! I found her webpage and she's posted quite a few pics of the inside of her store. It looks like she has a wonderful selection! There's only one store in my area that seems to have a comparible selection (Rose's Dollhouse Shop in Brookfield, WI), but Lolly's looks so much neater and brighter on the inside! I've actually found a different store in WI that I prefer to Rose's - it's called Small World and it's located in Waukesha. The onsight selection is smaller, but Carol (the owner) is more than happy to let you look through the catalog and place orders. She is also very knowledgeable and very nice!

Lolly's Dollhouse Shop you say? Do tell what this shop is all about! I'm not familiar with the area, but I'm all for checking out a local shop if time permits! Which of the shows is it closest too?

Just wanted to express my excitement for the Chicago shows this weekend! Due to my work schedule this week, I will only have Saturday & Sunday to make my rounds at all 3. But, DH and I have a plan in place and I think we'll be able to see it all. If you see 2 people making a mad dash through the aisles, that's probably us... LOL!

OMG - I love this idea! I have been searching high and low for a wrought iron looking spiral stair case that doesn't cost and arm and a leg - and this is perfect! I can't believe I never saw this post before. I'm so excited now! I don't like the staircase placings in my San Fran because you can't see behind them, blocking the doors and vital space on both floors. I also couldn't part with having stairs in my house so a spiral staircase is the perfect solution for me. I am so psyched to be able to make my own! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

So, I have decided that I will be decorating and furnishing the inside of my San Fran as if it were a modern house. I've done some searching on the internet and I'm having a lot of trouble finding anyone in the US that has a good selection of modern furnishings (including kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures). I did find one, but it's in the UK. Here is the link - it's great eye candy! http://www.store2go.net/shop/elfminiatures/ Does anyone know where I can find similar items in the US?

I feel the same as others when it comes to the RGT houses - I find them to be on the plain and boring side. That, and the prices are OUTRAGEOUS! When I was first "called" to the hobby (which was only about 6 months ago) I found that many of the Duracraft houses yapped at me. There is something about the exterior design of many of them that I find both unique and detailed - so much so that the "quirks" I've read about don't seem to matter. The San Fran 557 is my first house. Needless to say, I was very sad to learn that they were no longer in business. I think I will always be drawn to the more Victorian designed houses as I love all of the exterior color and detail options that come with them.

I've chosen the MDF San Fran as my first dollhouse to build and I honestly don't have anything bad to say about it yet. I actually like the sturdy feel of it and I haven't had too many issues working with it (keep in mind I only have the basic shell together and painted). I do have a Beacon Hill in the box and when I opened it for the first time it scared me to death! There's so many pieces and they seem so thin compared to that of a MDF house. If I hadn't seen all of the beautiful plywood houses in the gallery, I may have never realized that thin does not equal flimsy. So, in the end, I don't know that I will have a real preference. I guess all that matters to me is the house, and not what it's made of.

I'm looking forward to devoting most of the weekend to my beloved San Fran. I hope to tackle some of the rough spots that have been fighting me since I started painting and sanding the exterior weeks ago. We'll see if she's ready to give in this weekend. I will also be continuing my search for kitchen cabinets - ones that will both fit the size of my room and please my modern tastes. Friends have started to ask me when it is I will be done with my first build - at this pace, I don't think I'll ever be done! But, that doesn't bother me. The perfectionist in me won't let me move forward until everything is "just right". Unfortunately, in between breaks, I will have to find time for homework and taxes. Why doesn't the "real world" realize I have better things to do??

All I can say is WOW!!! Amazing! I love your window seat. I'm planning on adding one to my San Fran too.