stlouism

Thanks again for your super helpful comments, and thanks Sable for reaching out to your cousin. I'd love to be in contact with her if you think she'd be helpful. So here's my UPDATE: - I really want to do the rehabbing myself, but I hope this community and other professionals can help guide me. I also want to honor the original history but fill it with new memories for my family. -I removed my friend's target wallpaper to reveal the old wallpaper in sad shape, but so cool! -I dismantled the old electrical elements. It freaked me out that they could be a fire hazard or something and I know I'll want to replace. -I carefully unscrewed the front edifice so I can see what I'm working with. -I removed one side of the house to sort of investigate what's going on. Here's my big question: That piece of particle board that I took off is what probably has lead paint on it. It's warped and the paint is cracked. Ideally, should I remove all the yellowy particle board that is glued on all around the house and replace by cutting perfect pieces? I'm worried that new pieces wouldn't even fit on my warped plywood since the whole house is sagging as a unit, maybe I should just leave the settling alone? But then how would I deal with the lead paint? That's really my biggest concern. Can I paint over the yellow stuff or would the cracking show through? Thanks!!

Wow the internet is amazing. In less than 24 hours, I've learned that this house was produced in Germany by the Moritz Gottschalk company. Because it has a red roof, it dates somewhere around 1928. I'm in a pickle here, because I genuinely love this house and would love to paint it whatever color I think would be fun and youthful but still do a good job fixing it up, but does that compromise the history? Should I restore it to it's original appearance even though I don't think it's that attractive? I don't want to sell it but maybe I'd be ruining any chance at value by tweaking it? Then again, what's the money worth anyways if I'd rather just play with it? Haha, classic historic restoration dilemma. What do you guys think?

Thanks to you both for your quick commenting! Are all of these giant old dollhouses from kits? The Tri-ang style doesn't look compatible to what I have here. Mine has a rounded front porch with columns and the roof line is hipped with a front gable. To me, it looks like cardboard??? covers the outside wood. That can't be, but just the way that the water has damaged it, it looks like cardboard layers peeling back. Plywood definitely makes up the main house. It's got old electric wiring that doesn't work (but SO cool)....wonder if it's outside my talents to get that going again. My friend covered up the old wallpaper with target wallpaper and painted all the floors white. I don't like the work she did and I started peeling back her target wallpaper to reveal an amazing old wallpaper different in every room. Found a store in St. Louis that sells miniatures so maybe I'll wonder in there today and ask some questions.

Don't forget the best time to plant fruit trees is 10 years ago, but the second best time is today! Wish I had mature trees in my yard- that's always the hardest part for me (can't really keep them alive and so sad to lose my investment) good luck!

Thanks to you both for your quick commenting! Are all of these giant old dollhouses from kits? The Tri-ang style doesn't look compatible to what I have here. Mine has a rounded front porch with columns and the roof line is hipped with a front gable. To me, it looks like cardboard??? covers the outside wood. That can't be, but just the way that the water has damaged it, it looks like cardboard layers peeling back. Plywood definitely makes up the main house. It's got old electric wiring that doesn't work (but SO cool)....wonder if it's outside my talents to get that going again. My friend covered up the old wallpaper with target wallpaper and painted all the floors white. I don't like the work she did and I started peeling back her target wallpaper to reveal an amazing old wallpaper different in every room. Found a store in St. Louis that sells miniatures so maybe I'll wonder in there today and ask some questions.

Hi, I'm Melanie. I was given this massive dollhouse from a friend, and I'm so pumped to start working on it. I have two little girls and I'm hoping to have it up and running in a few years (right now they are 2 and 2 mos). Evidently the dollhouse is my friends' great grandmothers and was brought over from Europe. It has water damage, missing pieces, warped roof, lead paint probably, but I'm still super pumped to do what I can and make it functioning (but not a masterpiece) for my kids. Would love to show everyone, but I guess I need to do 5 posts before I can ask for advice?