le.doll.house Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Has anyone built a kit from Dolls House Emporium, Streets Ahead or Dolls House Workshop? If so, aside from being front opening how do compare to the American Dollhouses? Likes? Dislikes? Which company would you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I have steered away from ordering one of the kits because the ones I've seen are made from MDF, not plywood. MDF, being much heavier, would cost almost as much as the kit to have it shipped from the UK to the US! And ever since I built a roombox from MDF I have been turned off of it as a building material. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannonc60 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I have the DHE Mountfield and I love it. It opens on three sides and is pretty cute. I love MDF, so complete opposite view to Holly. Yes they are heavy but I think DHE have international websites (at least they did) and also cheaper shipping to many countries. They are pretty good quality (I had a couple of slightly broken windows when mine arrived) and fit together nicely. It included interior doors, door handles plus all the exterior components. They are also much easier and quicker to construct. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 My dislike of MDF is purely personal. I don't like rutabagas, either. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Gosh, Holly, all the rutabagas I've talked to speak very highly of you, <ducking and running> 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Some of the DHE houses are 3mm wood so they would be as thin as the Greenleaf houses making the weight much more lighter than the 3/8" mdf. For comparison, these two houses look very similar but are very different in size and the materials used: http://www.dollshouse.com/the-ashburton-dolls-house don't let the trim pieces fool you...the wood is very thin. However, I have no idea why it says 1/12 scale furnishings are not suitable, it's not listed in the 1/24 scale houses. http://www.realgoodtoys.com/products/front-opening-country-victorian-dollhouse-kit The RGT house is currently sold out but I think is runs in the $500 range, not sure though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 42 minutes ago, KathieB said: Gosh, Holly, all the rutabagas I've talked to speak very highly of you, <ducking and running> Kathie, honey, when did you tart talking to rutabagas? (also ducking and running) 18 minutes ago, Sable said: Some of the DHE houses are 3mm wood so they would be as thin as the Greenleaf houses making the weight much more lighter than the 3/8" mdf. For comparison, these two houses look very similar but are very different in size and the materials used: http://www.dollshouse.com/the-ashburton-dolls-house don't let the trim pieces fool you...the wood is very thin. http://www.realgoodtoys.com/products/front-opening-country-victorian-dollhouse-kit The RGT house is currently sold out but I think is runs in the $500 range, not sure though. I'm so glad to see that! Where were they back when I was working? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggiemae Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 The RGT victorian has been sitting in my someday pile for years. I would sell it but I have take stuff out of the box to use as a template for another house and now I have a giant pile of bits and can't remember which ones cam from which house....I label than now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 6 hours ago, havanaholly said: Kathie, honey, when did you tart talking to rutabagas? (also ducking and running) When the trees got a bit uppity and stopped talking to me. The rutabagas are a lot friendlier. They are such undervalued vegetables that they appreciate kind words and reciprocate in kind. <Apologizing for hijacking this thread. Holly made me do it. I'll be quiet now.> 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le.doll.house Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 20 hours ago, Sable said: http://www.dollshouse.com/the-ashburton-dolls-house don't let the trim pieces fool you...the wood is very thin. However, I have no idea why it says 1/12 scale furnishings are not suitable, it's not listed in the 1/24 scale houses. http://www.realgoodtoys.com/products/front-opening-country-victorian-dollhouse-kit The RGT house is currently sold out but I think is runs in the $500 range, not sure though. I've seen those too. Home Depot has the RGT for $317 I think, but they are sold out The link for the DHE is in 1/16 scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le.doll.house Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) I am currently in LOVE with this one... ooohhh but it'd have to be a LONG while. May greenleaf will restock the Cheltenham Front Opening Dollhouse Edited January 31, 2016 by le.doll.house 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 48 minutes ago, le.doll.house said: The link for the DHE is in 1/16 scale. Thank you. It was driving me nuts trying to figure out what scale it was! I figured it was something in between 1/12 and 1/24. I had never heard of that scale. How would one ever furnish it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claireliontamer Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 A relative of mine has a Doll's House Emporium house from about twenty years ago. I have to say it's a very sturdy and strong house, my daughter has played with it from a very young toddler (I know they aren't toys really but she lets my daughter play with it whenever we go round). I can't see the exact model on the website, it must have been discontinued but the closest is probably the 'classic'. I'm in the UK so don't know how it compares to American models, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 3 hours ago, Sable said: Thank you. It was driving me nuts trying to figure out what scale it was! I figured it was something in between 1/12 and 1/24. I had never heard of that scale. How would one ever furnish it? The first several editions of Venus & Martin Dodge's The Dolls' House Do-It-Yourself Book was entirely 1:16 patterns, so I guessed that at that time it was a popular scale. It drove this mathematically challenged builder 'round the bend trying to make things to fit 1:12; I finally gave up and went with kits for while, until I had that head-slap moment when I realized I could reduce 1:1 by converting feet to inches. The newer edition of the Dodges' book has patterns in both 1:16 and 1:12; when I saw th newer edition I got it and pitched the old one. Aren't some of the Lundby houses 1:16? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxenro Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 The easy thing about 1:16 is that 1/16" obviously equals 1". Makes it easy when so many things come in 1/16 and 1/8 and 1/4 whereas not a lot come in 1/12 or 1/6. But then again in 1:12 a 1/16" board is a scale 3/4 which is a very common full scale lumbar measurement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elsbeth Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 I had an RGT front opening manor and I just didn't care for the windowless backside. The rooms seemed dark. I like the idea of the front opening house - I like the history of them, and that they generally save space in displaying, BUT...it felt like a large heavy cabinet with a lovely facade. And while the milled siding was a time saver, I don't care for MDF. If I am going to have a cabinet for a dollhouse, I want a nice solid wood one. Anyway - I decided I preferred more architectural details than a cabinet house would provide. I think I saw EarthnTree selling a lighter MDF. I'll bet it is still heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luci Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 I am currently building the RGT Victorian country. I wanted a front opening model but didn't like the solid back wall either. I cut out 5 extra windows in the back, 2 tall ones for the 2nd floor bedrooms, 1 small each for bathroom and kitchen, and a big bay for the living room. I laid out the kitchen first to situate the window above the sink. I'm not too worried about furniture placement because I often arrange my own furniture in front of windows. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BriJohn Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Not much to add but this is an interesting convo. I like MDF surprisingly better than I thought I would. It is easy to cut out extra windows, which I have done a ton on my Newport. I enlarged the bottom three windows on the bay to arched windows. Cut two oval windows on the ends and cut a door onto the balcony instead of a window. It's also easy to channel with my dremel tool for round wiring. When I tried to cut a window in a solid 3/8" add on wing kit from RGT, it was quite harder and the wood split, got it done but still. I have the Thornhill in solid 3/8" plywood and I wonder if I'll be able to channel it for round wire if I will just need to go with tape wire. Anyway, if you just asked me, do you like plywood or MDF, I'd say plywood - but in this instance, I do like the MDF. I too, will probably always cut extra windows. I already have on the Newport. I will also on my daughter's Painted Lady and know I will on the back of the Thornhill too. So if i had one of those English dollhouses, I'm sure i'd cut some windows in the back there too - not many, but a few for light and realism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyckedWood Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 I was looking last night at the DHE castle. Really really not crazy about mdf though..wish greenleaf would do something medieval in design like a castle or manor house/castle combo like the earth and tree one that I can't remember the name of right now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenannediva Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 A few years back I purchased a Sid Cook Highgate house. I had a miniature shop order it for me I have no idea what the shipping cost was. I really wanted that house had such great plans for it. It turned out to be my one and only experience with MDF never again. Nothing fit together well, impossible to sand and it was horrible to cut - I had some bashing ideas for it. I eventually disposed of it out of frustration. Since then I only build and work with wonderful smooth, fits together perfectly, 3/8" lightweight plywood that RGT uses, thus the Queen Anne, Foxhall Manor, Joseph Angel shell and a new shell I purchased a couple days ago (pic coming soon). I have never been a fan of front opening houses. As others have mentioned I prefer to view the house from the rear out through the front windows especially when lit. It is probably just what one is use to. I have subscribed to the UK miniature mags off and on and I won't do that again as I just have no interest in their style of minis which is probably a good thing or I would be making plans to attend one or two of their miniature shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luci Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 I finally figured out how to upload these. Here are photos of my RGT Country Victorian that shows the extra windows I cut out in the back.. They make a world of difference and give the house a more realistic appearance. I'm really happy with it. This is my first house so I don't know much yet but I have had a good experience with this kit. It's MDF but the weight of it is my only complaint. The pieces were cut to such a level of precision if something didn't fit right it's because I did something wrong. I am really impressed with the quality and workmanship of the product. I am super excited to get on with the interior. The exterior is pretty much done except for a couple of windows in the back and the roof. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapz Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 6 hours ago, mikeuk said: You aren't missing anything by not coming to our shows in the UK.........they are much the same as yours.............One side of the counter you'll find a variety of talented, clever people who make some wonderful miniature products and on the other you'll find people who love the hobby in all it's forms.......... You forgot to add: ...... and not enough money to buy everything they would like............ hahahahaha, Good morning y'all! Just checking in - finals time -. won't be around much until mid-May........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 16 minutes ago, Soapz said: You forgot to add: ...... and not enough money to buy everything they would like............ hahahahaha, Good morning y'all! Just checking in - finals time -. won't be around much until mid-May........ I'll keep my fingers crossed that al goes well in your exams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luci Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 I finished putting in the windows in my RGT Country Victorian. I decided to add a double window in the dining area. I really like how it turned out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BriJohn Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 4 hours ago, Luci said: I finished putting in the windows in my RGT Country Victorian. I decided to add a double window in the dining area. I really like how it turned out. I also love how it looks. I agreed with you about having windows all the way around, basically, I love doing that too. That's how it is in real life. And then I got to thinking, you have the bonus of closing it all off and then when the lights are on, it really does look like a house and you are peeking in the windows. Another bonus - keeps dust out better when not being enjoyed (even though it is always enjoyed, even closed, does that make sense?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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