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Hello!

I'm Drea; a New Member from Oregon. I've never built a Dollhouse before, but I have Collected 1:12 Scale Miniatures since 1992!

When I was a child, I did own a Lundby Dollhouse (1:18 Scale) with the Basement that has the Barn attached. But I never did have any of the lights; only the dining table with the chairs, and Mahogany Hutch with the attached white and blue China. The table was beautiful, and the chairs were covered with something fuzzy.

Now I have bought the 1:24 Scale Fairfield, but I am uncertain if it is the first Dollhouse I want to build, because I have always wanted to modify the design and I'm not confident yet.

I've been thinking about Collecting half scale materials, and also some half scale Dollhouse kits. Real Good Toys has two that I am interested in: Classic Bungalow and the Colonial. Besides these there are the Abriana Country Cottage, the Little Anne Victorian Cottage with an outhouse for the bathroom Jasmine Gothic, the Ashley, the Stephanie Country Mansion, and/ or the Leon Goth Victorian. The last ones are all by the Laser Dollhouse Design Inc. and are all laser cut dollhouses.

The reason that I have been wanting to wait on the Fairfield is the complexity of it, and the fact that I want to change the design completely.

One thing that I am wanting to know is about food resources for 1:24 Scale Miniatures. Do you have any?

Thank you!

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10 hours ago, HalfScaleDollhouseLOVER said:

The reason that I have been wanting to wait on the Fairfield is the complexity of it, and the fact that I want to change the design completely.

Hi, Drea, and welcome to the forum.

What do you mean by changing the design completely?  If you mean it won't be recognizable as a Fairfield when you're finished with it, then maybe you need to look for other basic house kits that are closer to your vision. If it's a matter of changing room size, relocating doors and windows, etc., then go for it. We're here to help when you have questions.

I'm curious. If you've been collecting 1:12 items for so long, why are you starting out with a 1:24 house? You might consider starting out with a simple 1:12 build, like Greenleaf's Orchid. It would not take long to build, you'd have a place to display some of your 1:12 miniatures, and you'd get over the newbie heebie jeebies that are holding you back from diving into the Fairfield build. :)  (Hobby Lobby carries the Orchid. With their 40% off coupon, the price is about $24. Consider it an investment in your education. :D )

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5 hours ago, KathieB said:

Hi, Drea, and welcome to the forum.

What do you mean by changing the design completely?  If you mean it won't be recognizable as a Fairfield when you're finished with it, then maybe you need to look for other basic house kits that are closer to your vision. If it's a matter of changing room size, relocating doors and windows, etc., then go for it. We're here to help when you have questions.

I'm curious. If you've been collecting 1:12 items for so long, why are you starting out with a 1:24 house? You might consider starting out with a simple 1:12 build, like Greenleaf's Orchid. It would not take long to build, you'd have a place to display some of your 1:12 miniatures, and you'd get over the newbie heebie jeebies that are holding you back from diving into the Fairfield build. :)  (Hobby Lobby carries the Orchid. With their 40% off coupon, the price is about $24. Consider it an investment in your education. :D )

Hi Kathie ---:-)

I guess I should know better than Post late at night, and being so vague. *Laughs*

My 1:12 Collection consists of "toys", flowers and cakes. As far as furniture all I own is two beds, a single dresser, and a Toy Box. All the rest of my full scale miniatures are accessories, and because of this I'm wanting to make shops instead of houses, and perhaps Wall Dollhouses in the future, if I began collecting some more furniture in this scale.

In 1:24, I already have a bed and a dresser, but I just placed an order for some Living Room furniture that consists of some very high quality Bespaq pieces. They are the Red Country Amise in Mahogany and the Green Couch in New Walnut.

The bed I want to redress completely, but I also wish to Purchase some additional higher quality bedroom furniture as well.

It's the size of the full scale miniatures that makes me want to delve further into the half scale. ;-)

I wish to change the too window into a deck and place French Doors as access so I may add balcony furniture to the scene. Plus I wish to eliminate the Fireplaces but leave the chimney so I may simply use a separate fireplace and increase the room sizes on the Bottom and First Floors.

In the attic I want to partition it off and create separate rooms to make a smaller bedroom. (There is a user here that has done this and it is absolutely STUNNING!) Plus I want to copy that version of the Fairfield and create a slanted wall for a Game Room with one of those gorgeous Bespaq Pool Tables. And I cannot tell from other people's photographs of the house but I also want to attach the tower to the main house and create a little alcove room there, plus add an additional room on the other side of the space.

There are SO many builders of the Fairfield, and I wanted to take what I LOVE about each of them and create my own version.

The part I am stuck on is the fact that after I bought my kit (and opened it up to peak) I got a little but overwhelmed and wondered if I should simply start with a different half scale Dollhouse to begin my building foray into creating these little worlds.

Oh! One other thing that I did neglect to mention is that I bought a 1:144 Scale Dollhouse years and years ago, but I have been building it extremely slowly. When it is Completed I do want to add it to the Toy Store I wish to create. It is a complicated scale, but I do completely adore it!

Edited by HalfScaleDollhouseLOVER
Grammar/ spelling. Additional info I accidently left out the 1st time
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Welcome to the group Drea.  I agree with Kathie, I would buy the Orchid at Hobby Lobby and do all your practicing on it.  I have the Fairfield yet to build and I am happy I didn't start out with that one.  

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Hi, Drea!  I'll bet the Fairfield you're talking about is Ashley's (Wormwoodz).  That is an amazingly beautiful build!

The Fairfield is a little complex.  If you'd like to do a half scale build as your first build, I don't think you can go wrong with an RGT.  I built their half-scale bungalow (on your list, I see) as my first build, and I'm glad that I did. It went together simply and cleanly, the instructions were excellent, the siding was already milled in, and it's a really sweet house!  I really love that house, and not just because it was my first.  :)

For food, checking Etsy is a good idea.  If you see someone who does food in 1:12 that you like, don't be afraid to ask if they'll do something for you in half scale.  Autumn Leaf Studio did a very nice half scale macaroni and cheese as a custom order for me (she also did some martini glasses with tiny olives that my brother picked up for me at a miniature show).  All I had to provide was the casserole dish.  A Trifle Small in the UK has a nice selection of dishes, plates and other kitchenware if you need them.  For food items, you can also try Scale Designs and Mountain Miniatures.  I tried to link to just the half scale food items, but if you're seeing 1:12 as well, scroll down on the left-hand side and there is a filter for 1:24.

Good luck!  I'm excited to see what you build, and I'm always happy to have another half-scale person on the forum.  :cheer:

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Welcome! All of the things you've suggested are totally doable. The Fairfield was my first 1:24 house and I don't think it's necessary to start with a different one -- you should build it if you're excited about it! One thing I would recommend, though, is dry fitting it before you glue anything (put it together with masking tape). This will help you see what you need to modify before you assemble (like enlarging a window opening into a door).

(I should add, I actually started with the Orchid as a first house thinking I would use it to learn from, and I never really liked that house. I did learn from it but I've learned from every house I've worked on. Working on a house you're only lukewarm about isn't nearly as fun as working on one you're passionate about, and literally *everything* can be fixed. You might need to fix mistakes, but you're not going to "ruin" the Fairfield, no matter what you do to it!)

I work almost exclusively in half scale and do a lot of bashing, which I blog about obsessively. Check out my website: http://www.emilymorganti.com/dollhouses

I don't have as many entries about the Fairfield as the more recent houses, but if you read my posts about the Victorianna and the Rosedale, those might give you a feel for how to approach bashing the Fairfield. When you click on "Blog posts" for any of the houses, they'll display in chronological order with the most recent at the top, so make sure to click through to the end to get to the first posts.

And of course looking at pictures in the gallery here is a good way to see what you can do with the Fairfield. If I had it to do over I would replace the stairs with Houseworks stairs. Here are two good blogs that show stair options:

https://halfscalefairfield.blogspot.com/2011/05/modifed-staircase.html

https://tinydistinction.blogspot.com.br/2014/04/a-tiny-staircase-tutorial.html

Good luck! Ask any questions you have, we have lots of Fairfield builders who can help. :)

 

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3 hours ago, HalfScaleDollhouseLOVER said:

...I cannot tell from other people's photographs of the house but I also want to attach the tower to the main house and create a little alcove room there...

I made a utility room/ bathroom (behind the curtained doorway) when I connected the third floor tower room:

utility bathroom.JPG

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Hi, I have recently done that house very much like you describe, the tower made into a room etc. and I am fairly new to working with wood. I did do it and I was happy with what I did but It was not easy for me at all., my opinion as a relative newcomer to wood is this. If you are very familiar with working with wood in miniature I would say go for it but if you are not  I would suggest you think about  what the others say and try a different house first, Only you will know your own skills.. If you only intend making one house and you like the Fairfield it can be done.I did it. I replaced the stairs and added stairs to the attic. I also bought the kit that is optional which replaces all the doors and windows too. There is lots of help on here if you go straight for it.

I have shelved mine for a while because I was having big  problems finding furniture for it. I also wanted high end Bespaq or similar stuff but it is not easy to find. I found myself searching all over the globe  for pieces only to find they were incomplete sets or back ordered etc.  I also found out from several sources that the half size Bespaq furniture was easier to get  a year or two ago but the supply has diminished from the makers. To be honest it was a nightmare trying to find it.. The Fairfield was going to be my special house but after the furniture problems I changed my mind and am moving to a bigger house to do that. I will use the Fairfield for something else. that I can use other types of furniture in or make my own.  It is a lovely little house and I wish you the best of luck with it. I would have loved to have been  able to complete mine as I wanted to but I found it impossible. If Bespaq started to make more I would complete it that way but... who knows.

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I understand.  I don't care for Bespaq and what was available wasn't really in scale, so I swam upstream with the learning curve and I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be, but going in baby steps will get me somewhere beyond where I started.

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Hi Drea!

Welcome to the forum! You'll find a wealth of information here with many members who have done the Fairfield or other half scale projects. 

I'm currently towards the end of my first build - half scale Fairfield. I've given myself a christmas deadline! I've stopped and started. Gotten side tracked by making furniture and other bits and pieces. Ummmed and Arhhhhed. And I'm now up to tackling the roof! I've kept the same layout but made many alterations. 

Because it's a "three dimensional" dollhouse (part of it's appeal & charm) I think it can become difficult to get into spaces to wall paper, lay the flooring, add skirting boards and run the wiring for lights once the next floor has gone on. So forward planning your wall paper, flooring and lighting layout is a must. 

To be honest it's very achievable for a first build but it is complex and has taken me a long time to complete. We would call it a 'baptism by fire' here in Australia : - ) I would recommend starting by building the base and then dry fitting (slotting them in with no glue but using tape if necessary to hold them together) all the walls. This way your can start cutting out new doorways and windows, covering in old ones, moving/removing/adding walls, and changing the stair configuration. I achieve the cutting with a craft knife, a small hobby saw and a bit of patients, time and some muscle!  

Good luck! Looking forward to hearing about what you decide!  

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Before I completely forget my manners let me just say: Thank you to everyone who welcomed me! This Community is so gosh darn friendly! It makes me happy to below to a Group of such wonderful helpful people.
 

... My little Bespaq Living Room furniture arrived today and I cannot get over how utterly tiny and perfect they are! The couch in my Avatar is one piece and I have a matching Sofa in Red and two Red Chairs as well. Seeing my little furniture is making me want to break out my Fairfield and just start on it. Is that odd? Just thinking about how my Couch and Chairs could look is driving me to want to open up that darn box and get started on it.

HAs anybody else had this "problem"?

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29 minutes ago, HalfScaleDollhouseLOVER said:

Before I completely forget my manners let me just say: Thank you to everyone who welcomed me! This Community is so gosh darn friendly! It makes me happy to below to a Group of such wonderful helpful people.
 

... My little Bespaq Living Room furniture arrived today and I cannot get over how utterly tiny and perfect they are! The couch in my Avatar is one piece and I have a matching Sofa in Red and two Red Chairs as well. Seeing my little furniture is making me want to break out my Fairfield and just start on it. Is that odd? Just thinking about how my Couch and Chairs could look is driving me to want to open up that darn box and get started on it.

HAs anybody else had this "problem"?

I see no problem.  What are you waiting for?

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