Cutting a monster down to size

[Kells]

With the questions I ask, I must sound like I can't make a decision on my own, lol. So here's another dilemma. Here are pics of a house that gives me grief.

http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=gallery&module=gallery&controller=browse&album=8412

The base gives the house a basement (mostly unusable because it is so deep), but also raises the house up to a viewable level. The problem is that the base was constructed entirely of 3/4" thick plywood, even the doors. It does give extra storage so there's that, but three strong men struggle to move it.

The house lifts off the base and the roof lifts off the house, so no part of the house itself is more than 28" high. This makes it easy to get through standard interior doorways. That base piece though, oh my, is it ever an unwieldy monster. I've never had a more inconvenient dollhouse.

I've thought of chopping off the base of the house all the way around right where it meets that base piece (basically where house meets grass). Essentially, I'd be leaving a faux foundation. I could then just set the house unattached onto a landscaped piece of plywood. That'd give me a yard but no basement.

Part of me hates to ditch a base piece so well built (it is STURDY!) but the base weighs more than a piano and makes the dimensions 54" by 54". As built, it needs to sit in the middle of a room so there is space to walk around it to work on it. And as pointed out, once in place there's no moving it without great difficulty!

What are your thoughts on cutting off the full basement and leaving only a 2-3" foundation set onto a new base piece?

Oh, and not that it matters but those openings have walls with windows, making it a completely enclosed house. I just never got around to hinging them into place. Another project, sigh. :/

[KathieB]

Is this the house on the unpainted wooden base? Link I wouldn't hesitate to get rid of the base. It's not all that lovely, and putting it on a new base would solve a lot of problems. Lots of houses don't have basements.  

[havanaholly]

Or you could fake a basement with an inch or so of foundation in 1/8" plywood, finished on the exterior to suggest a basement, even with little fake windows.

[Kells]

I added red lines to show where I'd cut off the house, leaving only the foundation and basement windows. I agree the base piece adds no aesthetic value. It would end up as firewood if I altered the house. It is such an odd shape that it can serve no other purpose but to set the house into. I guess I cringe at throwing out someone else's hard work. They put tremendous effort and heaven only knows how many hours into constructing this. Meanwhile, I can't even find time to finish the shingles. Argh!

[blueirishmoon]

I vote for chopping and getting rid of the headache. Who knows, it might be the way to firing up your creativity again.

[Kells]

I should start asking my husband these questions. He has no interest in dollhouses so I rarely bring them up (after inheriting so many more, it's a bit of a sore spot between us) but he's a pretty clever guy. So I brought up my idea for this one with him and he looked at me like I'd lost my mind (he does this frequently and with good reason!). He asked why I didn't just cut off the base at the top of the doors then carry that cut all around the sides? Btw, the front has doors just like on the back side, as seen in the first pic below.

Half the cutting is already done because of the door openings. The important part of the base is left intact for the house to sit into. I don't lose the basement, which honestly I don't really care much about anyway. Although it could be fun to do it up as a rec room with a laundry room, etc?  I think he's right that doing this would get rid of 90% of the weight and make it more manageable. Part of the issue is that the big base piece has a bottom/floor to it; its own base as it were. It probably uses 4 or 5 sheets of 3/4" plywood so must weigh a good 400 pounds at least.

Here's some new red lines to sorta-kinda illustrate the idea. I don't know what to do with those plywood sides though. I guess I could at least paint them gray to match the house?

[havanaholly]

I don't suppose you could just remove the house & its basement from the behemoth it's sitting in, and build it a smaller lighter weight surround for the basement to hide in?

[jrchob]

On 6/5/2019, 6:50:08, KellyA said:

The house lifts off the base and the roof lifts off the house,

I am having a hard time visualizing. If it lifts off the base, doesn't that solve the problem? Is the basement crucial?

[jbnmini]

I can appreciate the work that went into making that cabinet base, but in all honesty- I'd just lift off the house and commit the base to firewood.  Sorry.  I think you could find another suitable table that would be easier to handle.

[Elsbeth]

If house lifts out of the base, then I'd chop it off where the red lines are in the first set of pics, and put it on the sort of table you want and like. It's a really fun looking house and deserves to be worked on. Is the current base lower than a table? Maybe it was for kids to be able to look into it? Don't cringe at getting rid of someone else's base - if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work. That house is yours now. It's a great house and easily  outshines it's base.

[Kells]

6 hours ago, jrchob said:

I am having a hard time visualizing. If it lifts off the base, doesn't that solve the problem? Is the basement crucial?

Below is another pic with lines that might help to make sense of what I'm working with. The blue lines are the basement walls and they are attached to the house. When the house is lifted out of the base and rests on those walls alone, the entire front porch including that round area on the side simply hangs in mid-air.

I don't know why I'm having such a tussle with altering someone else's hard work. You are all correct, it's MINE now. MINE MINE MINE! lol. I usually have no problem doing whatever the heck I want with a house. I suppose maybe it's because IRL this was actually once someone's childhood home and they built a replica with a lot of love and care? Oh well, if their heirs didn't care enough to keep it, I suppose there's my answer. :/

Btw, I really appreciate that people take the time to consider these things and give me their thoughts. You're all great!