21 replies to this topic

[jas]

All along I have known the house would be set in Florida, down South farther than I live and be a much grander house than I live in. As she sits here and speaks to me either I am listening better or she is making herself more clear. I was getting stuck in one particular way of looking at her, she on the other hand has other ideas. A new one peaks out every few days like the basement addition. Whew.

This family that will live here is a fun family and not stuffy at all. They like a few nice things but want a livable house where friends and family will be comfortable and be able to relax and have fun. I guess that is where the basement came in. The man of the house (just like my hubby) loves cars and working on them, hence the garage. He also loves music and for most of his life has been in a band. So I guess that is where the gameroom/bar and now music area is coming from.

The house is giving hints of more of terra cotta paver casual feel than stone on the walkways and patios. We shall see.

Does your house change it's mind, or do you just eventually start hearing them better?

[Audra]

My Glenwood is not even near done, and I have changed the kitchen 3 times, changed over my mini miniature once, one of my kids bedrooms twice, and my living room and game room have changed. I have not even had the house a year!

If this house will be the build I am proud of, I don't want to have any regrets - or 'could have or shoud have's. I would rather spend the extra $$ to change my current house then say I will do that in my next build.

[jas]

Thanks for the advise. Yes, I am planning on this being a one time deal. With the exception of small tweeks here and there. Once it is glued together it will be to difficult to change anything big. I don't know how many houses my RL house could handle so by adding on to this one I get to do more in basically the same floor space.

I liked my nursery theme at first, I still like the theme maybe it is the furniture so I am not fully commited and my husband buggered up a spot on the wall paper and that does not have me happy with the paper now. It is in a spot that you would not hang a picture or anything. I have four more rooms to paper before I will even think of glueing it.

[Blondie]

My houses have so far always been a reflection of myself, so I guess "I" am the one that is talking. LOL. Someday, I will build one that has a "different" family living in it, but for now, I always find that it's all me me me. What kind of house would I have? What flooring would I prefer in my guesthouse? Stuff like that.

[jas]

I am sure there is a fair bit of me coming out in the house. I certainly would do something I hated or thought was just totally off.

[havanaholly]

Jean, as an almost-native Floridian (my family moved us to Palm Beach County when I was 4) growing up in S FL there were no basements because if you dug down that far you hit water, Early houses in extreme S FL and the Keys had cisterns under the houses for the water supply (fresh water floats on top of salt water, so it worked). Workshops and mancaves might be something as simple as a glorified chickee out back, or a pergola built out from part of the house.
Usually as long as I build the kit the way it wants it'll ease up on the stuff it wants that totally stymies me, and will settle for something else within my abilities; like Mildred forgoing the tower gazebo in favor of a conservatory with a rooftop patio.

[KoalaSam]

Every house that has come into my possession has had a strong voice and knew what it wanted to be. (I even have a notebook filled with all the ideas for each house!)

However, real life keeps interfering with my mini world, and now my dollhouses have learned a universal language and they all scream in unison, "FINISH ME!!!".

[jas]

Thanks guys, I think I have the general feeling of what the house wants to be tweeking it is being a little bit more elusive. Like this evening I finally took the plunge and stained the shutters. They are a cherry stain, although they look good it is not the weathered look I think it needs. Tomorrow I am going to get a grey stain and go over it again and see how it looks then. If all else fails I will paint them! Same with the new french doors that went in instead of windows. I don't mind the outside being stained but the inside needs to be white. So I will do that over too.

[havanaholly]

You want to weather them? Before you do any more staining hit them first with a mixture of isopropyl alcohol (plain, unscented) and India ink (drawing ink) and experiment on a stained piece of scrapwood until you get the color you want. Then you can brush or rub on white, gray or brown grated chalk pastels for further aging.

[jas]

You want to weather them? Before you do any more staining hit them first with a mixture of isopropyl alcohol (plain, unscented) and India ink (drawing ink) and experiment on a stained piece of scrapwood until you get the color you want. Then you can brush or rub on white, gray or brown grated chalk pastels for further aging.

Thanks for the how to!

[judithfa]

"Work...work....work.... I am tired of being unfinished!"

Dollhouses and their little people can be quite demanding!

[JaniceG]

I guess I don't really know what my houses say to me or why I'm so taken by miniatures. I remember when I was a kid, my neighbor had a "real dollhouse," like what we do here and not like my Fisher Price house. I only saw it a few times and I still remember it in detail. When I was a bit older, my mom got me the Tomy Smaller homes dollhouse that is all over ebay. I loved that and even would sneak down in the basement when I was in high school (and too old according to my sister) to play with it. It wasn't until a couple of years ago, when I had daughters of the "appropriate age" that I found a dh kit at a thrift store and found this forum. I then gave myself permission to be a dollhouse enthusiast. This is a great hobby for me and there is so much creativity involved.

[LaurieJW]

Mostly I get the feeling that my dollhouse is saying things like, "You! That is so NOT the way to install molding!" or "Jeez, can't you do anything right?"

Earlier this week it said, "Oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh, THAT'S the way to furnish a dining room!" and "Oh I don't think so - you need to find a more suitable stove and a more suitable refrigerator."

I don't think my dollhouse like me very much. Though it did seem to like the dining room set up.

[madtex1967]

My Garfield finally has talked to me, although I had a general idea. It is going to be New Orleans Garden District victorian. My occupant is a bachelor who inherited it from his parents. This gives me a guide how the rooms be decorated and assigned. I will have a study have in the attic which will include the tower. Now if I can focus on working on it more!

[havanaholly]

My Garfield... is going to be New Orleans Garden District victorian. My occupant is a bachelor who inherited it from his parents...

Who says we can't live out our fantasies in our little houses!

[madtex1967]

Exactly Holly!

[mybrainhurts]

Since I don't have any dolls, mine has been speaking in a whisper but being pretty elusive when I try to listen to it. I mostly hear "hurry up and connect my walls so that you can play decorator" but no help with exactly what room will be there other than the first floor and a bathroom addition to the second floor.

I think it doesn't help that I have to build pretty much all of the furniture that I need for it (hurray for unexpected bills ) so the furniture is yelling at me too and there just isn't enough time in the day for everything. Good thing I plan on taking a year on this!

[havanaholly]

Oh, when the kit begins to really talk to me it tells me what it wants to become, how it wants to look and who it wants living (or staying) in it.

[sharon]

My doll house just wants to be finished already.

[CheckMouse]

It's funny, but I had never thought about a house talking to me until I got on this forum - then I realized how true it is. They kind of take on a mind of their own! But what I was not prepared for was the doll I bought to go in my Museum of Miniatures (pix in my Gallery). I bought one of Wolfie's dolls and I browsed through her website for hours before I selected one. (notice the use of the word "I") All I wanted was a curator to plop into the office part of the Museum. WELL - this old fellow had his own agenda; and he chose me, not the other way around! Turns out he was a widower who, with his wife, had built and collected dollhouse for years. I had no idea that the little houses in the museum were actually his! Silly me! He had a whole story to tell me when he finally got out of that workshop! You can see his picture in my avatar.