A House Becomes a Home

A couple of months ago, I found an empty shell of a dollhouse at a yard sale for the bargain price of $3.00. Since then, I've had endless pleasure furnishing its four simple rooms, making tiny touches to personalize it and create a miniature, one-of-a kind world.

After scouring local antique shops and craft stores for furnishings, I turned to eBay, where I discovered an endless supply of miniatures at affordable prices - anything you could possibly dream of to furnish a pint-sized abode.

Since starting this new hobby, I've learned that dollhouse furnishings come in various scale sizes. The pieces I collect for this house are 1/12 scale, where one inch is roughly equal to one foot.

The bedroom, study, kitchen, and living room, have come a long way since I started. What began as empty rooms with four bare walls are now turning into colorfully decorated spaces. I've found ways to make this tiny house uniquely our own - two cats that are look-alikes for our Jasper and Pacey sit about in miniature, a tiny cowboy hat, Kevin's trademark, rests on a coat rack in the living room, and miniaturized versions of our wedding photographs sit atop the study shelves. Wall hangings reflect our personal collections. There's an old world map over the fireplace and a butterfly collection over the sofa. Like any home, there's a list of to-do projects - the walls need painting, floors refinishing, and cabinets stained, but, unlike real-life, these projects can comfortably wait for any time I feel like getting to them.

Who could have guessed such a project would be so fun? I can add to, embellish, and rearrange my little rooms at whim. And...if ever we are graced with grandchildren, we already have ways and means to keep them amused for hours :)