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The EIGHT Ps
THE EIGHT Ps
The old adage Prior Proper Planning Prevents Pitifully Poor Performance applies to many projects we tackle, and building and finishing your dollhouse is among the projects that will greatly benefit from proper planning! Proper planning includes order of assembly and finishing the house, knowing the proper supplies, and patience! Patience is the EIGHTH P!
Planning questions to ask yourself include:
- What rooms do I want (i.e., kitchen, living room, dining room, bath, etc.)
- Which room will fit where
- Do I need to add or remove interior walls (partitions)
- Do I want to keep the stairs, move the stairs, or eliminate the stairs
- Do I want to light the house
- What kind of finish do I want on the outside of the house (siding, brick, stucco)
- Do I want a specific style or time period for the house and furnishings
Answering these questions while you re designing or choosing your home will lead you toward sound decisions in selecting lights, wallpaper, furnishings, finishings, and colors.
So....what rooms do you want Smaller houses may not have room for separate kitchens, dining rooms, and living rooms. How will you compromise A tinier dining room table Minimal kitchen counters A tiny loveseat instead of a larger sofa Move the dining room to the second floor Eliminate the kitchen - let the dolls eat out all the time!
It s a great idea to play with your furniture before deciding the exact placement of the partitions. If you don t have your furniture yet, you can make templates the actual size of furniture pieces out of paper or cardboard to see what fits.
Need to move (or eliminate) a door It s easiest before you permanently install the partition. Need to move or eliminate the staircase opening Definitely easier to do it sooner rather than later!
Now that you think you know what you want to do, it s time to get going! We ll assume that at this point, you have the shell of the dollhouse built. This means walls are glued and nailed to the floors, the foundation is attached (if your house has one), the roof is glued and nailed on. Keep the windows and doors, porch railings and trim pieces set aside.
Priming is a critical step in building your dollhouse. Priming will seal the wood and/or mdf, and make wallpapers and floors adhere better. Be sure to prime the base of the house (under the foundation)!
If you want your house wired, it should be done after assembly and priming. We strongly recommend round wire and power strips! This requires routing grooves in your walls to bury the wires. You ll need to determine where the lights will be placed, how you ll get the wires from the lights to the wiring panel and a few other details. Our wiring class can help make this step easy!
Before installing the lights, you ll need to complete your ceilings. Basic options include wallpaper or paint, ceiling medallions or something fancier. It s so much neater to have the ceilings done before installing the fixtures! The same is true for sconces: if you want sconces on a wall, it s easier to wallpaper the wall before installing the sconces!
I think this is a good place to stop for today. Remember...we are here to help you!
