Saturday, January 16, 2010

Dollhouses

I always wanted a dollhouse when I was little. I did finally get one when I was about 30! I have shown it to you a couple of times before. Here's a cute page out of a 1938 sunset magazine. A very lucky little girl!
Daddy could have built a dollhouse (he knew how to do everything!) - but he was busy working, and even when he was home he was always working on something - something more practical than a dollhouse. Here are two more examples of home-crafted dollhouses, from 1967:
And I think this one was from '68:
I think Tina might have had one of the metal dollhouses? I seem to vaguely remember one. Well, guess what I found at the Waste Management Store? Here's a peek from the front:
The side "windows":
Oh, come on - take a look inside! The left side of the kitchen:
..and the right side:
The nursery:
the master bedroom upstairs:
the bath:
the living room:
and the entire house again from the back:
It isn't real big, it isn't perfect, and I don't have any furniture for it - but it was so inexpensive, I just couldn't leave it there! So now I have three, all different - and barely room for one.
I haven't decided what I'm going to do with this one yet.

11 comments:

Jennifer D said...

Fabulous!
I am soooo jealous, I have always wanted a dollhouse. I did have a Barbie Dreamhouse and that made me very happy!

Tina Dawn said...

It's really cute, I love the kitchen and the bathroom. The flooring is all really vintage looking throughout the house. Yes, I had a metal one. I don't know what happened to it so that you didn't get to "inherit" it and play with it when you got old enough. Yours is just begging for some great 50's or 60's plastic furniture. I still love that furniture, plastic-nut that I am. Our Mom had a dollhouse too when she was little. Another very great post. Love T

yosemite faith said...

i always wanted one and it didn't happen. what a great find. love how its decorated - you have got the knack heidi ho. lucky girl - lucky dollhouse.

black eyed susans kitchen said...

That doll house tour was completely fabulous! I laughed at the rifle over the fireplace...clearly a 1950's colonial.
♥, Susan

jamie@midcenturymania said...

Wow Heidi, I guess I didn't even look inside when that gorgeous house was sitting in my car. That is a very beautiful doll house and it's so lucky you came along and spotted it the minute you walked in. You were meant to be together. I love the fireplace. So cozy.

Jill said...

I love your dollhouse! I always wanted a dollhouse, & finally purchased one a year ago-- for my 42nd birthday!
I remember being fascinated by the graphics on the metal dollhouses when I was little, so thanks for the tour!
Hugs,
Jill

LunaKris said...

I had a metal dollhouse back in the sixties. It came with plastic furniture, and a little plastic family. I remember the father wore a suit and carried a pipe. It was very Leave it to Beaver. The little family got a lot of exercise, since there were no stairs, and had to leap from the first to second floor!

Twyla and Lindsey said...

Wow, I didn't know there was a Waste Management store! My husband used to work for Waste Management. I, too, always wanted a doll house when I was little, but for some reason never got one. I have found them for Lindsey at garage sales, but they never come with furniture. Your's is in excellent condition. Twyla

Anthony said...

Great old dollhouse!
And it sure looks like it's in pretty darn good shape... or at least on the inside, anyway. I guess there was a reason you didn't show us the outside view?

But you got it at a Waste Management store, that's different! I didn't know there was such a thing. I'll have to check and see if one exists in our local area. Isn't it amazing what people will throw away, sometimes?! They just prove that old adage, "One man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure." ;)

Anthony said...

P.S. -

I have a confession to make... Tommy and I have a dollhouse, too! You may have seen it if you're familiar with Playmobil toys. It's the BIG 2-story Victorian mansion. Actually, we just recently added-on, so it's now technically a 3-story. However, if you count the attic nursery, it's more like 4-stories!

We got it many years ago when I was working a retail job at a toy store called 'The Imaginarium'. I used my employee discount to buy it, and everything that went with the house, too! I mean, we just went NUTS buying all of the furniture sets for each room, and all of the little Victorian people that would be new residents and/or houseguests.

To this day, it's our Christmas tradition to put it out near the tree, with its rooms full of fancy furniture and funky, little plastic people.

Erin said...

I love it. I am wanting one of these so bad.