Sarah's Dollshouse

Welcome to my Tudor style dolls house

This web page is designed to catalogue the growth of my first dolls house and allow you all to watch as it grows. This is especially so that my Mum can watch it happen because she lives in County Cork and I am doing all the work in Peterborough.

This is my first dolls house and my first introduction to miniatures, so I think it will be a very interesting journey.

Inspiration for my dolls house

I have always wanted a dolls house ever since as a small child I saw my mother’s childhood dolls house mouldering in a garden shed. It had been built out of waste cardboard by her father when she was little but it had definitely seen better days. The thing that fascinated me was that it was wired! This was amazing to me that something so small could light up!!

Now 25 years later I am in the lucky position where I could afford to buy and play with my very own dolls house.

So now I get to start collecting miniatures and build my very own tiny little world!

Choosing the period

I wanted a period dolls house because I felt it was the only way to go – a dolls house needs to be inspirational and a modern dolls house didn’t appeal. So what period to choose? Georgian and Victorian themes are very popular at the miniaturist shows and in the shops, which was precisely what switched me off them! I decided that the Tudor period was where it is ‘at’!

The Tudor style dollshouse as a gift from my boyfriend Paul - though we spent a lot of time choosing one. We bought this one from a dolls house show in Peterborough at the end of January 2006. It came built with basic electrics (the thought of which filled me with terror).

These pages will follow my research into the period and work that I undertake to make this my own, and will probably record some of my failures too. I would like it to become a source of inspiration for your own miniature Tudor creations.

I hope you enjoy the ride!

Please feel free to visit my new pages showing my Christmas Room - a new work in progress! The work that I have done on my first dolls house (as yet unfinished) has inspired me to have a go at a small scale dolls house for the festive season.

Tudor Cottage is built over three floors, each with it's own opening so the floors can be viewed independently.

I view this project as a blank canvas. The basic structure of the house is in place, with basic electrics (one light in each room). But like a blank canvas I can mark it with my own take on tudor period style in miniature.

Following a trip to Stratford Upon Avon in spring 2006, I am full of ideas for the exterior.

Most of the beams will be replaced and the exterior will be given a coat of textured plaster to replace the somewhat smooth feel that the cottage currently has.

I took out the existing window too and played about with it, removed slats, distressing it, waxing it and adding leads. I think it looks good so far. The external wood is going to be richly carved - this is the first one I have done - with a scalpel!