wrapping it up.

Published on by Quandie

I thought I should do a final wrap up post for my recent miniature project, the free-at-the-curb dollhouse.

But before we get to that, I think I need better names for my two semi-completed dollhouse projects.  So, from now on the free-at-the-curb dollhouse is going to be called “no. 42” …

and my original dollhouse, the one my dad made for me, is going to be called “the victorian”.

Now, I’m really torn about no. 42.  Am I going to keep it?  Or am I going to try to sell it?

I’m really waffling between those two options, and I think it shows in the finished product.  I furnished it just enough to make it impossible to price reasonably if I’m going to sell it, but I haven’t furnished it enough to consider it ‘finished’ if I plan to keep it.

So … yeah … I’m still on the fence about that.

But let’s see where I’ve ended up for now, sound good?

First up, the before.

I gave the exterior a fresh paint job and a few embellishments.

Then the interior before …

I updated all six rooms with new flooring and wall treatments, and I added some furniture to each room.  So here’s a breakdown of those costs.

The living room – $45.

The hallway – $2.

The kitchen – $16.50.

Oh, and by the way, I have added a new piece to the kitchen since I first shared that space …

I painted up a little Swiss cross stool to match the full-sized one that I have in my own house.  The stool cost $6.50, so I’ve added that to the original cost that I shared for the kitchen.

The blue bedroom – $38.

The dressing room – $41.

The rose bedroom – $53.50.

That’s a grand total of $196.  I should note that when I used items that I already had on hand, like the wallpaper in the living room or that fabulous cupboard in the kitchen, I did not include them in the cost.  I only included any new things that I purchased.

Of course, as you know, the original dollhouse was a curbside find, and thus was free.

So here’s my thought.  I’m going to list the dollhouse for sale furnished for $200.

But I’m also going to offer it unfurnished for $75.

That will cover the cost of the permanent improvements like the flooring and wallpaper.

The beauty of buying it unfurnished is that the new owner gets to furnish it however they like, which is really the most fun part of any dollhouse project.  I think $75 is a bit of a bargain, so hopefully someone else will too.

On the other hand, the beauty of buying it furnished is that you get all of the pieces that I created for each room including the perfect English sofa …

the cupboard in the kitchen …

the blue armoire …

and many more.

Let me give you an additional selling point for no. 42, the size.

At 24″ tall, 22″ wide and 14″ deep, it’s small enough to tuck on top of a cabinet or dresser, or tuck away in the corner of a room (or possibly at the foot of the stairs).

Another bonus for display are those over-sized windows.  You can see into the rooms rather well from the front.

I’ll be listing no. 42 on my “miniatures for sale” page, however, please note that I am not offering shipping on this one.  It’s pretty heavy and shipping it would probably be quite expensive.  But if any of my local readers are interested, please reach out via email to qisforquandie@gmail.com.

That brings me to my next miniature project.

This one needs a name now too, so I’m considering calling it the Christmas cottage because I think it will be fun to dress it for Christmas.  I know, I know, Christmas is 10 months away.  But this project might take a while.

My friend Sue gave this dollhouse to me.  It had been passed around in her family, but all of the various nieces, nephews, and grandchildren had outgrown it and no one wanted it, so she thought of me.

It needs a little work both outside and in, and I’m not planning to get started on it until after I return from a trip to visit my mom that’s coming up.  But stay tuned, there will definitely be more miniature projects to come!

In the meantime, how do you like the end result with no. 42?  Leave a comment and let me know.

15 thoughts on “wrapping it up.”

  1. I think your pricing is way too low, Linda….but then I live in the land of overpriced everything (Seattle). But STILL……😵‍💫. I also recognize that you have a wonderful time doing them, and that is a reward in and unto itself….but STILL! 😂 I adore these houses and receive a LOT of enjoyment from watching you transform them – especially that OSB one! I am still in awe of THAT one! Their names are perfect! I don’t have a place for a dollhouse, but that’s not stopping me from watching for one…all because of your inspirations! I’m SO excited to see the Christmas one!!

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    1. I know, I always tend to price things low. Mainly because I am pretty cheap myself, and I’m always thinking about how much I would pay for something. Also, I usually don’t want to hang onto things very long so I price them low to sell quickly. I have to admit, I’m rethinking this one though. Maybe I don’t want to sell it after all and thus should have priced it higher 😉

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  2. I am so in awe! It is such a bargain furnished or unfurnished! I don’t know how you part with them. I’m so glad that you make such quick work of these projects because mine is going to take years!

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    1. Sometimes I struggle more than others with parting with things. But I have a fairly small house, and having too much stuff lying around makes my eye twitch. So I’ve learned to let things go 🙂

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  3. I absolutely LOVE the work you did on No 42!

    I think it will definitely sell for $200 – really looking forward to the Christmas Tudor!!

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  4. I hope #42 gets a good home! It came out adorable! Can’t wait to see how the “Christmas Cottage” turns out too! I agree with you that decorating a doll house is the best part of it and with the walls and floors done it’s a perfect blank canvas. Stay warm!!! Spring is just over a month away now. Although it’s never warm her in NW NJ until the middle of May. Lots of damp, rainy weather in March and April…but we’re getting there!

    Good time to work on the “Christmas Cottage”!

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    1. Same here, weather wise. I often say that April is our ugliest month. The remaining snow drifts are dirty, the grass is all brown, the leaves aren’t budded out yet, and it feels like summer is still a long way off. It’s a good month to take a trip somewhere else 😉

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  6. Boy oh boy, your creativity astounds me! I used to be more creative, but you know, you do fall out of it if you don’t continue to use it. I would never be able to come up with all that in that free dollhouse. Amazing! Can’t wait to see the Christmas one. That will be soooo fun to watch your progress on it. I agree with other comments that the price is too low, but I’m the same way with pricing. I tend to underprice because in our area, higher prices items don’t tend to sell.

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  8. I really look forward to the doll house posts! I just love what you do with them – both are beautiful and so different. And I’m really happy you have another house to work on. A Christmas one!

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  9. I have always admired your work on large scale furniture projects but these miniatures really are awesome. You transformed a potential throw away to a beautiful doll house! Your pricing seems so fair and reasonable. Looking forward to your next doll house project!

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  10. oh my goodness love EVERYTHING about no. 42! I’ve got a couple small dollhouses that I’m inspired to start now! And I am DYING over the Christmas house-I’m DEAD. Also, $200 is a BARGAIN for how beautiful it turned out-someone will snatch it up I’m sure!! Fabulous job!!

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