Dollhouse Exterior Design

Once you have completed your inside design, it is time to look again at the exterior design and some ways to make it look better. You will want to focus on the most eye attracting points first: The paint and the shingles. When you are setting up your dollhouse apply a good three coats of good craft paint to your dollhouse. Make sure that you draw lines prior to applying shingles to preserve a straight look, most instruction booklets will provide the required measurements. There are many other ways to enjoy an attractive exterior; most of them are through accessories like dog houses, or gazebos. The exterior can even house subtle designs like a rock walkway, fountains, or flowers. And let us not forget the biggest advantage to designing the outside: the lights. Lights around the porch are the most common, if you have a gazebo place a light in the center so that the light will shine down through.

Look Down: The Floor in your Kit

There is one design item that is looked over more than anything else is flooring. Flooring can be a great design medium because it is the foundation for all of your furniture. Just as with new flooring in any house, new flooring in a dollhouse will increase the value and appeal. Carpet, linoleum, tile, stone, and hard wood are the most popular choices in flooring options. Carpet is a really fun choice, because it makes the kit seem like a miniature version of your house. A quick fix to bathroom or kitchen rooms is linoleum and tile. Adding Stone for your deck, hardwood for your living room will add a fun touch - look around and find the best option

Placing your Furniture in a Way That Works

Your Furniture can be arranged in many different ways, and many of them will give a different feel to the room. Here are a couple of placement strategies that may be of benefit to you. The two most common layout designs is the triangle and the square. In order to use the triangle design you will need three major pieces of furniture for the room, imagine that they form a triangle and place them accordingly. The square design is used with either three or four types of big pieces of furniture, with four pieces the furniture is places in the corner of an imaginary square. You can also use the square approach with five pieces; just place the extra piece in the middle. Though these are the most used you can have any types, shapes, and patterns that form a symmetrical or aesthetically pleasing layout.

Planning and Preparation with your Miniatures

Every great designer knows to start with a plan. A plan of action is crucial because it will keep you on a track leading to success. With miniature design a plan of action will consist of a floor plan and budget. A floor plan can be as simple as a sketch that was drawn by hand or a print of a room that you would like to copy. There is a plentiful supply of examples of good room designs both online and offline. Simply take note of a great room that you saw at a friends house and make notes on what you liked and what you didnt. Compare your notes to your current plan and change it if necessary. Once you have a good idea of what you would like you will need to budget accordingly. Unfortunately for hobbyists miniatures can get a little expensive. If you find a piece of furniture that is over your budget apply your patience and save until you can purchase it.