This Gothic Victorian inspired dollhouse began as a Tennyson. I liked the basic footprint for the house however, felt it needed major design changes. i added extra doors and windows, changed window sizes, and created a special brick chimney. The interior staircase was also moved.
Siding was a must, and for contrast the bay was done in a vertical siding. After all the architectural construction issues were dealt with, the color pallet was next....
I had picked up a flyer at the paint store with a house I loved done in red and green. so using that for basic inspiration, i moved to a fresher updated version. most of the paint colors finally chosen are from the Martha Stewart paint line. this was a very fun pallet to work with!
The hand cut and painted bricks used on the front and side steps and chimney were just the right texture and tone to pull it all together.
Front doors are always an important focal point, and this door has a wonderful stained glass window in an oval design of lilies, landscape, and delicate border.
Staining the interior trim gives the house a warm homey feeling, yet the printed all and floor papers make it light and fun.
Another addition was the fireplace. A lovely one from England with a nice slim profile. To carry through the terra cotta, more of the same bricks made for the outside were used on the base and surround area.
The staircase was moved to the other side of the house and a second staircase was added to the third floor.
In doing the gardens and flower selections, the color choices were very important. The green moss usually used was to "green" and had to be changed to a more light spring green color.
The colors in the flowers are strong and add another layer to the design, yet they do not take away from, or overpower the house. For this reason coordinating all the garden colors with the house was a challenge.
