Swan House

I call this Swan House because it was found and renovated by a chap called Billy Swan. It is a bit of a mystery really but perhaps someone may be able to help.

Billy was driving up to the airport here when he passed a skip with this house on it. He couldn't believe that anyone would throw such a thing away so went to enquire and was told he could have it.

As he is a carpenter and decorator by trade, he applied himself lovingly to the old house which is built from a wooden packing case and the printing on it appears to date from around the time of the First World War. Of course with shortages, all kinds of wood was used and I have another old house that is made from a wooden orange box.

Billy and his wife decorated the house inside and out, and Billy made the fireplaces. I have customized most of the furniture; that in the parlour is made from fretted pieces that I have painted and upholstered to look like Victorian paper mache. All of the furniture is modern, painted by me.  Some of the dolls are fromDolls House Emporium and some from an internet website.

If anyone can offer more information about this lovely little house Barbara would be very grateful. She saw a picture in a magazine three years ago of a house almost identical to this one, that had been sold in a famous auction house but sadly no further information was given in the magazine.

I call this The Rowans, a previous owner had bought it from an antique shop in Reading but it had been over painted and was in need of restoration.  The widow's walk was missing, as were some window panes, semi-circular decorations and a chimney. A chap from Yorkshire made the missing items and posted them to me.

The house is a mystery because although the facade conforms to the box back house of the 1909 catalogue, it opens at each side instead and not at the front. There is a back extension and a conservatory and the lighting appears to have been installed in the 1930s. None of the interior wallpapers had survived so I used suitable modern papers and flooring.

Morning room & studio 

Green & white bathroom, landing

The furniture comes from a variety of sources.  The sideboard in the morning room is an old one with a set of Reutter blue & white china bought in Strasbourg and there is now a wooden table inlaid with a picture of Mount Fugi and two chairs.  The model in the studio is a 1920s bathing belle and the doll in the kitchen is an old one found on an internet website.  In the drawing room are pieces of red, black and gold furniture that I have painted in the Japanese style so popular at the end of the 19th century.  I also painted and decorated the blue bedroom furniture, while that in the conservatory is white wire now painted in sea green.  Maroon and white tiles and a parrot have been glued to the walls.

Conservatory with Victorian tiled floor & wire furniture

1930s Hobby Craft Bungalow

The exterior and interior papers including flooring are original and much of the furniture and dolls are by Dol-Toi, although the metal cooker is by Barrett & Son.

Fretsaw House circa Early 1900s

I have seen other houses like this but mine does not have windows at the side. It was sitting on a shelf in my friend Angela's garage, unloved and uncared for. After initial enthusiasm, Angela had lost interest and very generously donated the house to my "Barbaraville" collection.

The exterior was in a good condition but the interior looked sad with wallpaper hanging loosely, so I redecorated with wallpaper suitable for a 1930s style of house. Angela had removed the wall between the sitting room and the hall but left the staircase in situ.  There were some nice old pieces, such as a yellow Aga, and a dark red velvet sofa and chair along with a Barton four poster bed but I added some dark brown plastic items by Ideal, the American firm; a miniaturised self portrait of Doris Zinkeisen, flying ducks, two 1920s china elves, a Clarice Cliff dinner service, a carrier bag and evening bag made by members of the Jersey Dolls House Club. I had fun resourcing the large collection of accessories. I painted the grandfather clock on the landing and applied snippets of gilt paper to appear like ormolu. The figures are resin.

And now for a house not quite so old as those above.....but it is simply stunning inside!

Castlegate circa late 20th Century

The house is called Castlegate and was bought second hand though undecorated in 1995 in a collectibles shop in Hatch End, Middlesex.

The exterior of Castlegate has painted green walls and embossed strips painted ochre to look like pargetting.

Drawing Room Entrance Hall

Drawing room with Davenport that was brown and customized by Barbara. Entrance hall with decoupaged tiger skin rug.

Dining Room Kitchen

Dining room with decoupaged pictures and mirror on walls and female dolls by Schleich. Kitchen with window painted by Barbara. Bodo Henig stove bought at Paris DHF and fabric doll bought in Strasbourg in 1999.

Bedroom Landing

Bedroom with printed card furniture (French) and bateau bed bought at Paris dolls house fair, 2003, customized by Barbara with paint and printed card. Landing with card chair made from a printed sheet of furniture bought at the gift shop at Chateau de Vendeuvre, Normandy in 2003.

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