Art Deco House
This is a house I bought in a second hand shop a few years ago now in Glenorchy Tasmania. There used to be a huge second hand shop selling furniture, books, ornaments, toys and other stuff. For me it was like walking inside Disneyland as I just love these big junky shops full of old stuff. I was a bit sad when it closed its doors.
Anyway one day while I was there I saw two lovely old homemade doll houses. One in particular caught my eye as it looked rather art decoish in design. I had to have it so I put it on layby. Today I am going to show it to you. I don’t intend to change too much of the outside of the house but will probably paint the inside and replace the floor coverings and do up the staircase. I am busy with my Beacon Hill at the moment so nothing will happen with this house for some time yet.
The house is two stories and has a central staircase. There are four main rooms and one of the top floor rooms has a balcony. Sadly no little people can access it because Dad forgot to add a door leading out to it. There are bay windows giving it a lovely homely feel. I love bay windows myself. The large window on the other side of the house can not been seen out of because Dad fitted a wall in front of it for some reason. You can see this through the glass which is real. I thought he did a nice job of the chimney. Inside two rooms are carpeted with real carpet off cuts.
I’m not really sure how old this house is. The dealer wasn’t sure but it is of heavy solid construction and Dad built it to last. It has been built onto a nice strong base like the old Triang houses were set up on. This has been painted green. Dad chose white for the main colour of the house with red and blue trim. This looks rather nice I think. The roof is done in a light colour rather than the traditional red tile.
Well I hope you like my house. Here are a few pictures of it.
Dolls, Dolls, Dolls 
Lucky little girl and clever Dad! Some people are so talented. When my two sons were little they loved Thomas the Tank Engine and had lots of the toy engines. Their step granddad, Pete, made them the engine sheds, an aircraft hangar, a windmill, a water tank, a signal box and a shop. they are all made from scratch, not kits and have amazing details. The windmill really turns! my sons are 20 and 17 now and we still have all the gear. Sadly Pete is no longer with us but the treasures he made are priceless.
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They would have been fantastic and a lot of fun for your sons to play with. Thanks for sharing your story with us. We love to hear about things like this.
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You’re welcome, I really enjoy visiting your wonderful site. I was a child in the 70s and we couldn’t afford to buy outfits for our dolls, never mind the furniture, we used to make nearly everything. I remember making settees and chairs for my Pippa dolls from egg boxes. In the 70s they were made of coloured polystyrene so they made good furniture, you wouldn’t get the same effect with the cardboard boxes now. Me and my friend Suzie also tried to make dolls houses from A3 sheets of paper that Suzie’s dad had given her. Of course, that didn’t work but at least we did have the imagination to try. My husband used to make go karts from planks of wood and old pram wheels as did many other boys then. (Sorry for waffling on, it is great to have like minded people to chat to)
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What a wonderful house – and what a labour of love by some kind Dad. The framing around the windows is really neat and who wouldn’t love a porthole window. It’s a unique house. I wonder if it was based on a house the family may have lived in. You mention the wall blocking the view of one of the windows. Maybe that was the reality for the family. It’s too bad these treasures don’t come with a note giving the back story of their existence, but on the other hand it gives us the opportunity to use our imaginations. I can see you will have a lot of fun bringing this house back to life – when you have time! I think that’s the best way to live – always having at least one more creative project that needs to be tackled.
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This house is beyond charming, it was built w/ love. Though it’s modern there’s such warmth, I almost can see a naudical theme there w/ an incredible view a retired sea captain might dwell. Love the red/blue accents, corner window/etc..It looks look like a future fun project to keep things rolling.
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Yes I can picture the view too. I can hear the waves rolling in and see and hear gulls flying around in the afternoon sea breeze. Maybe there is a telescope on the top floor for ship spotting. There might be colourful pots of flowers in the garden and perhaps a deck chair or two to enjoy the sun. Inside I can imagine polished timber and tiled floors,ornate ceilings and mirrors on the walls. I’m glad I found this house and with a few minor fixes it will come to life again.
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He really did do a great job as the house has survived so well. I know you will have a lot of fun choosing furniture for it. I wonder if it was based on a house the family knew. Lucky little girl that owned it.
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The dealer showed me the furniture that used to belong to the little girl. He was sort of “I’m keeping the furniture for myself” I felt like he was saying too bad you can’t have it. Well it was all ok because I already had a lot of the same pieces as it was like the Cleeware and Renwal stuff I have that came with Rosewood Cottage. I would love some older furniture maybe wooden to go in this particular house. I’m hoping it will fit in with the Triangs.
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still can’t wait to see it come together..how fun.
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