Exterior
Decorating
This is in many ways the most important part
of your dolls house as it is the part that is on show most of
the time. The style you have chosen for your house may dictate
the exterior finish or if not the choice can be influenced by
the place you intend to keep the house. On the other hand, it
may just boil down to personal preference.
Plan Your
Work
Firstly it
is a good idea to plan what you are going to do. A colour diagram
will help to show which colours work to achieve the results you
want. If you are unsure about what you want your house to look
like you can gain inspiration by looking at books (in the library)
and also real houses etc. You can even see a selection of other
dolls houses in the Gallery on this site. If you do not plan,
changing your mind half way through can lead to a lot of extra
work however, it is not the end of the world.
Above all else
don't forget it is your dolls house it is meant to
be fun for you. If you want to be faithful to a period that's
fine, but you don't have to. If you want it bright orange with
purple spots that's fine. However, we do not recommend this as
it is unlikely to win one of our competitions and people will require sunglasses
to view it.
When to
Decorate
If you are
building from a kit it is better to complete the main painting
tasks before assembly. A dry run assembly, following the instructions,
but using masking tape to hold the parts together will identify
the assembly points. It should then be possible to determine
which parts go together for painting purposes.
Things to
Avoid
Paint in
the grooves
If you are assembling a good quality kit the joints will be accurately machined
to form a tight fit, so it is important to avoid getting paint
in the grooves. Keep a damp cloth ready to wipe any residue before
it dries. It is always a good idea to check your work periodically
until the paint is fully dry in case a run of paint sneaks
up on you.
The dry run
assembly, using masking tape to hold the parts together, will
identify the assembly points and therefore the parts, which
must be kept clear of paint
Mistakes
It is often only by trial and error that you will discover the
result you want. We always recommend using a test area to practice
on before you work on the house itself. The best way for this
is to have a spare piece of wood ideally the same as your
house (as paints etc. will dry differently on each type of wood)
or failing that use a part of the house that will not be
seen, i.e. the rear or the underside of the base.
Paints
The important
thing to remember is that if your dolls house is of normal wood
construction then this is what it is wood. This means it
should be treated with regard to paint just as you would the
woodwork or furniture in your own home. Many people are overly
concerned about painting their dolls house. Don't be!
Different types
of paint can be used and we have listed the main ones below.
Primer The only type of wood,
which may benefit from a primer, is ply. For other types such
as MDF a primer is not required - but some people still prefer
to use a priming coat as a base.
Vinyl Silk
This
is our recommended paint for the main surfaces. It is a hardwearing,
easy maintenance paint. Surfaces can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Matt We are not fans of
matt paint and would not recommend its use. This paint tends
to mark easily and for this reason we especially do not recommend
its use when painting a child's
house.
Gloss Gloss paint produces
a very shiny finish and we would definitely not use it on the
main surfaces. The 1/12th scale seems to accentuate the shininess
of the paint. However, a well-chosen gloss colour is perfect
for your front
door
everyone loves a shiny front door.
Sandtex If you want a more
textured look for your house then Sandtex or an equivalent is
what we would use. After application, you can then stipple the
paint, which will even out the textures. You can even experiment
at making your own textured paints by mixing sand with the paint
of your choice. This not only gives you an unlimited range of
colours but also allows you to vary the texture to your choice.
When applying
paints we would always recommend two or three light coats rather
than one heavy one.
Brick Effects
Various types of brick
effect
can be purchased from inexpensive papers to fully textured
brick sheeting. Application is usually by PVA glue for the textured
sheets and wallpaper paste for the papers, but it is always best
to check with your supplier when you purchase them. Individual
bricks
are also available. However, please be aware that individual
bricks add extra weight to the front of your house and will put
extra strain on its hinges.
Roofing
Materials
Again various types
of roofing can be bought. Different
grades of roofing sheet (simple paper to textured sheets) are
available. Application is usually by PVA glue for the textured
sheets and wallpaper paste for the papers, but it is always best
to check with your supplier when you purchase them.
Many people
use individual
tiles
or shingles. For added realism and an "aged" affect
it is an idea to lay a few "broken" or "slipped
tiles". When did you last see an old roof in perfect condition?
Application is usually by PVA glue. If you want to "cheat"
the tiled effect can also be created by using MDF
tile sheets,
which give a similar effect, but without the work.
N.B. be careful of the weight you add to the roof and any effect
it may have on any hinges.
Most roofing papers
will come already coloured but in the case of the shingles and
MDF sheet you can colour them yourself. See the information on
paints above. To produce a weathered look for your roofing mixing
sand into the paints or applying boot polishes (by dabbing with
a cloth) can give great results at very little cost.
Windows
The most simple
and cheap way to achieve a glazed look for your windows is to use perspex.
This can be bought in small sheets at a minimal cost from your
dolls
house shop
and cut to size to suit your windows. These can then be secured
in place either by gluing (preferably with a clear drying
glue) or by using double sided tape.
Mouldings
Quoining strips,
pediments, balustrades etc can greatly enhance the look of your house.
It is best to paint these before attaching them to the house.
A good effect can be achieved by "picking them out"
in a different colour to the main colour of the exterior. This
effect can also be achieved by using a different textured paint
to the one you have used on the main body.
If you have
chosen a Tudor style for your dolls house then timbered beams
will be a feature. There are many wood stains available to help
you achieve the effects that you want.
A useful tip from "Dusty"
is if you are painting a lot of small mouldings such as
window sills or quoins then first stick them to a piece of card
or paper (using double sided tape). Then they can all be painted
together. Simply peel them off the card when the paint has dried.
This saves holding the fiddly little bits and getting more paint
on your fingers than on the wood.
Another useful
tip from "Dusty" is that a clothes peg makes a very
useful mini clamp to hold things still or in place where
no great pressure is needed.
Application
There are various
methods of application, which can be used.
For the main
paintwork if a standard vinyl silk finish is required then
a small roller is best to achieve a smooth finish and not run
the risk of brush strokes spoiling the job. If you are glossing
the front door then a brush is best the finer the better.
Don't forget 1/12th scale has the affect of magnifying brush
strokes and runs.
For mouldings,
windows etc. use a brush the better the quality the better
the result. See "Dusty's" tip above for the best way
to do this.
For the more
textured finish a whole range of methods can be used. Larger
brushes to "dab" the paint on can give a "rougher"
look. There are many different ways to apply paints in order
to achieve the effects you want. The best idea is to experiment
for yourself as this can also be great fun.
It is often
only by trial and error that you will discover the result you
want. We always recommend using a test area to practice on before
you work on the house itself. The best way for this is to have
a spare piece of wood ideally the same as your house, as
paints etc. will dry differently on each type of wood or
failing that use a part of the house that will not
be seen, i.e. the rear or the underside of the base.
Another tip
from "Dusty" don't forget a wooden dolls house
can be affected by heat and damp. Always bear this in mind, i.e.
don't use excessive heat to dry paints etc.
Obviously space
does not permit us to discuss all decorating topics, however
we have tried to cover the questions which are asked most frequently
in
our shops.
Good luck with
your decorating and I hope this feature will have helped to answer
some of your questions and also enable you to avoid some of the
pitfalls, which can happen especially when decorating your
first house.
If you have
any queries that have not been answered by this feature please
contact us on
Tel:
020 8295 0688 or Fax: 020 8295 1061
e-mail:
info@dolls-house-parade.co.uk
We will do
our best to answer your questions with the help of our own expert
builder Dave "Dusty" Caswell.
If you need
any more help or advice, or have any suggestions for topics you
would like to see featured in the future, or you have your own
hints and tips you would like to share with your fellow miniaturists,
please e-mail us at:
enquiries@dollshouseparade.co.uk
