The Birth of the A-Frame

Circa late 1950's, with a distinctly Germanic feel to it (snow slides off steep roofs rather than caving it in). Perhaps this was the original inspiration to the Mattel Barbie A-Frame DreamHouse from 1978. I think there is definately a California contemporary blend to it that was very popular in the late 1970's. Real estate agents call it a 'granola house'. My parents were the granola type, but we lived in an arcadian house in the late seventies. You can see in the illustration the same colors from Miss B's house and decor- orange, yellow, blue and green. I wasn't digging the blue dining room set that went with the toy line, but this softens my opinion a bit. The dangling light fixtures are groovy.

Red roof, white sides, and yellow! 

What a real life upstairs of center section looks like. 

Our 1978 Barbie Dream house's journey begins in the 1950's: 

...and evolves through the 70s and 80s: 

keyword terms: barbie doll house dollhouse vintage 1970s 1978 1979 a frame malibu chalet orange yellow red white pink hot free for sale ebay pinterest etsy new old renovated dolls fashion clothes clothing lot estate parts wall walls door doors window windows part balcony closet flower flowers planters planter plant plants box boxes accessory accessories small pieces info information instructions how to put together where to find buy purchase locate available collector collectible gold silver platinum label individual post posts covers sides custom 3 three section sections patio triangles floor floors dark light build scres pictures club group rare custom ook htf oop in mint clean complete 1980 1981 cottage 1982 1983 1980s color colors anniversary 1984 1985 1986 large bog 3 ft 4 feet long high tall huge large open moveable arrangeable craigslist online forum question questions 40th 50th 45th 55th 60th 35th reproduction remade retro nostalgia nostalgic memories childhood play display mini miniature set up sections  mid mod mid century modern 60s kitsch fun playful open new design designer interior decorator decor designer  

architect architects idea ideas goal aesthetic eames eichler palm springs by the sea malibu granola earth tones earthy autumn wexler wood slats open playful fun 1960s 60s open playful play timeless heirloom 

Paperwork: The Original Brochure & Booklets

Even harder to find, this color toy brochure features the 1978 house and furniture line. The brochure (dated 1982) i have folds down, not sideways like this photo on the left. Barbie lounges in her blue denim pantsuit. Jaime Summers would be jealous.

How to Find Vintage barbie 1978 A frame dreamhouses

So where do you find barbie's dreamhouse? A lady i talked to said she scavenges yard and estate sales and has sold 8 in the last few years. I have never seen any in a thrift store (and I used to go a lot). So, as i am lazy and dont get up at dawn to comb over yard sales, internet shopping is my preferred method. Love 'em or hate 'em, the best bet is ebay. A quick browser search will reveal that craigslist has them, but only 5 states away, and the seller is not prepared to take payment and ship to you as you are 5 states away from them. As far as what you get for the money timing is everything. Some weeks there is only one or two online for sale and other times there are a dozen. I have seen them as low as $25 plus shipping all the way up to $400 plus shipping for one with the original box and shipping carton, timing is EVERYTHING. The condition varies, i have seen pristine ones not even have one bidder and faded brown incomplete ones go for 100 plus shipping. I bought first one for $60 total. The shipping was $35 USPS parcel post, the seller used at least $10 in packing supplies only leaving him $15 for the house. On average, I have seen them go for around $80-$100 including shipping on ebay. If shipped post office it is sometimes shipped in two boxes though I have found a particular moving box that can fit it all. Some sellers ship UPS and Fed Ex due to size and reliability of carrier. Insurance is always recomended as loss or damage is always a distinct possibility with USPS. Watch them on ebay for awhile and get an idea of the ebb and flow. Your pocket book, desire to have one and timing are the three things that dictate when you will be the proud new owner of one.

In early 2023, here is what is available for local pickup, your Facebook marketplace should look the same, notice the very different titles, or key search terms that are used, one even read 'dram house' so cast a wide a net as possible, I usually search 'barbie house' first, and then 1970s, then 1978, then dream house (which can be typed as 1 or two words) and so on. 

$50-$150 is much better than the $300-$800 now on Feebay listings, plus this way if you pick it up yourself, you won't have to worry about it getting damaged in shipment and you can see exactly what you are getting prior to paying. One time I had to return a house and wage a feebay open case battle with a weirdo in Florida because the picture he used in the listing was not the actual house he was selling, and naturally he had no idea of all the missing parts his house had, he was belligerent and argumentative, what a nightmare! 

Brown vs White (paint post)

I would LOVE to refurb this one, but its in Houston, the seller is illiterate, and even if they agreed to pack and ship it I have no way of guarenteeing they will actually send it once I pay through paypal (assuming they have even heard of paypal). Sigh...

The white spots where the lanterns and flower boxes go are further proof that the browning is a result of direct heat/light exposure. 

as it arrived

during

example of sun discoloration. (one door is turned over)

The pictures just say it all. Although it was almost painful for me to paint a huge vintage toy like the 1978 barbie A frame dream house, it needed to be done. I am sure it technically devalues it and maybe in 100 years someone will think i was an idiot for altering it in any way, but i stand behind my decision to paint. Van Gough would be proud. I would love to see more before and afters if anyone has some good ones. Currently, I am debating wether or not to find a pale yellow spray paint and do the one side of the doors that is brown. I think if i can find the right shade, it would be acceptable. Same with discolored roofs that are sun faded. On the white parts, i did a very light spray, just enough to get even coverage on the main details of the wall itself and door/window frames. this preserves detail like in the woodgrain. speaking of painting, i never liked that the front door lanterns were white like the walls, maybe i can find the right shade of orange or yellow spray paint. they were orange on the cottage and looked pretty good. POST UPDATE: I have completed reconditioning my 2nd ebay A frame. I used 2 cans of spray paint on the first one, and 3 1/2 cans on the second because it was considerably browner then the first. Especially the post covers. I had to superglue a crack on one of the wall panels support column. the windows were still bright yellow around the edges, but several were previously cleaned with an abrasive and are pretty scratched up. the doors were relatively the original color. the floor panels all had dirt stains which came 90% off with soft scrub. be sure to really clean the white wall panels before painting, plan on sitting in front of the TV for a few shows with q tips to get in all the nooks and cranies or else the paint wont stick.

This house is ready for a color change. 

Big Project For Me - reconditioning a used and abused A frame

After reno

during

taking inventory

I made a seperate post about discoloration since there is so much to cover on the subject of obtaining and reconditioning a house. This one (at the time) had been bathed, spray painted and was awaiting spare parts. No cracks or splits, only one window missing. The catch for my great price of $29 plus shipping was that none of the many glass doors were there. The plants were in good shape though. In order, the picture is the after (with house #2's spare parts added) , the during, and just after clean and paint.

How houses usually arrive in the mail. 

1978 Mattel A Frame Barbie Dream Doll House Red roof yellow floors mod groovy 1970s 1980s custom OOAK 

Harvest Gold 1978 : Further Ramblings On About My Appliance Fetish

I originally bought the 1978 stove and fridge together on ebay as a lot for less than $20. It included the color brochure for the '78 Dreamhouse and furniture line so was an exceptional deal. It just goes to show you that it is helpful to buy lots of random stuff because there is often unkown treasures included. I bought 3 more stoves and 2 more fridges in order to upgrade to a mint set which usually involves buying 4 of something and swapping out parts. I have nearly a complete set now with just a few tiny pieces missing, but I do love a challenge. For one fridge I renovated, there was no orange stickers left on the door handles so I used espresso wood contact paper and filled in the recessed part and it looked actually better than original and the buyer was perfectly happy with it. (see 'bloggers own house' post) Another random bag of food I bought had a flat yellow square I didnt know what it was until I realized it was the bottom shelf of the fridge I needed. The cookware eventually came in red, white, pink, and blue in addition to the original light and dark orange. The fridge right side door top hinge is almost always broken off, i cut off a que tip and stuck it in with a little glue and it works perfectly now- 2 minute solution. I bought another oven and fridge, and made up one minty complete set, and a second not so great set. The lesser set helped me get top dollar for the lesser A frame i sold. Interestingly, the oven in thsi picture had noticabley darker orange doors, so not all ovens are created equal. I cant get enough of the clear orange! Love it love it love it. I am not sure what the shiny sticker is supposed to be on the back, maybe stainless steel? We had a side by side but it was avocado, my mom's kitchen aid was harvest gold though. Check out this italian MIB example... http://www.flickr.com/photos/30317431@N08/3905806867/in/set-72157622032896796/ COLLECTOR TIP: For those bent/warped oven doors you can bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, using tongs submerge oven door in water for about 1 minute till slightly soft, bend flat again (quickly) and reattach to oven. Repeat if necessary. For broekn upper door tabs, a small wad of gum or putty in the joint works terrific.

Complete, minty, shiny set of orange/red cookware. I still dont have the orange spoon, or a scratch free pots and pan set. I do sort of prefer the clear orange cookware circa 2001. 

Lighter orange without the flash. 

Darker orange, with the flash on. 

The fact is that the orange pot/pan incarnation was molded in reverse colors. You can see there is a random dark orange pot amongst the mix, the kettles are reverse colors, the utensils are in different shades of orange and the cookie pan is also in reverse colors. We know already the pink line most certainly reversed the colors and there was also a purple and blue incarnation before they completely reinvented the Barbie kitchen cookware line in the 90's. A Chinese company has copied the design in all pink with dishes and crystal glassware for $5 including shipping, quite a bargain! 

Rarest color issue: purple. 

The redder of the reverse orange set. 

Orange set on top, red set on bottom. 

Better shot of redish colored bottoms and orange lids. 

Nicely made, great alternative to Mattel appliances. 

I really like the shiny chrome and attention to detail. 

Here is the likely real life inspiration behind the orange pot set:

Turns out the refridgerator fridge was issued new until 1989 somewhere in the world, in this Brazilian ad you can see it:

Would love to see it reisued in todays colors, maybe with reflective stickers for the front for that 'stainless steel' look.

Spa time: The 1977 Bathroom Furniture & Accessories

I love that Mattel thought of this. I would have preferred it to have a sink as well, even if it meant sacrificing the chest and towel rack. We had a squared off seventies toilet but it was teal. I dont own this set yet, but isnt there a 'flushing' mechanism or sound feature? I would have loved a lower profile tub, like they made a lower profile bed since it takes up a lot of space, but its passable in my book. It probably emulated the jetted 'jacuzzi' style tubs that were begining to come out then in homes. The pink toilet came out first, then the plumb one in '82. The towel rack also changed from yellow to white. It seems the plumb boxes were the precursor to the 'pink box era'. I still dont know why they chose pale pink for the bathroom set rather than white, maybe because so much of the house was white already. These generally go for the same price as the living, dining and bedroom sets and the boxes are not uncommon.

Factory fresh toilet:

Now in blue: