Real Life Examples: A Frame Mortuary

Forgive the quality, I was driving at 75 miles an hour in Southern California when I took these. Well now I really have seen everything. 

And there is even an A Frame, asymetrical, shed roof chicken coop, available as a kit online, and one could easily paint the familiar red, yellow and white we all know and love:

OOAK Custom Repaints: Black Roof with Brown Floors

On this installment, we see another repaint. I wish the images could come out crisper, but you know how Evilbay has disallowed right clicks for the past 2 years or so. This is very close to how I would like to redo a beat up old pink A Frame. This was likely a red and yellow as you can see the patio triangles. It appears to be well done, it is missing the upstairs planters and I think the downstairs ones could be a little more full especially with non flower plants, but overall I like it and it does get my seal of approval. These have been popping up with more frequency it seems this year and fetching a little over $200 plus shipping. I find it very time and labor intensive cleaning up an old house (properly) and respraying just the white pieces, so I am sure repainting everything is a much larger project for someone. So, they deserve the $100ish profit and in the end the house is a one of a kind, nice collectors item. I think a non Barbie person would see that in someones collection and say, 'Wow, what a cool toy, when did that come out?'  Because the truth is they really dont make them like this anymore, not the scale or quality. Though I could never repaint a red and yellow A Frame the occasional reinvention is fun and interesting.

I have found this paint to be the best:
plan to pick up 2 cans to get the entire job done.

Custom Repaints: Black Roof with Blue Floors and Complete

Well, here is a different reinvention of the home. Whenever I see this country blue color scheme I always think of the 80's decor style, you know ducks and dried flowers with pink and green to match. Anyway, this looks like it was done by someone who knows there way around a spray can and paint brush and it did end up selling for just over $200 plus shipping. I am still licking my wounds that I only got $109 for my last red and yellow renovation (breaking even with what I had invested with house, paint, flowers, etc) after being online for about 2 months! The roof looks real sharp and crisp, but I think since I would never live in a blue and white house I dont like my favorite small house blue and white. Still, its interesting to look at and the buyer who is okay with blue will love it I am sure. 

Furniture: Pics of Some Seriously Faded Merch

I purposefully bought very discolored furniture because for a few bucks I got a whole lot of different colors that is a fraction of the color variation of the international Dream Furniture line as featured in other posts. So enjoy this feast for the eyes. The vanity has a mirror I just flipped it around so you could see the color better. The sink is Arco, but what a perfect match. Maybe its more pastel orange, but it does play off the green China well.

So, for those of you wanting a different color or rare furniture piece and cannot afford foreign variations and dont want painted plastic, this is the solution for you! I still dont know exactly how some pieces fare so well and others not so much other than just storing in a cool, dry place and taking really good care not to scratch or bang it about.

This oven has clearly been cooked. I have never seen a white 80's oven so faded to tan. I think in this case it is ripe for making avocado green or leaving it and calling it 1980's cream colored stove or even the color d'jour 'bisque'. 

Paperwork: Furniture Instructions For A Frame

I didnt know these instructions existed until I saw them online this week. I love the artists illustration and the fact that the patio triangles are used. I now assume that the triangles were only included in the furnished house. I look forward to scoring a set of these instructions sometime soon. 

Other Houses: 1982 Cottage and the Snoopy Doghouse

playmobil set with same exact coloring. 

Just something I noticed, I guess its possible its just a mere coincidence, but a cute one. =-)

Early Playmobil house. 

 New 2018 Australian Playmobil play house, here you can see the Bavarian influence the 1978 A Frame has.

Custom Houses: Conglomeration: Variations on a Classic

Ok, its not my house (I would never cut wall posts for any reason) but its a cool unique picture, so there you go. 

Addition of 2 extra wings with center patio triangles, not my favorite configuration. 

My best attempt at a garage, not really convincing, but I'll figure it out. I am officially a hoarder as I wanted to put the yellow '79 vette in the driveway and couldn't get to it because there was so much stuff in the way. lol. 

As Southfork ranch. Yee haw! 

With garage converted into additional living space. Okay, it does look like Snoopy's dog house. 

Cottage with Dream House doors and lanterns. 

Dream House with cottage doors and lanterns. 

Different angle. 

As southern mansion with greek revival columns and amber coach lamps. 

Modern porch area. Inspired by Delia's renovation on the house in Beetlejuice. 

My favorite shot of the new front of the house. Think I am going to have to keep it this way for awhile. ;) 

Lots of natural light and open concept floorplan. 

Cottage as pool house. 

Rear of newly remodeled Dream House with new southern wing and reconfiged ppol/patio area.  It turns out Shaggy and Velma ended up together after all. Fred and Daphne let them have full custody of Scooby as they were more into each other than taking care of a dog. ha ha

There's always a party crasher...

Please submit to me your photos of reconfigured homes. This was the best feature of this house so lets get creative. =-)

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

Paperwork: Brochure and Box Photos

Nice cluster of furniture, though I prefer the long coffee table since the square one looks like an end table. 

The A Frame house in a brochure. 

The 1982 Cottage in a brochure with the newly remolded pink furniture. 

Illustration of house and also a girl from 1961. 

Another brochure photo, earlier than the one above since it has the original  colored furniture. 

Cottage : An Overview

I have been focusing on the Cottage more lately due in part because I have posted about every topic on the big house and these two homes really do have much in common. For one, they almost look the same, another thing is that now that I have the Cottage out and am really looking at it I think that it does stand up against most other dollhouses. Its large, iconic, still has essentially 6 rooms like the 1978 house and is very versatile in the way you can lay it out. Mine is not mint or complete but I love it just the same. You'll notice I took the top part of the 1980 pool, underlaid blue poster board and put everything on fake grass carpet from the home improvement store. At some point I will set up both homes with this as the garage/apartment it could always have been for the large 1978 house.

Temporarily staged with my 1970's Sindy dining room set from the UK. 

Color field rooftop terrace, inspired by Rothko. ;)