Similar Houses: Others Dare to Compare

HO scale model house. Most likely Pleasantville.

Custom house perhaps? Back when dads would tool around in the woodshop  rather than facebook. 

Fisher Price castle

Random internet image. 

1985 Sylvanian Families House by Epoch. MDF material with plastic resin and wood furniture. 

1950's tin litho house in the cape cod style. 

early 1960' train model house. 

Contemporary Ranch by RGT (Real Good Toys). Wood dollhouse kit YOU assemble. Having built a farmhouse before I can tell you these things suck up a surprising amount of glue, paint and TIME not to mention decor, wall and floor coverings, fixtures and accessories! 

I'm in love...

German looking kit or home made house?? Definitely Mondrian inspired.

Paper dollhouse kit?  Meh...

HO scale train house from Europe in the modern style. 

roof shot of Sylvanian family home. 

Cloverleaf Corners house circa 2012

Very cool, love the fire pit, I would own this. =-) 

Similar to Lundby, this German A Frame style house looks like the "Ikea Design House 1974". Enjoying the color scheme, it's nearly entirely orange, yellow and white, sans the club chairs and bathroom. 

The original 1960s Plasticville Cntemporary Home, issued in several different scales, one as a kit, and one prebuilt, I feel as though the inspiration behind our 1978 Mattel home was based on this:

Looks like in Germany and other places, the midmod A Frame style home was also very popular. Here are some cool examples from the 70s thorugh now:

I beleive this is a smaller 4" size doll line from Kenner that was 'Disco' oriented (40 years before hootchie cootchie Bratz dolls came out, but notice the open window placement and overall similar aesthetic to our white walls on Mattel's mamoth structure:

Real Life Examples: Summer 2014 Edition

Some of these are a stretch, but I think the relation to our beloved house is clear. I was especially surprised to find a stereo version of the red 1980 BBQ set.

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Blanche has a green vanity like the green desk in the Dream Furniture line.

Thrift store for $80. 

Appliances and Furnishings: Kitchen Sink and Counter Solutions

In the top two photos you can see I painted and retro fitted a yellow door to a 1990's Mattel sink and counter. I am totally happy with the dimensions and overall look. Alternately, you can get the circa 1980 Arco Barbie scale orange/brown counter and sink. The only downside is that it has an oven and fridge (lower right cab) as part of it. you could cover the left side of the counter that is the range top with a cutting board or something. I use butcher block style samples from the hardware store kitchen section for Barbie cutting boards. The Sindy line from Marx toys looks perfectly adequate, but they are rare, so when you find one it likely won't be cheap. The Arco one usually goes for about $12-$25, and the one I redid is anywhere from $5-$10 or so when you can find them. I did used to have the Sindy harvest gold kitchen tall cabinet and fridge, but sold them as they didn't really go with the house. The Hannah Montana sink island is ok, but once again there is a cheapie stove crammed in there as well. =-( The white wall behind my custom sink is cut to fit foam board from the dollar store. I was happy with the end results. 

Nice shot of China cabinet with accessories. 

Vintage Print Ads: Dates Unknown

78?

1982?

I am unsure of the exact dates, but I would think the top ad is from sometime between 1982 and 1983. The lower ad I would guess '78-'80. I do like the layout of the house in the upper ad. 

Every time I go on to Pinterest I find yet another print ad!:

OOAK Custom Repaints: Purple and Lavender Barbie House

Wouldn't it be cool if they came in purple? Whoever did this refurb did an EXCELLENT job that even I approve of. I so love the attention to detail with the windows and the intensity of purple that was used for roof and floors. I'd have to say that this is my favorite all time OOAK custom repaint. A+++

Vintage Ads: 1981

Phasing Disco Barbie out, the colors on the house are sharp and saturated (what a refurbished one ought to look like),  no more patio triangles. =-( 

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

Blogger's Own: Furnished OOAK Green Repaint

As fans of the site may already know, I am not a huge (or even small) aficionado of the dolls. I did have my eye on this particular beauty. She is from the 007 line, its Solitaire from 'Live and Let Die' played by British actress Jane Seymour in 1973. She is the perfect doll for the green A Frame because orange is opposite to green on the color wheel, and my target period for the home is 1973, the exact year her style is from. Though I cringe at de-boxing Barbies, I was delighted to see she is very well made, the dress is very thin, but looks great so its ok and she has exquisite real eyelashes.

Anyhow, when designing the house I considered making the doors and some planter box flowers orange to contrast the green, it looked a bit too much like the Irish flag and ultimately I decided monochromatic was the way to go. But I still think she and the orange look fabulous and she was bought just for this house. Besides, she (newly christened, Brandy Eberhart) is a great hostess. Her husband, Mike, is away on business a lot and she loves to entertain. With the kids at boarding school keeping the house clean is a breeze. She is an expert cook and has an affinity for quality appliances. I think the ivory colored Sindy china is a welcome addition to the mix, there just wasnt any room for the matching dining set, even in this large a floor plan.

Book reading light from the dollar store, comes in several color choices. 

You know, Im kind of diggin the pink and green together, sort of reminds me of watermelon, but if anyone wants to make a green A Frame Barbie OOAK house with the entire line of pink furniture (since this is the only pink I own) and photograph that would be great. 

Would Rhoda move into this house? Something tells me she would, especially if there was a cute guy next door. Oftentimes when I am in a dilemma I ask myself, 'What would Rhoda do?'

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