The Dollhouse, Part II

Now that we've relaxed in the living room, I'll give you a quick tour of the dining room and kitchen. You can see the rooms are a little small, but for the three of us we have plenty of space to maneuver and gather comfortably. Because of the space, I opted for a very informal, almost Grandma-esque dining space. You may recognize this table from a previous post, I bought it from a neighbor down the street for $40 at her garage sale. I spruced it up and further "cutsied" it with some flat, eggshell paint and some toile fabric stretched over the seats.

I looked high and low for the proper China hutch to display my favorite antique dishes, but I also needed something to set my microwave on as I am so very limited in counter top space in the kitchen. My hutch is the only thing downstairs (electronics being the only exception) that I bought brand new. It was a tough pill to swallow- nearly $170, but nothing I found would suit the space, the decor, or the need to hold my microwave. Oddly enough, I have a hutch just like this in New Mexico. It's waiting to make the move with so much else we still have stored out there, but I couldn't wait any longer and urgently needed a microwave stand.

(Pictured below) I found the wallpaper border at Ollies, and for 99 cents a roll, I couldn't pass it up. The print I have hanging in the entryway is practically a larger version of this, so it made for a great "introduction" piece to the dining room. I love whimsical folk art, although it's difficult to really see in this picture. The plate racks were a Freecycle find, and the yellow plates were 25 cents each at Goodwill. I swap the plates with the seasons, so pretty soon I'll be displaying some thrifted Christmas plates and storing these ones until next spring.


The print hanging on the wall was $8 from Goodwill, and if you're thinking it looks a little small and a little too formal, you would be correct. I needed something in this space, so until I find a more appropriate replacement, it will have to do. My favorite print EVER is one from Home Interiors that I received as a gift about 10 years ago, and it too is packed away in storage. It would be a perfect fit on this wall, and I'm always keeping an eye out for another one.


In addition to the out-of-place picture, the simple swag curtains that I have hanging here and in the kitchen are also temporary. ($2 at Gabriel Brothers, so no major investment here) I have my eye on some gingham-checked burgundy and cream-colored cafe curtains, but I'm waiting for a sale or a miracle. They are at Altmeyer's, and so far the lowest I've ever seem them (during a "blowout sale") was $65 per pair. Ouch. Oh how I fantasize about them... the color and style are a perfect match. Perhaps one of these days I'll stop being so cheap and buy them! :)

Here you can see my favorite dishes, so proudly displayed atop the China hutch. You can also see better the border. The "glowing" pumpkins were yet another freebie courtesy of Freecycle- still in the packaging from someones unwanted QVC purchase.

My dollhouse kitchen is quaint, functional, and nicely put together. My baker's rack was one of those "once in a lifetime" finds- I paid a whopping $20 for it at a local thrift store. The items on it change with the seasons.

I HATED the vinyl flooring that was in the kitchen when we moved in. It was yellowing, scratched, and otherwise a complete eyesore. Thanks to a wonderful landlord and a handy husband, I now have a faux slate tiled floor in a warm brown hue. Because the kitchen is so white, the contrast in color was very welcoming.

I realize the wallpaper border in the kitchen isn't too easy to see from these pictures. It's a merry strand of Gingerbread men gaily prancing around the kitchen, and again at 99 cents per roll at Ollies, it had to be mine. I have a thing for gingerbread men, and even though you may automatically associate them with Christmas, this border is not Christmasey at all. Although the week after Thanksgiving I will be breaking out the Christmas stuff, and naturally Gingerbread men and women will run amok everywhere, so the border looks even more at home this time of year.

Well, this concludes our downstairs tour of the Dollhouse! The bedrooms upstairs are still being transformed- my son's room seems to constantly change as he gets older. But I have some wonderful and inexpensive things to share... so stayed tuned for the continuation of our tour!