Clarkson Craftsman Cottage, A Modified Laser Dollhouse Design 1:24 Kit
The Clarkson Craftsman half scale kit by Dollhouse Laser Designs measures 15" wide x 10" deep x 12" high. It is a four room house complete with windows, doors and a staircase that fits the Craftsman era.
Landscaping Added
I have been planning this house for months before actually tackling it. The most challenging part of the project was establishing a critical path. I build half scale houses from the inside out. I dry fit, wallpaper and paint before assembly, so deciding which part to address first was critical. After dry fitting the house, I found the pieces came together so tightly that taking them back apart was difficult. So I did something totally new with this build. After wallpapering and painting, I dry fitted the first floor and then spread the thin line of glue to the joints. I spread the glue into the joints with my finger. I've always put glue on the pieces and then assembled them, but this worked so well, I plan to use the method again. I'm not sure it would work with 1:12 kits, but Laser Design cuts their pieces so precisely, it works great with their half scale kits.
Rafters were added to the roof peak.
I added a foundation and paneling and trim on the interior. The stonework was done in Paperclay.
Furnished interior
I finally hung the bamboo blinds.
The wallpapers in the house were printed from my computer using real sized Craftsman wallpapers as a prototype. The flooring was also computer printed.
Kitchen
Parlor
Bedroom
French door glass was "frosted" to give the bathroom more privacy.
A mirror, toilet paper holder and rug will be added to the bathroom.
The staircase that came with the kit was perfect for the style. During assembly, I did something unusual on this half scale Laser Design dollhouse. I always dry fit pieces together first, but the pieces fit together so precisely and tight, they were difficult to pull back apart to glue. I marked each wall so I would know which wallpaper to use for each room piece, then I took the house back apart. I wallpapered and painted them and did another dry fit for the first floor. I ran a thin line of glue to secure the dry fit pieces for the first floor after it was assembled, then ran my finger along the line to remove any excess glue and to press it into the seams. I continued this process for the remaining floor. It worked so well, I may try it again!