FIL is going to make DD a dolls house - but I have to design/specify it..

[stealthsquiggle]

FIL is a retired cabinet maker and (at our prompting) has offered to make DD a dolls house for her 3rd birthday - which is over a year away

I want it to be something she can play with immediately but keep forever, IYSWIM. FIL has asked for specifications, dimensions, etc - has anyone got any brilliant plans / pictures / sites I can point him to?

TIA

[MatNanPlus]

Buy & Download Plans

More with a lovely basement addition on here

[stealthsquiggle]

Thanks for that - do you have any direct experience of either of these?

Prior to the lightning bolt which connected us trying to think of something for FIL to make for DD (DS has a fab playtable made by him) and me looking at dolls houses in catalogues and thinking "DD would like those" I was thinking in terms of fairly modern looking ones - what I want is to define the scale such that we can pick a nice range of 3yo-proof furniture, dolls, etc and ask everyone else to get her bits and pieces to go in it. It's balancing the "treasure forever" bit with her having something she can actually play with at 3 which is going to be tricky, I think.

[Legoleia]

Can't you go into ELC etc, and measure theirs?

or use the measurements of one you love? I love these if it helps!

[Legoleia]

Sorry, I meant to explain...

...because then you know that you can buy furniture from these places and it will be the right size!

[MatNanPlus]

Nope StealthS not used them but are standard 1/12th so all d-h furniture should fit, as to said fixtures being 3yo proof that i can't determine tho it is the type of gift that is good for gift buyers.

[stealthsquiggle]

Getting ideas here - this is good - especially to know that 1/12 scale is standard. I am beginning to wonder - if I gave him the scale - maybe I could get him to make our house - we have floor plans....

I was thinking this sort of furniture would work, to start with at least.

[stealthsquiggle]

sneaky bump - and look at this

[MatNanPlus]

Fab to the furniture, have seen it in use, nice.

how much, no way, tho like your idea of having your house as the design, i know a friend who had a animal shed made to mimic their house

[madrose]

my Dad is doing exactly the same thing, we decided on the 1/12th as you can get so much to go in it. We've choosen a 'house' that could double up as a shop, as it has large bay windows, we could also get the basement for it if need be.

He is having a great time building it and painting it, and is putting all the electrics in. We're going for just basic furniture at the moment as DD is 3, but the idea is that as she gets over updating the inside will make great christmas/birthday presents.

Also it is something that she can keep forever, as granddad made it.

plus i get to play with