Lines DH 12

DH/12, 1924-1940. Dimensions: 46.5 inches [116.5 cm] wide, 18 inches [45 cm] deep and 42 inches [105 cm] high (until 1927) OR 48 inches [120 cm] wide, 19 inches [48 cm] deep and 41 inches [122.5 cm] high (from 1928). from Dolls houses past and present website

 This is how it was when I got it. Huge, abused and very much in need of some love and attention. I bought it from Kevin Taylor who has numerous beautiful houses - it was such fun to be shown around his collection. To say I was green with envy is no understatement. I had so much fun that I returned a while later to collect a DH3 and a DH11. I've added a short video of when I first opened it up, excuse my voice, I sound much more silly than I really am ... I hope.

It needed a lot of attention, the roof had been painted a nasty red, the interior was just a shell but the bones were there and the bits that were missing were easily rebuilt. the first job was to treat it for woodworm, they were no longer active but I always do it as a precaution before I do anything else.

The interior was a blank canvas, everything painted stark white. the picture above was taken after I painted the ceilings antique white which I find so much more easier on the eye than brilliant white. The exterior rough cast also painted in glaring white emulsion. 

There was some damage to the base of the chimney where it had been sitting in a damp place for too long. A bit of glue soon sorted that. The ply wood had separated at the opposite end to the chimney so we removed the top layer which was too far gone and reglued the remaining sheets.

Then I toned down the glaring red chimney to the lovely chestnut colour you can see in the photo. This work all takes place on the breakfast bar in my kitchen, causing chaos for weeks on end. John made a dormer which was missing from the house and i had great fun making up a splodgy mix of paint and pva for a rough cast finish to match the rest of the house. the windows took weeks. Most of them were missing so we made replicas from wood until such time as originals turn up. From a distance you can barely tell they aren't metal so it doesn't bother me. 

I had one pair of shutters left over from another restoration so I photocopied and printed them, pasted them to cardboard and you have to look closely to distinguish them from the originals. John made a replica smaller chimney and tada! exterior was done. 

Now for the fun part. I buy my paper from Thedollshouseman on Ebay who supplies replica Triang papers. they are great quality and I like to restore the Lines/Triang houses as closely to original as I can on my meagre budget.

The photos were taken half way through dressing the rooms, I will update them soon now the rooms are filling up.

In the end after worrying about where I would fit such a  big house in, I moved my big Tudor house up to the dressing room and put this one in its place in the study where it fits perfectly. I still have to add more items to it but that is the fun, discovering treasures and adding them to the houses bit by bit, little by little.

It is ready for another 100 years of play now.