Hi my name is Lee, and I live in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, my main passion is collecting and restoring Vintage Triang Dolls Houses. Many of these dolls houses are well past there play by date, some just looking for a lick of paint and a freshen up, others had problems with wood worm and water damage. Each was a challenge and I learnt a few new skills and techniques along the way, like filling a gap made by woodworm with kitchen roll and glue, doing a bit of beam [brass] rubbing with pencil and paper. It was a bit like, make it up as I went along.
I love all things miniature, and admire the talented people who make them. I have had a go at most things, it is amazing how much you learn when decorating a dollshouse, from wallpapering to electrics, from fimo food to miniature hats, I’ve tried them all. The electrics I’ve masters, the fimo food, well I tried, wallpapering not bad, and miniature hats, the mad hatter would be impressed!
I have been collecting Triang furniture for some time now, it is quite difficult now to find the smaller and more unusual items. Jenny’s Home furniture also forms part of my collection, which I have found is much harder to find. It is interesting to see how the furniture had evolved over the years. Carolines Home by AB Barton is also furniture which I collect, concentrating on the items in the 1976 catalogue. I was lucky enough to find a shop display of Lundby furniture [2004] at a car boot sale, it was all fixed in place, never been played with.
Over the years, I have collected odd pieces of dolls house furniture, none of which had any great value, they were just stored in a draw. [The thought as usual, they might come in useful one day.] After distressing some full size furniture of my own, and having some chalk paint left over, I thought I would have a go at distressing some of my unused dolls house furniture, I was very pleased with the result. You can see the results at ~ ‘ A Miniature Slice of Time.
I hope you enjoy reading about my restoration projects, feel free to comment or contact me [shedonthepond@gmail.com]. I am not an expert by any means, but I may be able to point you in the right direction.