Caroline’s Home – A Vintage Treasure in My Collection

 Hello Everyone,

How are you? I hope that your week is  good. As my glorious Summer is coming to an end, I am extremely busy preparing for the kids to go back to school, while preparing for the Dolls House Nederland Show in Arnhem. But it's not all doom and gloom. 

Every now and then, a very special dolls’ house finds its way into my collection; even when I’m not looking for one! Recently, I was lucky enough to acquire a Caroline’s Home dolls’ house from a lovely Maltese couple, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. 

Caroline’s Home was first introduced in 1975 by the British company A. Barton & Co. Known for their dolls’ house furniture, Barton created this charming line in 1:16 scale, which made it slightly smaller than the standard 1:12 collectors’ houses. Later, in the 1985, the Swedish company Lundby continued the production under their name, introducing even more accessories and the famous low-voltage lighting system.

What set Caroline’s Home apart at the time were its thoughtful details: working shutters, printed wallpapers, opening windows, and the possibility of adding electric lighting. These touches made it stand out as both a toy and a collector’s piece.

Older dolls’ houses carry with them a character and history that newer models simply cannot replicate. Their little marks, faded wallpapers, and quirky imperfections are part of their story. For me, renovation is not the game; preservation is. To over-restore would be to erase the very history that makes them so special. 

This particular house hardly needs any work at all. It just needs a touch of care on the windows and then it will be left as it is, a slice of the past perfectly preserved.

To make this house feel alive again, I’ve added some beautiful vintage furniture pieces that suit its period and scale. The 1:16 size has its own charm, and it’s been such a joy to dress the rooms with items that complement its history. Each little chair, table, or lamp adds to the atmosphere, making Caroline’s Home feel warm and inviting once more. I still need to add more furniture and definitely I need to fix the lighting system.

One of the most talked-about features of Caroline’s Home is its nursery wallpaper. Collectors will often smile when they remember the bold prints . In some houses, the nursery was decorated with oversized motifs of animals such as giant chickens and horses!  These quirky designs gave the dolls’ house an unforgettable personality and made it stand out from other models of the time.

Other charming details include:

• Back wall windows, unusual for many dollhouses.

• A distinctive copper strip lighting system (in the Lundby era) which allowed tiny plug-in lamps.

• A scale of 1:16, which meant specially made furniture which is smaller than standard 1:12, but full of character.

Caroline’s Home is more than just a dolls’ house ,  it’s a piece of toy history. From its origins in the Barton workshop in the UK to the hands of collectors like me today, it carries with it decades of stories, play, and memories.

Sometimes, the best treasures are the ones you don’t go looking for… they simply find you. 

I will be sharing more on Caroline's Home once I furnish it and add more details to it. This is all for today, Make sure to keep tuned for the next updates on the ongoing projects and the latest news.

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

Villa Marie - Albin Schönherr 1950's Dollshouse

Hello Everyone,

How are you? Hope you are all well.  You all know that at the end of January, when I went to the Dolls House & Miniature Fair in Expo Houten, I got this cute German Vintage dolls house 'Villa Marie'.

Villa Marie is an Albin Schönherr dolls house made in the early 1950's. Albin Schönherr worked for the manufacturer Moritz Gottschalk in Marienberrg in Germany in the late 1800's. In the year 1893 Albin Schönherr established his own dollshouse business in Niederlauterstein in Germany. 

Villa Marie is still in a mint condition considering it's age.  It still has it's original wall papers and flooring. The front decor is still intact. I assumed the previous owners tried to restore it by sanding down the sides of the little house and removed the original windows. Thank goodness that the damaged done with the attempt of the restorations is very minimal.

I will mildly try to restore it without destroying it's age and charm. I will try to make the windows myself,  keeping in mind that I will remain faithful to it's original windows.   

It's is a 1:16 scale dolls house, like most of the vintage dolls house of it's time. I had a stash of some vintage Barton, Lundby and Dol Toi furniture pieces that fitted in the little two roomed house perfectly. 

In the entrance you will find the living room with a sitting room set and kitchen area. 

On the top floor you will find the bed room.

In the little baby's cot there is a Vintage knitted miniature doll Frieda made by Annelies de Kort and Otto the antique Hertwig, tiny bisque teddy made in Germany.

Lotti the antique Hertwig doll will be living in this cute house. 

I think she looks very happy in her new home. 

I might be adding some more vintage accessories to it and see if I can add some lights to the house. I will keep you updated with the progress of the restoration once it is complete.

This is all for today. I hope you have enjoyed this cute vintage house. 

Take Care and See You Soon. 

Hugs, 

Rebecca xxx 

 

HoneyChurch - Victorian Dolls House Shop

 Hello Everyone,

Hope you are all having a great week. Have been busy as always with my miniature work and project. Today I wanted to share with you a new arrival to My Miniature World. A few days ago a Vintage Dollshouse has been added to my collection. 

I still can't believe that I finally found one. The HoneyChurch - Victorian Dollshouse Shop. I have been after one of these for years and out of no where I found one in a very good condition. 

This HoneyChurch dolls house first appeared in the late 1970's. I have to say that I am very happy with it, considering that it is in a very good condition and I found it at a very cheap price. 

One of the features that I love about this dolls house is the depth of its front. You have amply of space to add furniture and decorate with accessories at the front. 

All rooms are wall papered and flooring. Each room has a ceiling light which I haven't tried out.

The shop front is quite cute to with lots of space to work on. 

I will  be doing some small alternations and add more details to it.

Miss Holly had quite an interest in this project. I wonder what she has in mind.

She basically has already moved in to start some works and she wants to be settled for Christmas. 

I wonder what she has in mind but she looks very happy. She is also looking for a name for it and she has quite some interesting names.

This is all for today. I hope you like my new addition to the shop. Make sure to keep tuned for the next  updates. 

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

The Mouse House - Gee Bee DH8 Tudor Cottage

Hello Everyone,

Hope you are all well and doing fine.  I have been working further on my ongoing project 'Le Chateau' and have so much to show you.  But today I am going to share with you a side project that I will be working on in the next few weeks. 

In January, a very dear friend, gave me as a gift; this sweet vintage Gee Bee DH8 Tudor Cottage which I will name it, 'The Mouse House'. 

The Gee Bee DH8 Tudor Cottage appeared in their catalog back in 1964 and there has been quite a few versions of this tiny cottages.  From what I could find, my Tudor Cottage was one of the earliest versions. 

This little dwelling has quite a history and from what I could understand, it had already two masters before my friend had it. Unfortunately somewhere along the way the poor little thing wasn't left in it's original state and was painted over. 

The little house was wall papered with scrap book paper. It has a missing door and the missing metal stair case which I will be replacing some way on another. 

The house itself should have been a 1:16 scale but being so small I think I can also add a 1:24 scale furniture and accessories. 

The Residents of The Mouse House have already arrived. The two mice will be quite busy fixing up their new home.

I have to say I do have a soft spot for this little cottage, not only because it was gift from a very dear friend,  but because of the fact that the cottage and I had quite an adventure, the second that it was handed down to me.  Last January I had the opportunity to travel to The Netherlands once again and while being there, my dear friend gave me the little cottage to take with me back home. It was quite challenging and I wasn't sure if I would succeed. I wanted the little cottage to travel with me as hand luggage  being so fragile. It passed check-in, It passed security-check and also passed the boarding check. The little cottage sat on the empty seat next to me without any problem and arrived in Malta safe and sound in one piece. 

I am so looking forward to work on this side project. So make sure to keep tuned for the next updates. 

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

 

Vintage Pieces added to The Tudor Manor

 Hello Everyone,

How are you all? Hope you are all well. I am so excited to share with you a few vintage pieces that I found recently for my 1930's style Tudor Manor. 

The Tudor Manor is very close to my heart and I do enjoy adding vintage pieces when I find them. I found this 1930's Radio Transmitter complete with the head set and all. 

I was so lucky to find it and fitted nicely in the scene. To add to the little piece I found this German 1950's radio cabinet. I was thrilled to add it to the room. 

The radio cabinet once opened has the radio itself and a space where to put away the vinyl records.

 

I have added the gramphone's records with their covers to the cabinet and I will be making a few more. 

I am so happy with the new pieces added to the sitting room. 

I hope you liked the new additions. I can't wait to share with you the next updates of my project.

Take Care and See You Soon.

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx

Vintage Enna Baby Bath Set

 Hello Everyone,

How are you all? Hope you are all fine and that you enjoyed your weekend. Today I have something special to share with you that I received just a couple of days ago. 

I came across this beautiful vintage Enna Baby Bath complete Set. It's circa late 1930's, early 1940's. I couldn't resist it and I knew that baby Gloria that lives in the Tudor Manor would have loved it. 

 The Baby bath set includes a nappy changer that opens up to a small bath, a bucket where mummy would trow baby's soiled baby diapers; all set for boiling, a laundry box where we keep the baby's dirty clothes and a chamber pot. 

The bucket has it's own lid and the laundry box opens up too.

The nappy changer opens up into the baby's bath tub. Originally the stand would have closed once the bath was removed. 

I wasn't very sure about the scale of the set so I kindly asked Mrs Nobel to try the nappy changer for baby Gloria. Mrs Nobel was delighted with the set. It was perfect! She said that there would be no more back pains while washing and changing baby Gloria. 

The set fitted nicely in to the bathroom in the Tudor  which is exactly next to the baby's room so Mrs Nobel will find it easier with the baby.

Here are some pictures of the bathroom now.

This is all for today. I hope you like the new additions to the bathroom. Keep tuned for the next updates and ongoing news.

Take Care and See You Soon. 

Hugs,

Rebecca xxx