Planning out the new Dollhouse! 

Hi, great plan. When doing the walls make sure to have one of them if not both with a hollow to place all the wiring for the ceiling lights and the wall plugs and switches to run through out the house from top to bottom. Build a shelf under the table to house all of the batteries or the power board there rather than in the attic. Best thing I find is to have multiple floor plans drawn up. The 1st one is just the floor plans for each level and how many rooms on each of them. 2nd do each room to the actually size so that you can plan out the layout of the furniture and if you are doing lamps for the bedside table, dressing table or desk or a standard lamp next to a chair, this will give you an idea of where the wall sockets will go and the light switch for turning on the ceiling light. This leads you into a 3rd floor plan based on all of the wiring that’s going to be needed through out the whole house for every electrical appliance and light plus lamps. Like the light in the fridge that turns on when you open the door, or the oven light so that you can see what is cooking. The microwave light that comes on when you open the door or are cocking something in it. Are there cabinet lights to light up if the pantry is opened or under the wall cupboards to light up the bench. Or are there glass cabinets to display fancy dishes with lights inside. Then there are the lights used in the bathrooms, are there lights around the mirrors for the ladies to put on their makeup, sockets for the hairdryer or to charge the electric razor and other gadgets used in the area. Planing out each room on their own plan sheet also helps with placing the furniture and other little items in each room. Like in the living room are there fancy cabinets with glass shelves so that light at the top shines through all of the shelves. Are there wall sockets or floor sockets due to the open plan between the living room and kitchen. Once all of that has been worked out this will give you what is needed for each of the rooms for the wiring within the walls so that none of the wiring is visible within the rooms but hidden behind the walls and between the ceiling of the downstairs rooms and the flooring of the next floor level. Do you want all the wiring leading up to the attic or down to be placed under the table out of sight. I have seen so many dollhouses being pulled apart at the last minute because the wiring and lighting was missed at the start of the plans. I learnt this in my first year at collage when designing homes, the number of rooms were planed out, from there the rooms were labeled as to what they are, which then led into the wiring for each room. Some rooms needed more wiring than others so you needed to know how thick each wall needed to be to handle the load, which also led into the plumbing. When there is a second floor bathroom it is always placed above the downstairs bathroom so that the toilets are using the same waste pipe which is seperate from the showers, baths and sinks waste pipes they don’t share the same waste pipes until they are underground away from the house and the water waste then runs into the sewerage waste. I know this is something that is not needed in a doll house but if you are looking at it as being based on a real home then it’s best to follow the correct order of the layout so that it does not look odd. The ground floor is the one that can have the kitchen at the opposite end of the house to bathrooms. If you did have each bedroom with their own bathrooms they would be placed back to back to each other with all the plumbing heading in the direction of the downstairs bathroom not the kitchen unless it had a toilet which would be very odd indeed😹😹 side note many old houses would place a toilet under the ground floor stairs as it was a waisted space but was just big enough to have a loo in a convenient place for guests to use. And if you had a 3rd level and the stairs layout was accessible a 2nd toilet would be added under them as well if the bathrooms to each bedroom was only for washing only they had a shared loo on each floor.

I wish I had your skill in designing as such on paper, and then with cardboard! Visualizing anything 3 dimensionally is such an epic challenge for me! I seem to “get by” more with trial and error (more emphasis on error!!!). I can’t wait to see you build this house! Thanks, Kathleen

with it planned out on paper you get to make measuring errors before they happen with the project. so overthink away. i am looking forward to your build.

Really looking forward to seeing it come together

A thought: make the floors separate, so you can lift off second floor to see first floor

Planning, planning, and more planning! It's absolutely unending and still there is always something that decides, on it's own, to go completely rogue! LOL 😂 As I was looking at your plans and listening as you described your home, I heard you say that people wander and ask 'why such a big house', and sometimes want to be snarky about dreams and ideas that really don't concern them. And that's just the point, it's your house and you can do and have whatever you want in your house! There were a couple of other things that I noticed and I wondered if you had thought them. I also remember you commenting on the number of bathrooms and you felt you needed to reduce their number, but I have an idea that may help you incorporate at least a few. There is one bathroom on the main floor, the one in the master BR and another all the way upstairs, so guests would either need to trapes through your BR, your personal space or go up a flight of stairs to use the restroom. I wouldn't want someone in my personal space and I wouldn't want them to have to rush up a flight of stairs, especially with kids or older, or with physical issues. I was wondering if you've heard of a Jack and Jill bathroom? That's what a bathroom shared between two bedrooms, each with their own entrance is called in America. I don't know if they are called by another name in Canada or not. And there is also space to be had on the main floor for a 1/2 bath or powder room. The Jack and Jill's could very easily be placed between each of the guest rooms, and use only an 8'ft x 8'ft section of space, and use just a 4'ft x 8'ft portion of each of the 4 rooms and each of the entrances could be pocket doors so not to take up any floor area. An additional full or 1/2 bath could be placed on the 2nd floor in the lounge space. A small wet/coffee bar with a mini fridge and microwave, and a couple of cabinets and drawers can also be placed in that space and there still be gobs and oodles of room for seating, television, reading area, and have a larger opening for the stairs for additional head room. The area can still be open to the great room below with some really beautiful tray ceiling around the great room perimeter with recessed lighting and beautiful wood railing. The powder room downstairs could be located where the 'his' part of the closet is. That would require a short hallway be made with the MBR entrance at it's end. The closet space remaining is still quite large and open to the en suite, with an organization unit to maximize storage. Concerning the staircase; the space created on the entry side could be configured for a coat and shoe closet and additional storage. The study side of the staircase could be configured to give an alcove for a reading or relaxing nook and a pocket door could be used here as well to conserve floor space. I'm almost certain just by reading this post fully understanding what I'm trying to explain is almost impossible and it doesn't give the accuracy and full description I'd like to give and be able to show you. If any of what I've written might be something you'd want to consider I could email you a picture of the floor plan I penciled out. I hope you don't think I'm trying to be weird or hijack your house plans. I just had some thoughts as to how you could have some of the bathrooms you were talking about without hindering the flow of the house or removing something you might not want too. And I hope I haven't offended you in any way. I love your ideas and your builds are so beautiful and your videos are so easy to follow and understand. ❤

I built a dollhouse that opens on front and back. It is doable. The front door opens all floors at once while the back has a door for each floor. I'm so glad you are actually going to share the BUILDING OF THE HOUSE with us. That is not done much on any channel except for Ara Bentley, I think. This is exciting.

I just found your channel and can't wait to see this build in progress

Well, if Barbie can have a "dream house" perhaps you can. "Penny's Dream House." On a different note, what a concept. You actually think in advance where you are going to store this house??!! Wish I'd done that. They are all over the house where ever I can fit them. So glad you are starting a new project. Loved the chair and ottoman.

I just was gifted a 1: 12 scale dol house kit to build. Been wanting one for years. So at 69yrs I'm building my first dolls house.

Just found your channel last night. Have watched Bentley House Minis since beg ofi COVID, don’t why RU-vid was sooo slow to make the connection. Totally get the idea of entertaining/hosting family and friends!

What is the planning paper you are using in this planning and were do you get it please? I too am a floor plan dreamer and would love this paper pad...oh, I see the Stampin Up logo in the top corner ! Lol what a great use of their paper pad !

Hi Penny. What a beautiful plan layout. Your little model was such a great idea to help you spot any issues. I am so excited to watch this build. You are an amazing artist. I enjoy watching your videos. Thank you for helping me with the measurements on the dresser for your homestead house. I love the way you build.

House name idea. Penny’s Dream House. Like a take on Barbie’s Dream House.

I put bay windows in the dollhouse door in two different houses. So I could have the projection outward without the door hitting anything. If could send pictures if that would help.

I was also thinking about making my own dollhouse but as a apartment 6 apartment unit

Hello Penny, la rêverie (the daydream) is my suggestion for the house name. My comments on the house layout (and this is from one who has built then remodelled, or built and then demolished several dream houses)are this; Stairs, stairs, stairs, stairs, stairs. They are the bane of my life. They always take up too much room, they are an absolute nightmare to figure out, and a short road to insanity to build. In my experience, I plan the layout, as you’ve done, and then calculate where and how the stairs are going to work. I can see you’re going to have problems because the space you’ve allocated for the stairs on the first floor is just not gonna work. Your guests will have to double up and crawl up the last steps as you’ve not left enough headroom. If this were my house, and my dream house, I would forget about the stairs and install a fancy glass lift. Your guests will love it. One last thing, no one’s gonna be happy sharing a bathroom with about eight others. You’ve just got to give each room an en suite. I know it’s tough, but at this planning stage I think it’s just a bullet you’re gonna have to bite. Couldn’t you build a false wall at the back of each room with a door leading into the bathroom, left just ajar, so you can just glimpse the bathroom setup beyond? Other than that, I LOVE everything you’ve done so far, and look forward to the next episodes. Back to my build now, I’m trying to get a walk in pantry underneath my newly built stairs ❤