KittyKatt's Dolls House Project

The sitting room is relatively small. It's narrower than the kitchen, and also has to accommodate the stairs. The combination of these factors has been somewhat of a challenge when furnishing this room! The fireplace is by Dol-Toi, made of plaster, which has been painted. It dates to the 1950s - these plaster fireplaces are becoming increasingly rare, as they often shatter when dropped! The clock is made by Barton and dates to the 1950s. If you look carefully at the clock face, you will see the letters ABC, which stand for "A Barton and Company". This hat and coat stand is a lovely piece made by Barton in the 1950s. If you look carefully, you will see an umbrella and a copy of The Times in one of the pockets. The other pocket holds a copy of Punch (a satirical magazine, now sadly no more). This little table is made by Dol-Toi, probably in the 1950s or 1960s. The little bottle and glass are unbranded, but are surprisingly heavy, so obviously made from metal (possibly lead?...

The kitchen is a collection of pieces mostly by Barton and Dol-Toi, but also from other manufacturers like Barrett and DCMT. The sink unit is an early (1940s?) Dol -Toi piece. The taps are wood, which may be "clunky", but haven't got broken off over the years like so many of the lead /plastic taps.   This 1940s washing machine and mangle was made by Barrett & Sons. It's in good condition for its age, with not too much chipping and a nice blue marble effect original bowl & the original lid. The mangle also still turns...  On the back of the washing machine is the Barrett stamp - a capital  B, with London, England around the outside.  This 1940s die cast  gas cooker was made by Crescent, using mould tools made by DCMT. The Die Cast Machine Tools Company (DCMT ~1939-1983), started out just before World War Two, manufacturing diecasting machines and equipment. Before they started manufacturing toys in their own right under the "Lone Star " toy brand. ( ...

  The pink bathroom suite is made by Barton from plastic, and dates to the 1960s (possibly 1964?). I wanted a reasonably authentic bathroom that was in good condition, and still reasonably priced.  The set still has all its original taps,  the toilet still has its seat and lid intact, and the handle of the flush mechanism still works.  This was the era when coloured bathrooms were becoming popular.  The dolls house bathroom suites of the 1950s and earlier were often made from plaster (which often broke when dropped, so not many remain in good condition,) wood or metal. These are also hard to find in good condition  at a reasonable price. I suspect this could be because many small owners wanted to make things more "authentic" by filling everything with water!  The laundry bin is probably also made by Barton, around 1970. The pale pink towel rail is by Dol Toi, dating to around 1960, and is made from metal with wooden "feet". The little blue and pink to...

  Bedroom #1 This collection is mostly early Barton, the dressing table and chest of drawers have the typical larger knobs of the earlier ranges, and the chest of drawers  has a rather attractive slightly bow front. The beds are made by Barton, although the bedding is new! ( But the bedding has utilised fabrics such as vintage lace for the trim of the pillowcases and sheets for a more authentic look). The wardrobe is almost certainly early DolToi. (It's made of solid wood and has the wooden back. Not everything got stamped with the company stamp, and labels have a tendency to fall off / be picked off over the years!) The clock dates to the late 1940s/ early 1950s and I think is probably Dol Toi, although there's no stamp or label (not surprising on something that tiny!). Interestingly, when I visited P and C,  I noticed C had the "real size" clock this model clock was obviously  based on, on her sideboard, which when I admired it, she said was a wedding present back ...