A dollhouse that lights up has always been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. One of the wonderful features about miniature dollhouses that have been completed, electrified and furnished, is the ability to see inside through the windows into magical illuminated spaces that give the impression a tiny functional family lives within.
As I mentioned previously, I really want to create a dollhouse that is more modern, has a bit of a farmhouse flare and is as realistic as I can possibly get. In order to do that, I knew that I had to electrify the house (all three floors) and that it would be an interesting process as I have never added that feature to my previous houses. In addition, many of the lights that are sold now have tiny batteries that allow for much easier installation.
To begin, I drew a plan of where I wanted the chandeliers and sconces to be located throughout the house. For this interior space, I began working with the kitchen as that would also be the entry point for the electricity that would run throughout the structure. After marking each location, I got to work and installed the main electrical box. I made sure to be very careful and to not hammer it so hard that the interior wires would be damaged and afterwards I proceeded to add the electrical tape that would run to the kitchen. This initial connection, with brass eyelets, allowed me to check to see if everything was working correctly.
After confirming, I continued to add the tape to the locations where I needed it, overlapping the previous tape at the corners and testing each section along the way. The Cir Kit included a small booklet that provided great step by step directions that allowed me to ensure everything was working as it should. I purchased the large dollhouse Cir Kit set which included the testing probe I used to confirm success each time.
The process was a long one and could be quite frustrating when the small brass eyelets wouldn’t go into the walls or floors but it was completely worth it at the end. I know that some dollhouse builders tend to electrify the house and then install all of the lights prior to moving on to another aspect of the design work in the house, but I tend to work room by room. In this case I am focusing on the farmhouse inspired kitchen and eat in dining area (check out my inspiration here). As a result I only purchased the chandeliers and sconces needed for this particular space as well as all of the other materials for this room.
I successfully tested out the first pendant light above the future island. Very exciting! Testing out each light and confirming how I would connect them was very important prior to installing the ceiling and “shiplap”. I wanted to make sure I knew exactly where I would need to make cuts and whether or not the electrical connections could still be made with the bat and board that I was installing on the ceiling.
Thankfully it worked out well and I now have working lights! Not all the lights that I planned stayed in the space but the kitchen is officially well lit! This kitchen is going to be pretty awesome.
Above is a sneak peak of the kitchen cabinets, island and built in bench area that I am working on as next steps. I essentially build a mini mood board when I work on each room to ensure that my design is cohesive and that my vision makes sense. It also forces me to commit to my idea prior to actually making the next purchase.
Until next time!
Mildred
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