Determining Your Dollhouse’s Space and Scale

In starting your own dollhouse collection, there is more than deciding the items that you would like to collect. It is a must for every collector to think of how much available space they have before determining the dollhouse scale. The scale affects how large or small the dollhouse will be and how it will fit in the room where it will be showcased for display.

 

Dollhouses differ not only in architectural styles, but also in the range or standard scales or sizes. It is vital in dollhouse collecting that you decide on particular scales because this will also be the basis of the dollhouse furniture that you will place in the interior. Before investing in a dollhouse, you should understand the different scales available and pick the scale that best fit your collection and skills.

To those who are not fully aware what is Scale in relation to dollhouses, the Scale is the ratio used to relate smaller to larger sized objects. The first scaled dollhouse was the Queen Mary's Dollhouse designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.

 

Queen Mary’s Dollhouse

Standardized modern dollhouse scales include 1:6, 1:12, 1:16, 1:24 and 1:48; antique dollhouses on the other hand are often custom sized.

• 1:6 (The Fashion Doll Scale or Playscale)

This is the scale best for Barbie and your Barbie doll house furniture. It is the common scale designed to be an abode for fashion dolls like Barbie and Ken. Playscale is the largest among the dollhouse scales with a ratio of 1:6. One foot in a play scale is equivalent to 6 feet in the regular measurement.

• 1:12 (One Inch to One Foot Scale or Full Scale)

The most popular scale for collectors is the full scale. It measures with a ratio of 1:12 that means 1 inch is equivalent to 12 inches in the real world. The 1:12 scale is a widely accepted scale and it is not difficult to find miniature furniture to match this dollhouse size. It was the chosen scale for Queen Mary's Dollhouse, the first scaled dollhouse.

• 1:16 (3/4 Scale)

The 1:16 or the ¾ scale is an odd size in the market of miniature collectibles and it is quite difficult to find. It is a popular dollhouse scale in the 1930's to 1950's and revived by a toy company or their new range of modern dollhouses and toys. Using this scale, one inch is equals 16 inches on the real item, or 3/4 inch equals 1 foot.

• 1:24 (Half Scale)

The half scale as the name suggest is the half of the full scale. It is the scale popular in UK and other European countries. The good thing about this scale is that it is also popular for other miniatures like train sets and car die cast models. In space consideration, this is suggested for collectors who wanted to create a scene with different buildings, or a scene that depicts real-life situations.

• 1:48 (Quarter Scale)

The quarter scale is a smaller scale, and though there are plenty of available dollhouses using this measurement, it is best used as a décor than something to play with.