Building and decorating dollhouses is a wonderful hobby, but many dollhouses are actually quite big and finding somewhere suitable to display them in your home can be a challenge.
The best place to display a dollhouse is on a table solid enough to take its weight – you can check this by weighing your dollhouse and checking the maximum table load weight when buying a display table. If children are going to play with it, or if you have pets, then attach the dollhouse to the table so it can’t be pulled over. You can put a turntable or Lazy Susan on top of the table to make it easier to access the dollhouse from every angle.
In this blog post I look into where to keep a dollhouse and share some ideas for the best place to display one.
5 Things to consider before buying a dollhouse display stand
- How much does your dollhouse weigh?
Dollhouses, particularly ‘glue and nail’ kit houses made from MDF, can be extremely heavy. You can find out more about the different dollhouse kits available, including what materials they’re made from, in my post The Best Dollhouse Kits: Beginner’s guide to choosing a dollhouse kit.
You’ll need to weigh your dollhouse and look up the maximum load for the table to check it’ll be strong enough to hold it.
Many furniture retailers list the maximum load in the furniture specifications. If you’re buying second-hand this can be trickier to work out. Look for a table that has thick, strong legs and table aprons (the vertical bits of wood between the legs) as these tend to make tables sturdier. Tables made from hardwood are usually stronger than softwood or wood veneer, but they are also more expensive, although if you consider how priceless a dollhouse is, it might be worth spending a little more!
Another thing to consider is that undecorated and unfurnished dollhouses weigh much less than finished ones, so take this into account when looking at the maximum load for tables. If your unfinished dollhouse is already approaching the maximum load amount, then consider buying a table that can take more weight.
2. How big is your dollhouse?
1/12 scale dollhouses can be huge, so make sure you measure your dollhouse base carefully before investing in a table to ensure you don’t buy one too small. If your dollhouse has features that overhang the base of the house, such as a balcony, then include this in your measurement, otherwise your dollhouse might be more likely to tip over if the table is too small.
1/24 scale dollhouses are generally easier to display as they’re much smaller and lighter, so are a great choice if you’re really short of space.
3. Will you need to bolt the dollhouse to the display stand?
If children will be playing with the dollhouse, or if you have pets, it’s a good idea to fix the dollhouse to the table so it doesn’t topple over if pulled. Children can be keen climbers too, so fixing your dollhouse down will mean that if they decide to scale it, the dollhouse won’t fall on them.
Hardwood and softwood tables will be relatively easy to drill into. Tables not made of solid wood need extra care, for example, the LACK tables from IKEA are made of particleboard and contain a honeycomb filling – see this picture for a look inside the table. So this means if you do want to attach your dollhouse, you’d need to drill into the corners of the table, or choose a table made of solid wood instead.
Many tables come with small brackets to fix them to the wall which will also help reduce the risk of the table and dollhouse being pulled over.
4. Will you add a garden to your dollhouse?
Many people like to add outside areas to their dollhouses. If this is something you’re thinking of doing, make sure you take in to account the extra space you’ll need to accommodate a base when buying your table.
5. Can you attach the dollhouse to the wall?
Small, lightweight dollhouses can be attached directly to the wall, such as the IKEA FLISAT dollhouse for kids.
Some adult dollhouse kits are designed to be attached to a wall, but you must follow the instructions exactly to avoid potential disaster. Greenleaf’s McKinley dollhouse kit below is a stunning kit which can be attached directly to a wall and features handy storage drawers at the bottom of the house.
The problem with displaying children’s dollhouses on the floor
Often the problem for kids’ dollhouses is that they are too low for children to reach the bottom rooms comfortably if they’re displayed on the floor, and too high to reach the top floor if they’re displayed on a table or chest of drawers.
We have a dollhouse that’s kept on the floor and it’s not ideal for my children to play with as the only way they can reach the interior is to crouch or lay down. They’re quite happy doing this, but when I play with them it’s a bit of a squeeze! Storing dollhouses on the floor can make the inside seem darker too as not as much natural light can reach the lower floors in particular.
Choosing the right table to display a dollhouse on
Displaying a dollhouse on a table means that can children reach it more easily. Even if children won’t be playing with your dollhouse, displaying off the ground makes it easier to see inside and I know from renovating a dollhouse that this is where much of the hard work takes place!
Coffee tables or side tables are the ideal height as they raise the dollhouse off the floor but not so high that kids can’t reach. Another advantage of using a table is that you can store extra furniture and accessories in a basket or box under the table. Or if you’re still in the process of working on your dollhouse, you can store your crafting products under the table so they’re to hand when you need them.
Coffee tables from the IKEA LACK range are a great size for many dollhouses and are affordable too. The potential downside is these tables are very light, so are best suited to smaller, lighter dollhouses.
TV cabinets are another great option for dollhouse tables as they’re designed to hold a lot of weight and come with built in storage for extra accessories or dollhouse crafting supplies. TV cabinets often turn up in second-hand shops or places like Freecycle, Gumtree and Craig’s List.
Sewing machine tables can also hold a lot of weight and a vintage one would be a beautiful addition to any room. However, displaying dollhouses on a sewing machine table will mean they’re too high for children to access, but they are a great choice as a workstation when you’re building your dollhouse.
Although they don’t come up as often as TV cabinets, you might find a sewing machine stand in a second-hand shop, online, or even in an antiques shop or at auction.
Dollhouse display tables with wheels
If you want to move your dollhouse and table around, then you can attach casters to the bottom of the table legs to make the dollhouse portable. Choosing heavy duty casters with brakes, such as these from Amazon, will ensure they can support the weight of your dollhouse and the table, and can be locked in place to avoid any accidents. If you’re worried about the casters marking your floor, then choose some with rubber wheels.
You could buy a trolley that already has wheels, there’s a fantastic printer trolley on Amazon which is just the right height for kids to play with dollhouse and has a handy storage rack underneath.
Having a portable dollhouse stand means that you can move it about more easily and save yourself from backache as dollhouses are heavy!
Turntable display stands for dollhouses
Turntables are a must for displaying rear opening dollhouses, without one, you will have to manually turn your dollhouse around every time you want to look inside it. Dollhouses are often heavy and awkward to move so you can avoid hurting your back and knocking everything over inside the dollhouse by using a turntable.
Dollhouse turntables consist of two pieces of wood (usually MDF) with a steel turntable between them. You can either attach the turntable to the base of your dollhouse and then attach it to the table, or display your dollhouse without attaching it. If you have pets or children, or a particularly large dollhouse then it’s best to attach the house to the turntable, and the turntable to the table top.
Dollhouse specialists Real Good Toys sell turntables specially made for dollhouses which you can see in the image below, and the website has full instructions for how to assemble the turntable here.
Other turntable options include swivel TV stands, such as this bamboo TV stand from Amazon, which would be ideal for displaying a small dollhouse. A Lazy Susan will also work well as a dollhouse turntable and they are readily available from hardware and home stores, check out this Lazy Susan for sale on Etsy at a great price. As with tables, don’t forget to check the maximum load weight for the turntable before you buy.
You could make your own turntable and if you have a particularly large dollhouse, this might be the best option. This video below has a great tutorial on how to make a turntable if you do decide to make one yourself. For the metal turntable ring, try Miniatures.com as this shop sells one with fantastic reviews for just $12.99.
TOP TIP: Take into account the size of the turning circle you’ll need for your dollhouse. Turntables need room to turnaround, so you’ll need to make sure the table your dollhouse is on is far enough away from the wall so it can turn smoothly without hitting the wall.
One final word on dollhouse turntables, if you want to make a retro turntable then this edition of Popular Mechanics from 1954 has some charming instructions.
If you decide not to display your dollhouse and want to put it in storage, read this blog for tips How To Store A Dollhouse: From antiques to kids’ toys.