home renovation

When I was growing up I would spend many hours playing with this dollhouse, arranging the tiny gifts around the Christmas tree, smoothing the sheets of the bed, setting the table with miniature dishes. Technically it was my dollhouse, but it was so large it was kept in my Grandmother's dressing room for safekeeping.

It is a unique piece, made for the daughter of the CO at Bremerton Naval Shipyard by the workers there in about 1932. Every time I look at the little fixtures in the bathroom and the stone fireplace I think of the gentle hands of the men who made it. The little girl, Augusta Boatwright grew up and gave it to my great aunt for her two little girls, Ann and Katherine. They didn't have any children so my Grandmother rescued it out of the basement, hosed it down and asked some folks who rehabbed dollhouses for help. They lovingly painted and papered the walls, stained the floors, and painted some of the furniture. My mother cross stitched rugs and coverlets and my auntie Ellen contributed the paintings.

After many years I became too old for childish things, so the dollhouse was again in sorry shape. I pitched out all the junky furniture and gave Mary new pieces over the past few Christmases and birthdays. Recently I started trying to repair some of the damage and decided that the peach living room and aqua bath needed a bit of update. The bathroom walls gave me a hard time, the paint kept streaking so finally I sanded and primed them, purchasing an entire quart of primer when I only needed about 4 tablespoons!

Here is the finished living room:

I made several new bedcovers and pillowcases for the bedrooms.

This is the bathroom all finished: