Once upon a time, Barbie and Ken were looking for a new home.
Literally. They were out in their pink corvette, perusing the town.
Their old apartment was infested by Lego Men and they had no place to go.
When they came upon this house. It had been empty for a while. The contractor never finished said house, because things got crazy in this horrible market when he built it last summer, so it sat abandoned for months.
It was just their luck, because it had great bones, and they fell in love, instantly.
Barbie and Ken had been renting for a few years (and had a nice nest egg in savings) so they moved immediately into their new abode, rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
Or at least Barbie did, anyway.
Ken did too, after he finished his tea.
Yes, he has a weird propensity for prep school tux/pink tie combos.
But we won’t hold that against him.
They tackled the kitchen first: It had great potential, so they brought in Barbie’s mom’s old vintage furniture. Then they contrasted a fun graphic pattern with their white washed brick walls, fun peacock blue cabinets, and vintage Frigidaire.
They drink their chamomile tea here in the mornings after their couples’ yoga class.
The second level holds the living room and study.
Where they decided to DIY a few projects of their own, from the curtains to the rugs and wallpaper that they scored thrifting at the local flea market.
They love their granny chic/global modern combos vibe.
Barbie is a freelance writer, while Ken does the city scene during the day. So she needed a space to work, while finding the time to write her first novel.
When they’re not doing their side hobbies, anyway. You know… the usual stuff: polo and synchronized swimming lessons.
The third level is their master suite.
Their serene bedroom + bath… the ultimate retreat.
Ken painted this abstract watercolor for Barbie on their second anniversary. It’s symbolic of his undying, ever evolving love for her.
Barbie finished off the top space when she was expecting the twins. {Doll life spans are way different than humans, so this happened within a week. Tada!}
They’ve kept her so busy, the novel is now on hold for ten years. At least.
Their room has fun polkadot floors, complete with a loft, and sweet colors on the ceiling.
A local artist named Emerson painted an old chest and gave it new life. It’s the twins’ favorite thing. Next to Chloe the dog, of course.
Barbie even threw in some vintage maps, star charts, and alphabet art because she plans to home school. At least for now, it’s a perfectly good excuse to collect cool vintage things.
And she stalks Ebay.
They’re looking a bit more frazzled these days, but Barbie and Ken are super happy. Right where they are.
(Barbie’s eye makeup = a little over the top to compensate for sleep depravation, along with Ken’s perpetual bed head from driving to the city in their new minivan-they had to trade in the pink vette when the kiddos were born because hey, you can’t have it all…)
The twins are happy too.
Even though one has blue legs.
And they all lived happily ever after.
When they’re not pondering why Ken prefers tuxes with no socks, or tough questions like their oddly proportioned bodies… of course.
As you can see, we just finished up Emerson’s dollhouse. Today is her birthday (6! – It feels like just yesterday she was the screaming, colicky baby – don’t blink) and it was a really fun project we did together with her.
I think this is one of those things I’ve always had on my list when I knew I was having a little girl. Our grandkids will probably play with this and make comments about how retro fab it is. It’s our dream, anyway.
I’m pretty sure it’s a big hit… though I’m not too clear on who had more fun with this.
Can I have that table and chairs in real life?
When we decided to create the inside of this little dollhouse, we were at a loss for great, stylish and affordable options in those in the Barbie variety. Said options were either plastic, or super expensive. So we thought we would share this fun little project as an idea for something to take on with your little ones.
We wanted the size to be right for Barbie but flexible in case Emerson wanted to use another doll with it. So with the exception of a few small purchases, we took the handmade route using mostly things around our home (with little girl as the art director, of course).
It pays to be a craft hoarder. Yes, I did just write that.
Shhhhh.
Let us know if you have any questions – We’ll have a few tutorials coming soon, if you’re interested!
{To see more of Emerson’s room, click here.}
To see the rest of the Dollhouse Diaries, Click here!
Have an inspired day!
Amber {Kingwood Drive} says
Love this!! We just purchased a wooden dollhouse kit for our daughter. I’m pretty sure it’s going to sit in the box for at least 5 years!!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thanks so much, Amber! It was fun. ;}
Kathleen W. says
Coolest Barbie house ever ! I’m sure you had a great time creating and decorating. Thanks for sharing !
Kyla F says
Parents of the YEAR! Y’all are the best. If we can make this life-size for me to live in, I will come to Alabama and pay you in yummy food and craft supplies. This is probably my favorite project that you’ve shared yet because it showcases so many Barbie-sized-versions of pieces that capture the style of your own home. Happy Birthday Emerson, you are a blessed little lady! Enjoy 6! 🙂
Ashley/designer-extraordinaire: where might I find the gorgeous paper that lines the ceiling?
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thanks so much, Kyla! Yes, I think we may be making that bed for our own bedroom! ;} The little one was crooked – I think sometimes smaller ones can be harder to make! haha! And that paper is from the scrapbooking aisle at Hobby Lobby. I hope that helps! ;}
Kyla F says
It does! Thank you 🙂
Elizabeth says
OH.MY.GOODNESS!!!! That is so stinking cute! Great job, you guys!
Beth@HomeStoriesAtoZ says
I LOVE it! And I love even more that this dollhouse reflects your own family’s personal style so perfectly.
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thanks Beth! You’re too sweet. We had a lot of fun – kind of wanted it to reflect that – like a little time capsule ;} Hope you’re well!
Tommie Hart says
This is amazing!!! We were given a wooden dollhouse for our little 8 month old and I have been wanting to redo and decorate it for her for her first birthday!!! Cant wait to see the tutorials! This is definitely inspiring!
April says
Oh Emm Gee!! That is amazing! It totally looks like a real house that you would see in a magazine! I am so glad you got pictures of all the little details to keep forever. Have you ever posted about how you made the doll house itself? I would love to see that!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey April! Us too! It’s good to have for when she loses all the pieces. HAHA! (I told her she can move it around all she wants, but she has to leave it in the dollhouse) ;} We did a how to build post here https://www.thehandmadehome.net/2013/07/how-to-build-a-dollhouse/
I hope that helps! ;}
Angela R says
OMG can I move in there? It is gorgeous! Or how about you just come to my house and do everything exactly the same in my size? Pretty please?
ashley @ the handmade home says
HAHA thanks Angela! ;} I want the wicker furniture ;}
Lee Vinson says
That is the cutest thing ever!!!! Love the chandeliers the most!
{darlene} @fieldstonehilldesign.com says
this is UNBELIEVABLE Ashley! If I buy you a ticket, will you just hang out at Fieldstone Hill until you can’t DIY it any longer???? #takeitoutonmyhousenext
that is the single most amazing dollhouse EV-AH
BJ says
Fabulous! My three girls would LOVE something like this!
Lucy says
Growing up in the 1970s, my favorite toy was my Lundby dollhouse. The furniture was wonderful and it kept me and my sister entertained for hours. My cat would even try to “occupy” an entire room from time to time. Being the mother of two boys, it now resides with my nieces in California.
Brynne@TheGatheredHome says
This post is precious! I love the way the dollhouse turned out, but I enjoyed your narrative in the post even more 🙂
Susan Lambrix says
I would love to see the tutorials. My dad built my daughter a beautiful dollhouse 25 years ago and didn’t quite finish it before he died. It was overwhelming to me so I sent it to a dollhouse repair place in So. Calif. It should be back next week and I am dying to see it. It would be fun to make some furniture with my 7 year old grand daughter!
Thank you for sharing.
Tania @ Run To Radiance says
omigosh. so. much. goodness. First of all, love Barbie’s outfits and Ken’s eyebrows! I wish that I could blow this house up and live in it. It’s just gorgeous. Annnnd now I want a dollhouse. Just so I can decorate!
Sara says
Most fabulous dollhouse ever! Our barbies live in the hood that was handed down from barbie’s mom. Maybe it is time for a reno! Thanks for the inspiration (as usual)!
Tina says
Utterly amazing. Love, love, love everything about it. Your artistic talent shines through in everything you touch. My parents built and very creatively decorated a barbie house for me when I was little and it meant so very much to me. I still have it and all of the little things they made to go inside it. This will be a treasure for your sweet Emerson for sure.
ashley @ the handmade home says
So sweet, Tina! I love that. Thank you for your kind words. Yes, it was a labor of love, but that very reason is why we did it. Thank you! ;}
Erin @ House Envy says
Love Barbie’s flare for home design! Too cute!
Ashley says
Amazing! I want to go to there! Sooo looking forward to the tutorials-mostly just wondering where you found everything!!!
Kitty says
Adorable!!! B & K are livin’ the dream!
Haley says
This is simply awesome. A true labor of love. So sweet.
Penny says
Love the house!!! I’ve been working on getting things together to do a house as well for my daughter! Love everything! You guys did an amazing job! Question about the little maps and the alphabet sign in the twins room…where did you get them? Also the birdcage and the awesome pink chair by the desk? Can’t wait for tutorials!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey Penny! Thanks so much! The images were simple google searches, and it didn’t matter that they weren’t the best quality, because their size was so small you can’t even tell. They actually look great. I just used words like vintage map, etc. Then cut them out and added stained pieces of wood for the “pull-down-chart” looks. The bird cage was from Hobby Lobby and it was in their spring section for half off – I think we paid a dollar. The chair was one of our two splurges, and I found it on ebay. Just search for Barbie ghost chair. I think we paid about fifteen-twenty for it. I had to have that one. Still cheaper than most of the furniture available out there – the nice stuff anyway… which is why we opted to make most everything else ;} HA! I hope that helps! We’ll be breaking each room down with simple solutions – so stay tuned! ;}
Amy W says
Honestly, you have got to be kidding me. Is it bad, I’d totally move into Barbie’s house!?!! Ha. That is so fun and gorgeous and dreamy and creative. I adore it. Thank you, thank you for sharing with us. I’m sharing this on my Facebook page because I can hardly handle how adorable it is!! (and your commentary is hilarious!)
Amy @ http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com
Desi says
It’s so nice to see a Barbie house that’s not full of tacky plastic furniture. I especially love the master bed. I hope you’ll do a tutorial on it
Donna Burkle says
Just love it! The chandeliers are my favorite! Such imagination!
Angela says
This is the best thing I’ve seen all year and we don’t even own a barbie. Great job and the intro story…hilarious.
karlee says
What an awesome dollhouse! Did you find a lot on ebay? Um…I’m 27 but I want one! Haha
Tennille Mykula says
Wow! Very inspiring. That looks like it took a lot of work and might have been a tad tedious. So many tiny details. Can’t wait to read the tutorials. Also, if you hit ikea they have a fun, yes plastic, but still fun furniture set. Cheap too. Got for my daughter for Christmas. She seems to be enjoying it. here’s the link: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/50263150/
Summer Hogan says
I don’t have any words, that is AMAZING! I wish my own home look that awesome! You are one patient lady 🙂 Love it!!!
Samara says
Awesome! And sadly, it is nicer than my house… Great work:)
Beth M. says
I have no words other than GORGEOUS and AMAZING! I hope this dollhouse lasts for generations. What a labor of love!
Andrea Worley says
What an adorable house, I wanna live there!
Jackie Lee says
You bet I’m interested in more, more, more on how you made this delightful dollhouse!!! I have a 3 year old granddaughter who adores her dolls, so this would be a labor of love to make for/with her!!! It’s a low cost way to decorate a house from top to bottom! Lol!
Lucy says
Wow. Took my breath away… this is absolutely gorgeous and made with so much love! Please do share– with a little luck and a lot of time to figure this out, maybe I can make something like this for my little girl! Great job!
patricia says
yes please post tutorials!!!!! gorgeous doll house!!!!
Erin says
Oh my goodness! I can’t even begin to explain how much I LOVE this! I would have DIED for a dollhouse like that! Heck, I want my REAL house to look like that. You are insanely talented. I can’t wait to share this with my doll house-loving friends– they are going to faint!
Nicole says
If love is spelled t.i.m.e., then you’ve got one LOVED little gal! And speaking of time, where do you find it for projects like these?!
ashley @ the handmade home says
HA! It takes us a very long time to get anything done around here. This dollhouse, for instance, I started planning it last January. So we finally built said dollhouse this summer, and then it was another six to seven months before we got around to the inside. Doing in the inside took a few weeks to pull together, even though it was small. It was one of those things we worked on as we could. We plan ahead for things financially and time-wise, but most spaces take quite a few months to knock out. I know a lot of bloggers who can throw things together in no time at all, and that’s amazing. Sometimes I’m a little jealous, if I’m honest. It takes us a while, and it’s the phase of life we’re in, because we plan to enjoy life as well. It’s what works for us. Good things come to those who wait… and who work steadily towards it. This is the story of my life. ;} I hope that helps!
Shelley says
Shut up!!!! This is so much more stylish than my real house. I want to live here! What a fun project. There is only one problem – my 5 year old daughter was sitting next to me when I went through this post and now guess what she wants???
Erin @ Two Story Cottage says
Saw this earlier but didn’t have time to leave a note. This is incredibly fab! I’ve always had a dollhouse image in my mind too. With lots of little wallpaper. Yours takes the cake though! We currently have a plastic version that Lacey has had since age 2 so maybe next year we will create a new one for a fun project. I doubt we will agree on anything though. She gets mad now because I rearrange the furniture.
It rocks, girl! Unbelievably awesome.
Abbie (M is for Mama) says
Thanks to you, I will now need to wear a bib and tie a kerchief around my chin to keep my jaw closed and sop up the drool.
Ah-mazing, Ashley! You never cease to blow my mind with your creativity and just general all-around kick-butt awesomeness. I am now hiding my laptop, so my 3-year-old ultra-girl doesn’t see it. It’s going to take me until she’s 6 to pull this off! 🙂
Whitney M says
This is seriously one of the cutest, most stylish dollhouses I’ve ever seen. I shouldn’t say one–it is the best. Adorable story too. 🙂
Kelly @ View Along the Way says
O. M. G.
This was the most delightful thing I’ve ever seen in all my days. The whole back story, the super-fab style of Barbie and Ken, their magazine-worthy styling (the shoes, by the bed? With one standing up and one laying down? I DIED.)
PS: The same things happened to me after we had kids. I just keep piling on the eye makeup and bright pink lipstick as an attempt to look like I’m trying. I hear ya, Barbie. I hear ya.
antiquechase says
This is the most of the most of the most!! I just want to come over and play… It’s soooo amazing! Great Great job! What a lucky girl!
marcy
Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista says
This is quite possibly the cutest thing ever. Is it even possible to be envious of Barbie and Ken’s house!?!? So lovely. Luckiest little girl ever.
Donna - Funky Junk Interiors says
Oh my word… never have I seen a cooler dollhouse interior! Caught you on Nesting Place… this is magnificent!
Mary says
Doll houses are awesome! I was just at the hobby store yesterday trying to find out how to replace the windows in the doll house my grandfather made for me. (The irony is that my real house needs so much work 🙂 )
My dollhouse is the same design as yours. And it will be used for many years to come. After a long period in a spare bedroom at my parents house – I had only boys – I decided the doll house is going to add a whimsical twist to our dining room. Why not? It makes me happy!
Sarah @ An Inviting Home says
Jaw on the floor! That was the cutest thing I’ve read all week…totally pinning. Adorable and love all of the little touches!
~Sarah
amber says
I love this sooooo much! I was totally a barbie girl and would have adored this dollhouse. Such a cute and funny story too. Just darling!
Yuko @ northfield gate says
The best dollhouse I’ve ever seen in my life! You took all the risks I am personally afraid of taking when I decorate my own house (like wallpapering the accent walls and ceilings). And you showed us that’s what makes a house unique and beautiful. Thank you for the inspiration and Happy 6th Birthday Emerson!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thank you so much, Yuko! ;} that was what I was hoping for, so you just made my day! Happy Saturday!
JoAnn says
Cute!! What a wonderful gift to give your daughter and the story you wrote very enjoyable to read!!
Dawn says
Priceless! Awesome job on the house and the narrative. Hilarious!
Brittany Rae says
THAT is awesome. I have always wanted a doll house. I may have to revisit those dreams 🙂
Camille says
Oh.My.Gosh! I just died!
amber peters says
that is way too cute! awesome job! I think Barbie needs a blog.
Wendy J @ rockinwhatyagot.com says
This mom of four boys absolutely enjoyed the last few minutes of reading this post. Love it!
Misty says
My husband is almost finished building our dollhouse, thanks to your awesome plans. How did you add the room dividers? Love the decorations….i am so excited to decorate ours for our little Sadie!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey misty! How exciting! You will have to send pics! We used a super thin MDF that you can get at your local home improvement store. Just cut the little groove to make space in the back, and a doorway in one of them. I left them a little shorter in depth so the “walls” don’t come all the way out. I hope that helps! ;}
Misty says
Thanks for the tip on the walls. I just started making furniture for it. In fact, tonight I made a braided rug that is so adorable! I posted a picture in the Reader’s Gallery of the front of the dollhouse.
Sara @SL Designs says
Seriously, the cutest! Can I live there??
Bonnie C says
OMGosh! You found a doll sized wonky mirror ball!! So. Cool. I’m debating showing this to my 9yo… I would LOVE to do a dollhouse with her, but… she’ll have *opinions* on how it should go together when she should simply accept my wisdom and nod sagely and say, “Excellent choice, mom, I couldn’t have done it better.” Sigh. ;p
Super cute!
tara says
i love it…yep, it’ll be around for years to come.
Lisa says
I LOVE this!! The story and the photos are so well done. And I love Barbie’s house and want to live there. Absolutely stunning. This should be a children’s book, if Mattel would let you.
kim langevin says
wow that’s exactly what I wanted to do with that mattel doll house I pick up from the garbage. But my big girl turned 6 and it’s still in the garage. I can’t figure how to do it without spending to much on wood. Can’t wait to see tutorials about that!
kara says
Oh My, the tiny casters!!! where did you find those? I love this doll house and can not wait for the tutorial!
Kim says
This is over the top cute!
kristen pare says
Oh my gosh! You brought back so many fun memories for me. I literally spent hours redecorating my doll house. My grandpa had an upholstery business and its currently in pink velvet heaven from when I last touched it in the 1970’s. I just spent $12 bucks on the biggest box ever to pack that delicate baby for our move next week. I found the glue is starting to disintegrate so I plan with my little one to ‘re-decorate’ that sweet huge Victorian dollhouse with her. She said Mom, those colors Ugh 🙂 awhh…so much fun. Thanks for sharing!
Lindsay at The White Buffalo Styling Co. says
This is so amazing! I can’t get over y’all’s attention to every little detail. That truly is the most stylish dollhouse of all time.
Katy Caldwell says
HILARIOUS! Seriously dying over here! Maybe it was the realtor in me that thought the first part was so funny, but by the end I was seriously laughing out loud. Thank you for sharing!
humixanime says
THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!
i can not believe you guys made started this idea and actually FINISHED it!! 😀
it’s givin’ be an idea for my little sis. thanks for uploading :3
Mindy says
Amazing. I love the designs on the inside.
Amanda says
I can’t wait to see the tutorials. This is the cutest mother/daughter project. I love it!
Maya says
Simply awesome!
Bhakti says
Very creative article on dollhouse ideas. I was looking for some ideas to decorate my kid’s dollhouse and this came in handy. Thanks for sharing with us.