The Art of Refurbishing a Dollhouse for $25

Like a lot of little girls…I didn’t have a wooden dollhouse as a kid.

The kind with tiny framed windows and hinged doors and little rooms you could actually decorate. Those felt… expensive. Out of reach. The kind of thing you might see on TV and assume belonged to someone else’s world. (I’m thinking specifically of the dollhouse in Gilmore Girls — the one that felt less like a toy and more like a family heirloom.)

As a child, dollhouses felt unattainable.
As an adult, I found one on Facebook Marketplace for $25.
And I refurbished it myself.

An Important Lesson to Learn… If You Can’t Afford It, You Make It

Growing up, if we couldn’t afford something, we figured out how to make it. That mindset shaped me more than I realized at the time. It’s probably why I became an artist.

This dollhouse felt like a full-circle moment.

For $25, I got the dollhouse and a box full of wooden furniture. I sanded, primed, and painted everything. I used leftover paint from a mural job I had done in December. I incorporated wallpaper from my own line — including designs I created in collaboration with Liza Pruitt, you can find the designs here.

What once felt financially out of reach became a creative project made from scraps, leftovers, and imagination and felt actually REAL. How a dollhouse is meant to come together, through imagination, play, and creativity.

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What I Started With

The Idea: French Countryside Meets Cottage

The exterior had been painted a stark blue — not quite the vibe. I transformed it into a soft French blue, trimming it with hand-painted florals. I wanted it to feel like French countryside meets cozy cottage.

Inside, I lined the walls with my custom wallpaper designs. I painted the wooden furniture in soft complementary tones. I sewed a mattress and pillow from leftover table linen fabric, from my own tablescapes. I even tucked dried baby’s breath (leftover from holiday decorating) into the tiny window planters.

It became less of a refurbishing job and more of a miniature design challenge.

I loved figuring out how to translate my aesthetic — normally used in larger-scale murals and paintings — into something that fit inside four tiny wooden rooms.

The Reality of Refurbishing

In hindsight, I wish I’d started with a flat, unassembled dollhouse. Wallpapering and painting interior walls after the structure was already built? Not ideal.

But Facebook Marketplace delivered, so who am I to question the process?

The imperfections are part of it.

And honestly, the challenge made it more interesting.

Working for My Niece… and My Younger Self

There’s something about dollhouses that holds nostalgia in a very specific way. I think that’s why so many adults keep them. They’re not just toys — they’re a nod to childhood. A quiet way of giving your younger self something she once wanted.

As an artist, I don’t tend to hoard my work. I love creating and sending it out into the world. Before I ever sold a painting, my love language was handmade gifts — a drawing tucked into a thank-you note, something painted just because.

That still feels true. This dollhouse wasn’t for a client. It wasn’t for a launch. It wasn’t inventory. It was a gift. And that made it incredibly peaceful to work on.

When you’re not creating for approval or sales or deadlines, something shifts. You slow down. You pay attention. Your hands lead. Your mind stays present.

In a world where so much of what we do lives digitally, making something tangible feels grounding. When you’re working with your hands, you’re exactly where you are.

Why Making Matters

You don’t have to call yourself creative to make something. Making is important.

It reconnects you to resourcefulness. It reminds you that not everything has to be purchased new or perfectly packaged. It pulls you out of the scroll and into the present moment.

This $25 dollhouse wasn’t just a refurbishment.

It was:

• A nod to nostalgia

• A love letter to my niece

• A reminder that creativity often begins with “we’ll just make it”

And maybe that’s the best kind of art — the kind that leaves your hands and lives in someone else’s story.

I included some before photos, after photos, and a few process shots in a folder below — along with the video that started a tiny dollhouse moment online.

And yes, I absolutely see more of these in my future.

Just not as a business.

As a gift. 💙

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View the My Wallpaper Line I used in the Dollhouse

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Something else I learned…The Internet Loves a Dollhouse

I shared a video of the process on TikTok (which I rarely use — I’m much more of an Instagram and Substack person). It unexpectedly got a ton of interaction.

Apparently, TikTok really loves a dollhouse niche.

And honestly? I get it.

There’s something soothing about watching tiny rooms come together. About seeing something old made new. About miniature worlds that feel intentional and detailed and safe.

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