How to Finish a Dollhouse Room: Floors, Wallpaper and Baseboards

As the nights close in and the temperature drops, it's time to think about new projects or to pick up a partially completed one to work on over the winter.  We all know there's a moment in every build when a bare wooden box becomes a room: when the floorboards are down, the walls are papered, and a line of baseboard sits along the bottom edge. Suddenly the space has a period, a mood and a sense that someone might live there.

That finishing work is what separates a room that looks assembled from one that looks lived in. Here's how we approach it in a 1:12 room box or dollhouse room, working from the top down, with the small habits that make each layer look right.

First, prepare the shell

Good finishes can't hide a rough shell, so give it twenty minutes before you reach for any paper or wood.

• Sand and fill. Smooth any splintered edges and fill dents or open joints with wood filler. Wallpaper in particular will show every bump beneath it.
• Paint the ceiling first. Working top to bottom means drips and paste land on surfaces you haven't finished yet.
• Plan any lighting now. If you intend to electrify the room, lay your tape wire or wiring runs before the walls are papered. Retrofitting later almost always means lifting paper.

Walls: setting the period and the mood

Walls do more than any other surface to tell the viewer when and where they are. A soft floral says country cottage; a deep jewel tone says Victorian parlor.

Choose a pattern that reads at scale. At 1:12, small and medium repeats look like real wallpaper. Large, bold motifs tend to read as a mural, which can be lovely, but only if that's the effect you want.

Work from a template. Few dollhouse rooms are perfectly square. Cut a template from plain paper for each wall, mark windows and doors, then trace it onto the wallpaper and cut slightly oversized.

Paste thinly and smooth from the center. Apply a thin, even coat of wallpaper paste, position the sheet, and smooth outward from the middle with a soft cloth or small roller to push out air. Trim the excess with a fresh craft blade; a dull one will tear damp paper.

Wrap the corners. Rather than butting two sheets together in an inside corner, let one sheet wrap around by about 1/8" and lay the next over it. The seam disappears into the shadow of the corner.

For a fuller walkthrough, including how to match a pattern across walls, see our guide to Clever Techniques for Seamlessly Wallpapering a Miniature Room

From our shelves: Historic Hadfield Dollhouse Wallpaper is reproduced from a paper found in an old Colonial home in Scarsdale, New York, and is a fine example of the early French style. It brings real history to a period room. If you're after the richer greens of a Victorian interior, Decorative Emerald Dollhouse Wallpaper is a handsome alternative. Both come as three acid-free 11.5" x 18" sheets.

Floors: the first thing the eye lands on

Because a dollhouse room is usually viewed from the front and slightly above, the floor takes up more of the picture than it would in a real home. It's worth getting right.

• Template again. Cut a paper pattern of the floor first and test it in the room before you cut any wood.
• Finish before you fit. Stain or seal flooring before it goes in. It's far easier to get an even color on a flat sheet than in a tight room.
• Run planks front to back. Boards that run away from the viewer draw the eye into the room and make shallow spaces feel deeper.
• Glue lightly, weight overnight. A thin layer of wood glue, then a stack of books on top, keeps the floor flat while it dries.

If you're new to this step, our beginner's guide [Mastering Miniature Flooring: Simple Steps for Beginners] walks through it from start to finish.

From our shelves: 8-Point Star Wood Dollhouse Flooring has a crisp geometric star pattern that suits an entrance hall, a formal dining room or a centerpiece inlay. Each pack includes four 2" x 8" pieces.

Baseboards and trim: the finishing line

However carefully you work, the line where floor meets wall is never quite perfect. Baseboards are how real builders solve that problem, and they work just as well at 1:12.

• Paint or stain the trim before it goes up. You'll get a cleaner edge than painting it in place against fresh wallpaper.
• Miter the corners. Cut inside and outside corners at 45° with a miter box for joins that close neatly.
• Glue to the wall, not the floor. This lets the floor move slightly with changes in humidity without opening a gap.
• Consider the ceiling, too. A strip of crown molding at the top of the wall hides the cut edge of the wallpaper and adds a lot of polish for very little effort.

For more ways to disguise uneven joins, read [Creative Fixes for Hiding Gaps in Miniatures Using Baseboards].

From our shelves: If you like to cut and finish your own trim, our Comprehensive selection of Basswood strips gives you a range of sizes of  baseboards, door casings and picture rails.

Then, the furnishings

With the shell finished, the furniture finally gets its turn. The best miniature rooms share something with the best real ones: a little restraint. Choose one piece to anchor the room, group the rest by how they'd actually be used, and leave some floor showing. Empty space is what makes a room feel calm rather than crowded, and it lets your favorite pieces be seen.

Frequently asked questions

What glue should I use for flooring and trim? Wood glue or a good PVA glue for wood-to-wood joins. Avoid hot glue for finishing work: it sets before you can adjust, leaves ridges, and can let go over time.

Should I wallpaper or lay the floor first? We prefer walls first, so paste and trimmings never land on a finished floor, then flooring, then baseboards to cover the join. Some builders reverse the first two. Either works as long as the baseboard goes on last.

How do I get rid of air bubbles under wallpaper? Use less paste than you think you need and smooth from the center outward. If a bubble appears once it's dry, prick it with a fine pin and press it flat.

What scale are your products? Most of our catalogue is 1:12, the most popular dollhouse scale, where one inch represents one foot. Each product page lists its scale.

How do I choose a color scheme? Start with the period or story of the room, then build from there. Victorian rooms suit deep greens, burgundies and warm wood; a seaside cottage might lean on soft blues and whitewashed floors. Pick your wallpaper first, since it's the hardest element to change later.

Can I add lighting after the room is finished? It's possible but fiddly. If there's any chance you'll want lights, run the wiring before the walls are papered.