Greenleaf Fairfield Dollhouse Kit - 1/24 Scale

IT'S FUN - IT's GREAT. This house is an exceptional buy. You can build as shipped and it will be very nice, or you can upgrade with extras listed in the instructions. It seems to be the most compact of the miniature dollhouses too which might be a plus for storage since it doesn't come apart. Calling it a dollhouse is a little deceiving because it is a miniature and well suited to an adult builder -the sky's the limit on tricking this house out. The more craft experience you have of any type, the easier the build and more creative you can be. Although the instructions and piece sheets are daunting, it is relatively easy to construct if you follow the directions.The fits are tight, but pieces do fit well for the most part. They do mean it when they say construct in the order directed. I did use a very small file to enlarge some slots a little (some tab/slot places just woulnd't fit) and a nailfile to smooth tight places. I needed a small hammer to tap parts in that fit tightly. Tweezers might not be bad. Before you buy, examine the reason you're buying. If you expect to assemble this on Christmas Eve for the next morning, it won't happen. If you take the time to do a nice job (which is easy but does take time) decide whether you'll let a child play with this as a dollhouse. It's pretty sturdy, but will smudge and may break. If you can't stand that after all your work, buy the child another type of house. This house is probably for an older child who might collect miniatures or help with construction. If you want to buy the house just for the challenge and fun - you can't go wrong.

As many reviews have said, assembly can be a bit tricky. The wood splinters so easily, (I had more splinters in my fingers than I can count) pieces don’t always fit together properly and some pieces arrive warped… but, if you pull out extra sand paper and spend more time making things fit together the end result is so worth it. This was my first attempt at a full dollhouse but I wasn’t ready for a 1:12 scale, so finding this half scale dollhouse was perfect! You definitely have to read and become familiar with the instructions, especially if you plan to customize any part or add lighting. It took me about 45 days from start to finish, but I made a lot of changes that took extra time before I could move on to the next step. I chose to hide my lighting wires in the floor above each ceiling, so I had to carve out the channels before I could assemble each floor. I also added special lighting to the fireplace and outside on the porch and side of the house. I made some of the pieces inside myself, I added siding to the outside and added a door and balcony above the front porch. Every little extra thing I did took extra time. If you’re able to do any landscaping outside it completely finishes the overall look. If you’re doing this as a display, take extra time as you assemble because once each floor is glued in you can’t go back. So preplanning is very helpful. I also wallpapered each wall before assembly so doing a mock up before gluing is helpful to figure out where the wallpaper should go. If you’re doing this as a dollhouse for play, I definitely recommend doing a bit of sanding before assembly to avoid anyone getting splinters during playtime. Your assembly will be much faster too. Despite the “negatives” I still give it 5 stars and highly recommend, it’s absolutely beautiful when completed!

One star is not low enough to explain how horrible this item is. If I could give negative stars, I would. We purchased this for my daughter’s 13 birthday, as she wanted a dollhouse she could build. This seemed like a great deal. First off, the directions are complete garbage and not at all very clear. The pieces do not fit together without having to take a Dremel or some other saw to trim and cut. After seeing the absolute frustration my daughter and how much difficulty she was having, my wife jumped in to help, as well as myself. I also must add that I am a licensed general contractor in two states. This house cannot be built without altering every single piece to fit. Either the slots weren’t cut large enough or the tabs weren’t cut correctly. It gets to a point where in order to continue building, every, and I mean every, piece has to be altered. I cannot believe we paid even $80 for this item. Knowing what I know now, it wouldn’t be worth $20.

My house came out great , but I had to order balsa wood alot if gaps , nothing is cut really well, it was a challenge but it is finished

She loved it!

I tried this dollhouse for almost a week and finally gave up. The directions are horrible. There are very few pictures and the language of the directions is difficult to put into practice. The few pictures that are included are grainy and hard to see. But the worst part of this project is the material itself. The wood is very splintery and has come away from some of the essential parts. The pieces also do not fit together as well as I expected. This is NOT a beginner’s project. The Rolife rooms are much better materials and the directions are much clearer. I am disappointed to say the least and I have the tiny splinters in my fingers as proof of the poor quality of the wood..

I purchased the Fairfield to build as a gift for my daughter for this coming holiday season. I have never assembled a dollhouse kit before, but I loved the size and style of the Fairfield. Let me tell you, this house does not disappoint! I have spent approximately 12 hours working on it over the last 3 days and have already assembled it in its' entirety. I definitely recommend using painters tape to help hold any/all joints until they dry and reading/following the directions precisely. Also, make sure to take care when punching out and sanding the pieces to this home. Being meticulous will pay off! I feel I should mention that I have NO previous experience and simply followed the directions. The only tools I used were painters tape, wood glue, tacky glue and a fine grit sanding pad. I plan to paint, wallpaper and decorate within the following days, but being that those items are not part of the Fairfield Dollhouse Kit, I felt inclined to leave a raving review prior to the finish-work. Please let me also mention that I was not compensated in any way for this review, I just really enjoyed putting this dollhouse together! Keep in mind this dollhouse kit is 1:24 or half scale, which means that it is a smaller scale than most other dollhouse model kits.

Although its going to turn out stunning this is for experienced doll house makers. The instructions are terrible. You are on your own figuring out what to do. It did come with really neat blue prints. I was disappointed in the quality of the wood its flimsy and splinters really easy. Beautiful doll house but is extremely time consuming.