Could you recommend a doll's house?

[Deux]

I'm considering a doll's house for DD who will be 2.5 at Christmas.

I've seen quite a few and am leaning towards the ELC as it seems quite robust but would love a recommendation.

Thanks.

[janx]

Have you looked at the pintoy website?

[spacedog]

I love dolls houses. For a nearly 3 year old I wold say Le Toy Van is much nicer than ELC, although ELC holds value well second hand. I think the wooden Pintoy Marlborough House (John Lewis stock it) is lovely and one which will last all of childhood. For plastic houses, Playmobil or Sylvanian Families are best (but for age 4+)

[FingonTheValiant]

Oh my goodness, I just looked at Le Toy Van's website - their stuff is just lovely! I want it all... pity DS will only be 2.5months this Christmas Maybe in a few years...

spacedog, I also love dolls houses! I could spend hours arranging playing with them... pity the poor children who get in my way!

[spacedog]

FingonTheValiant, have you considered getting one for yourself? Dolls House Emporium do lovely ones as do Lundby (I am tempted to get the Lundby Stockholm or DHE Malibu House for myself)!

[Deux]

Many thanks for these ideas.

Spacedog, I am so excited too.

I saw one today which I thought was lovely and really robust and would last for ever - it was wooden (which is what I'm after) but unpainted. It had 3 floors and a separate basement. It was such madness in the shop that I left with neither maker or price.

DD was with me and she loved it. She said 'look mummy a little bed' in that cute 2 yr old way. I found myself thinking about how I could rearrange the furniture.

I will have a look at these websites. My only reservation about buying Le Toy Van is that DS has one of their forts and it was so disappointing and not as robust as I'd hoped. The canon came apart and DH ended up using superglue. Plan Toy items are still going strong though.

My reservations about buying a painted one is that the paint may chip.

I will head to John Lewis next week as it's my spiritual homeland anyway.

This is probably for Pedants' Corner but is it dolls' house or doll's house?

Will report back.

[Deux]

I mean that I'll report back on how my search is going, not on the apostrophe issue.

[FingonTheValiant]

spacedog, the Malibu is magnificent! (I love that it appears to have an Ikea kitchen though :o ) I'd love to have one, but I think dh would kill me. Maybe if I got a kit one I could justify it as a crafting exercise...

Deux, disappointing to hear the the LTV stuff might not be that durable :( it looks so lovely. Good luck at JL.

Surely doll's vs dolls' depends on how many dolls you having living in it?

[Deux]

I like the Pintoy Marlborough.

[TheFowlAndThePussycat]

(whispers) I've got my own dolls house! It is an 8 roomed Georgian mansion that I saved 2 years pocket money for when I was 12 and helped to build myself. A lovely 2-men-and-a-dog outfit sold it to me. It is beautiful, but only 2 rooms are furnished as the proper 1/12 scale stuff is so expensive. No way the kids are going to get their hands on it though so I'm on the lookout for another one for them. I want something robust but well furninshed so they get a lot of play time out of it. Will check out the sites above!

[spacedog]

Deux Le Toy Van Doll(s)! houses are really good quality but their furniture isn't robust and may well come apart. The house itself is not 'solid' wood such as Marlborough or Plan houses though. Marlborough does have a basement so might well be the one your DD saw. It would be my first choice, albeit expensive it will last.

People, be proud of your doll house obsessions. There are far more embarrassing items to collect

[simpson]

I have bought DD (2.8) a dolls house for Xmas and its wooden but unpainted.

Its from studio24 and comes with her name painted on the roof which she will love

[itsstillgood]

Toys r us have a big one half price at the moment
www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Toys/Dolls/Dolls-Houses-and-Accessories/Dolls-House-with-100-Pieces(0025587)

I have no idea of quality.

[Deux]

Many thanks for all these ideas.

The house I saw that I really liked is by Plan Toys and what I really like about it is that all floors have separate panels that open up. The shop is currently sold out and they said they normally retail at c£90 exc basement. Shop assistant was bit vague.

I've also looked at the Pintoy Marlborough and the ELC one this morning and I think the Plan Toys one is the most robust of the 3, plus the sash windows open .

I think I'm probably going to go for that one. I've had a quick look online and they seem to vary in price massively from £100 - £150. Hoping to get it for less than £100.

Thought she could get the basement next year for her birthday or something, or if she gets any Christmas money.

Thing is it was going to be her present from Father Christmas but DS heard me talking about it so that's out the window.

[FingonTheValiant]

The plan toy houses look lovely as well. Is it the Victorian one you're thinking of getting? I'm quite taken with the chalet and the "green" house. But I have to admit, opening sash windows would sucker me as well!

Def worth seeing if you can find it in an online store that you might be able to find a promo code for, they can make a huge difference!

[Deux]

Fingon, yes it is the Victorian one. I have found somewhere selling it for £94 (Kelly toys) and free delivery if you spend >£100 so I think I'll get it from there and get some other presents at the same time too.

The one I saw on display has been there for at least a year and has received a good battering but is still in really good condition, so hopefully it will last.

One place is selling the exact same thing for £164!

I am finding myself thinking that perhaps I could make some curtains for the windows.

[FingonTheValiant]

Sounds fab then! Good luck with the curtains! :o

[AngryPixie]

free delivery here also

[SophieBooosie]

i really want to defend le toy van here. i think their stuff is so beautiful, i bought one of their larger garages for my DD and its lasted almost 3 christmas now with not a single problem.

with wooden toys you must expect a little wear and tear. i think it adds to the toy if it has a few little chips in the paint.

i have my eye on a one off le toy van dolls house from john lewis!

[wideratthehips]

can i give a little advice?

with ds1 we bought a standard style dolls house that is up against the wall and you open the front with two hinged doors. we found it quite awkward for cooperative play as the children were huddled up together and the thing kept wobbling.

we now have this

here and we did not pay THAT for it!!!

as children can play from all sides and its not too feminine, have been plenty of battles with bakugans/ben 10 and the like. also lots of lovely accessories to buy if you like

[thisiswhataluv]

my pils have bought dds the dolls house form asda and bought le toy van furniture, it looks lovely

[PfftTheMildySpookyDragon]

We have the Playmobil Grand Mansion. Managed to get it second hand with box on ebay with all rooms for £75 which I was very happy with. It's well made.

[LolaLadybird]

We bought the Pintoy Malborough for DD 3 years ago for Xmas - actually DH did and I was as suprised as anyone on Chrismas morning when I went downstairs (in my defence DS was only 1 month old and I was a sleep-deprived zombie). DH and I had seen the doll's house the year before in JL but had deemed DD a bit too young but we both loved it. Fast-forward a year and DH went and organised it on top of all the other presents we had chosen together.

It is a lovely doll's house and would recommend whole-heartedly. DS has enjoyed playing with it as much as DD but it's still in great condition.

Spacedog - I had a Lundby doll's house when I was small and it's now in our loft for when DD is older. I can remember my mum enjoying playing with it as much as I did. A doll's house is one of those toys that truly transcends the generations IMO.

[Lastyearsmodel]

May not be much help, but Sainbury's have an unpainted wooden one £50 in their half price toy sale that started today. Didn't have a close look but looked nice. Possibly not in the Pintoy league and probably similar to the Toys R us one (it seems to be on permanent 'half price' offer ). A friend's DD has it and it's been good, though.

As you were...