I had a hunch earlier this week that I should cruise Craigslist to check out the dollhouse listings. I usually search in New York City and the Philadelphia area, and I saw this in a town not far from me:
The pictures were not great, but I could immediately tell it was something special. The price caught my eye as well:
TWENTY BUCKS! I quickly realized that it was a
Highland dollhouse by Artply!!! Artply is no longer in business, and this house, sold as a kit in the 1980s, is long discontinued, making it pretty collectible for a modern structure. The original catalogue shot:
The seller wanted it to go to a collector or someone who would appreciate it as much as his daughters did when they were children, so he decided not to put it out on the curb (doesn't he know us collectors have been known to cruise curbs, as well??!). The price was unbeatable, which did make me a bit nervous that this might all be a sham, especially after reading
Susan's heartbreaking Craigslist story.
All went well...I didn't get abducted (the guy was super nice and normal) and came home with a Highland for a cool twenty. The house needs lots of aesthetic work -- plexi is torn, dust and cobwebs abound, and wallpaper and flooring are fraying. But, that's OK, since I would want to change it all up anyway. Structurally it is completely sound; no cracks, breaks, and the only missing parts are the garage and front doors, as far as I can tell.
Some shots of my new acquisition--looks quite like a 70s haunted house!
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| Don't know what to say about this wallpaper choice...flooring is likely a keeper, though. |
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| Intended as a garage...now a parking spot for cobwebs! |
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| Much of the house's plexi looks like this, or is completely missing. |
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| Not in love with this treatment. |
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| Wallpapers definitely not to my liking. |
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| Totally dig the staircase! |
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| Kitchen is haunted, for sure! |
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| Flooring can stay, but wallpaper has to go. |
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| Bath in need of an upgrade! |
In addition to resolving the layout of the interior spaces, my biggest dilemma is what to paint the exterior...I do not care for the humdrum brown scheme at all. What about cool greys? A muted white? Wood paneling? The dramatic rounded entryway also presents challenges! It is currently covered in grainy sand and it is not working for me. I have been looking through pictures of other Highlands, like the ones below, to see how others approached their houses.
What do you think? I'd love to hear your ideas so that I can perhaps make this one of my fall projects (in addition to painting my
Betsy McCall house). And please do share your own Highland adventures with me...I'd love to see even more examples of this house.
Lastly: many people have asked me how many houses I own, and the Highland makes it
15 (does my unopened
Fascination Station kit count? If so, then up the number!).
STAY TUNED for an exciting GIVEAWAY that I am planning for my blog, in celebration of approaching 500 followers! I'll be offering not one, but two, awesome products! I will share more soon!
