Lindsey Lawson
Sylvia's Dolls House
Fundraising for THE CHRISTIE CHARITY
Story
The Story of Sylvia's Dolls House by Vic Lawson
My name is James Victor Lawson. I made this dolls house in memory of my late beautiful wife Sylvia Emily Lawson.
On January 25th 2013 my wife passed away from complications around Rheumatoid Arthritis.
A few months later my daughters said "dad, you have to do something to get you through the winter". Because it was going to be hard without my rock, Sylvia, so I decided to build a dolls house as I had made a couple before. I decided to make it for Christie's Hospital, a very good cause as I have Prostate Cancer. On 20th November 2013 I started the dolls house. I went to B&Q and bought an 8 foot by 4 foot piece of MDF. This was the start of my adventure into miniature, from then on my mind-set was based on seeing how things would look in miniature.
I worked on a scale of 1:12. I looked for ways to use everyday materials to build features and items for the house. When I went to a coffee shop, the ideas would flow, the garden swing and fencing is made from coffee stirrers.
The construction of the frame took a week or so, the roof tiles are individually cut out of emerald green roofing felt. The stairs were difficult to make and it took a long time to make sure they were perfect.
The lighting chimney fireplaces were installed to create a realistic feel. The chandeliers and curtails were all made by hand. I came up with the idea for the chandeliers from looking at lighting in the Argos catalogue, I made them by threading beads onto jewellery wire. Two are made using bottle tops.
The curtains and quilts were hand made to match in each room, the material came from Hobbycraft, it was a challenge to find material with a pattern small enough to match the scale of the house.
The kitchen range was hand built to include the smallest of detail such as the oven doors and grate.
The sofa was made partly from a leather jacket and lolly pop sticks.
The four-poster bed and chimney pots were turned on a lathe.
The fireplaces were made from picture frames with copper nails and wire.
The front of the house was hinged as well as the roof to allow children to access all the areas of the house whilst at play.
The wood for the black beams were given to me by the man who delivered my new gas cooker along with a few more pieces from his van.
The brickwork was a brick powder mix with water spread on a template with a trowel.
The sash windows were quite difficult to make ensuring all the windows opened and closed.
The house was also set on casters in order for it to be moved freely.
The ridge tiles were shaped with a jig-saw.
All the doors were made from three pieces of wood and the patio doors were created from an idea that came whilst eating a cake with my daughter, the case the cake was in became my patio doors.
Lollipop sticks were used to make step-ladders.
A music box was turned into a blanket chest.
The garden was added towards the end of the build. Features include the garden pond with fish drawn on, a fold up swing just big enough to allow the toddler to play. A lawn with a grass roller and ducks, chickens and pigs were also added.
I have enjoyed every minute working on the house, I have spent a lot of hours painting through the evening so that it would be dry ready for the next step.
Even in the night time I'd wake up thinking of ideas of additional things to create.
From the first thing in the morning until the last thing at night for 18 months I was focussed on the dolls house.
I hope that whoever eventually owns this house, loves it as much as I did making it.
My name is James Victor Lawson. I made this dolls house in memory of my late beautiful wife Sylvia Emily Lawson.
On January 25th 2013 my wife passed away from complications around Rheumatoid Arthritis.
A few months later my daughters said "dad, you have to do something to get you through the winter". Because it was going to be hard without my rock, Sylvia, so I decided to build a dolls house as I had made a couple before. I decided to make it for Christie's Hospital, a very good cause as I have Prostate Cancer. On 20th November 2013 I started the dolls house. I went to B&Q and bought an 8 foot by 4 foot piece of MDF. This was the start of my adventure into miniature, from then on my mind-set was based on seeing how things would look in miniature.
I worked on a scale of 1:12. I looked for ways to use everyday materials to build features and items for the house. When I went to a coffee shop, the ideas would flow, the garden swing and fencing is made from coffee stirrers.
The construction of the frame took a week or so, the roof tiles are individually cut out of emerald green roofing felt. The stairs were difficult to make and it took a long time to make sure they were perfect.
The lighting chimney fireplaces were installed to create a realistic feel. The chandeliers and curtails were all made by hand. I came up with the idea for the chandeliers from looking at lighting in the Argos catalogue, I made them by threading beads onto jewellery wire. Two are made using bottle tops.
The curtains and quilts were hand made to match in each room, the material came from Hobbycraft, it was a challenge to find material with a pattern small enough to match the scale of the house.
The kitchen range was hand built to include the smallest of detail such as the oven doors and grate.
The sofa was made partly from a leather jacket and lolly pop sticks.
The four-poster bed and chimney pots were turned on a lathe.
The fireplaces were made from picture frames with copper nails and wire.
The front of the house was hinged as well as the roof to allow children to access all the areas of the house whilst at play.
The wood for the black beams were given to me by the man who delivered my new gas cooker along with a few more pieces from his van.
The brickwork was a brick powder mix with water spread on a template with a trowel.
The sash windows were quite difficult to make ensuring all the windows opened and closed.
The house was also set on casters in order for it to be moved freely.
The ridge tiles were shaped with a jig-saw.
All the doors were made from three pieces of wood and the patio doors were created from an idea that came whilst eating a cake with my daughter, the case the cake was in became my patio doors.
Lollipop sticks were used to make step-ladders.
A music box was turned into a blanket chest.
The garden was added towards the end of the build. Features include the garden pond with fish drawn on, a fold up swing just big enough to allow the toddler to play. A lawn with a grass roller and ducks, chickens and pigs were also added.
I have enjoyed every minute working on the house, I have spent a lot of hours painting through the evening so that it would be dry ready for the next step.
Even in the night time I'd wake up thinking of ideas of additional things to create.
From the first thing in the morning until the last thing at night for 18 months I was focussed on the dolls house.
I hope that whoever eventually owns this house, loves it as much as I did making it.