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June 11, 2013


Judging from what I've read online, the Willowcrest dollhouse kit by Greenleaf has a pretty big fan club.  I decided to see what other miniaturists did with their kits.  What changes did they make?  What problems did they run into?

I found quite a bit of awesomeness, and I sincerely hope that this time I'm up to the challenge.  Right now my Willowcrest just makes me want to hide it or pretend it had been trashed by tiny squatters.

I just had to share my findings.  You will find more pictures of each dollhouse by clicking on the provided link.

Check out these Willowcrests:


http://mywillowcrestblog.blogspot.com/

This UK miniaturist made her Willowcrest a fabric and yarn shop!  She addressed the super narrow front porch by turning them into shop windows.  Be sure to notice the railing on the roof and the intriguing multicolored shingles.











http://myminiaturemenagerie.
blogspot.com/search/label/120%
20Copper%20Court

An elegant version with a beautiful nursery in the top floor.  I got a little lost trying to find my way around the house. She bumped out the kitchen bay, added a hallway on the 2nd floor, and reversed the attic stairs.








http://robincarey.blogspot.ca/2008/03/ willowcrest.html

Robin Carey does FANTASTIC interiors.  Be sure to check out the rest of her blog!  I've never actually looked at dollhouse ceilings before, but she really makes you look in every corner.









http://flickriver.com/places/United+States/ Maryland/Frederick/Willowcrest/search/

Laura Davidson made her Willowcrest a classic Victorian.  I love the bold colors she uses on the interior, and the kitchen is amazing.















And now for something a little bolder:

http://jennysminis.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-willowcrest-house.html

Jenny did some amazing things with the siding on her Willowcrest.  I just love it!


http://delightfulminis.blogspot.com/ search/label/Willowcrest

De made her Willowcrest into a wonderfully detailed home for her handmade dolls.  Seeing the photos and the accessories makes me want to get in there and meet Baily and Josh!










http://littlepeopleathome.blogspot.com/

Scroll to the bottom and click on the Willowcrest slideshow.  It's nice to see another red Willowcrest!  I love the modern kitchen.
http://minicurioscabinet.blogspot.ca/

No exterior shot that I could find, but if you're an art nouveau lover, get ready to drool at the interior!  Dominique's petit cabinet de curiosites is an amazing tribute to the style.  LOOK AT THE WINDOWS.  And then stick around and check out the amazing items she has made or collected for the house.  And obviously I need to pay more attention to my ceilings.

I believe this is the same house, with a few extra pictures, as seen at http://www.humptydumptyhouse.fr/ archives/la_willowcrest/index.html




http://www.debsminis.com/ willowcrest.htm

Deb Roberts provides a fantastic tour of her Willowcrest.  She's turned it into a select men's club in London.  Don't miss the spiral staircase, and I would totally live in the exclusive attic.

She also has a video.



http://moreminis.blogspot.com/ search/label/Willowcrest

Gina at More Minis blogged the building and decorating process for her Willowcrest.  I wish I had been able to see this before I started on mine 16 years ago.  Love the painted lady look!







http://www.fancydollhouses.com/ willowcrestdollhouse.html

Heather and Tommy assemble and decorate houses for those who don't have the time or inclination.  Their version of the Willowcrest has sold, but you can still get some great decorating ideas from their gallery!




http://www.browsermall.com/dollhouse/ DollhouseSecondShowcase.htm

Ok, these pictures are a little hard to see, but look as hard as you can at that domed roofline!  Very unique.  Now to track down Joyce Tidrick and beg for bigger photos!






http://www.etsy.com/listing/63356312/ dollhouse-ballet-school-reserved-for

I don't know how much longer this sold listing will be here, so I'm posting two of the pictures.  Here we have the Willowcrest posing as a ballet school by Teresa of Plume Poppy Designs!






















http://www.amazingmini.nl/poppenhuis/ Poppenhuiswereld/The_Willowcrest.html

This website is in Dutch.  Click on the big 'hier' link to see more photos! Dinie in the Netherlands took out the stairs altogether to make a huge kitchen.  Also be sure to check out the magnificent parquet floor in the living room!





http://www.pamelajminis.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=2490866

Pamela J's dollhouse has a tea party in progress.  I've never seen the resin dolls used so effectively!  Check out the placement of the attic stairs, as well as the clever use of trimwork all over the house.





http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/ album/view/21082276

Grammapux demonstrates a few decorating tips with her Willowcrest album.  I never considered model railroad gravel for flat roofs!



http://www.cdhm.org/user/ midnightmagicminiatures

CDHM artist Lauretta Carroll of Midnight Magic Miniatures loved the Willowcrest so much she designed a version in 1/144th scale!  Scroll down to see it and possibly order your own.





http://miladyestates.wordpress.com/tag/willowcrest/

Finally, Lady Christin has just started on her Willowcrest, and it looks like she will blogging about it.  Judging from her inspiration pictures, it's going to be amazing!  Keep an eye on her site!



Even more versions can be found on Greenleaf's forum.  It's free to sign up, and you can find a lot of helpful people there!  

If you have a Willowcrest, I would love to link to it, or post pictures of it in this collection!  Send me photos!

Update - 9/5/2013

I found Linchen's Little Cottage blog, with work-in-progress posts of Lina's Willowcrest.  So far she has added windows and divided up the third floor attic into two rooms with a hall!

Update - 10/23/2013

I found this auction on eBay - hopefully you'll be able to see the images after it's over.  Yellow house, claiming to be a replica in Saratoga, New York.  Cute swinging bar doors to the kitchen, and a bathroom and walls added to the garrett.



I also discovered a birdhouse on Wayfair that is VERY similar to the Willowcrest.  What fun!












Update: 11/24/2013


Nancy and Vall in the Netherlands made this wonderfully detailed 'house of negotiable affection.' I love the colors and wallpapers, and so much attention to detail!  (I actually did the moss bird's nest on my house, but mainly to hide a mistake I made under the eaves of the dormer windows.)  Caution - there are some very naughty dolls in the last few pictures!









Update: November 2, 2014

Wasting-Gold-Paper found a finished Willowcrest in wild colors and has plans for a magical girl's school.  So far this is the only post about her Willowcrest, but hopefully she'll swing back to it!



Update: 3/21/15

Gina at More Minis has an awesome blog where she documents building various dollhouse kits.  Watch her build her Willowcrest!  (It's probably going to  be a lot faster than watching me redo mine.)



For information on historical architecture relating to the Willowcrest, check out another post - Real Life Willowcrest?

Update: May 14, 2016

Elizabeth at Studio E Miniatures has been carefully planning for a long time.  I know because I've been following HER collection of Willowcrest images on Pinterest!  (It was really exciting to see my photos show up there.)  She's taking an amazingly Mediterranean direction.















Update: June 20, 2016

The Willowcrest is also appearing in artwork!  Admire this oil painting by Susan Lyon.



Also, website designer Anne Gerdes designed the menu feature for the Miniature Designs shop.  Look familiar?    (Websites change their look frequently, so I posted the obvious elements below.)

Updated 6/26/16

Carys of Northampton is parting with her completed Willowcrest and posted some amazing photos. I uploaded the two most thorough since there's nowhere to link to them.  Her version even has a back so you can fully close it up! I love how it has furniture and lighting attached to it.


I recently come across another super miniature kit on eBay.  They are calling it an 'Aegean Sea' house, and claiming it's 1:48 scale (or O scale.)  The glass ball it's in is 5" wide, according to the description.  If it's a direct Chinese knockoff of Midnight Magic Miniature's version, I apologize for purchasing it.  I'll let you know the actual dimensions, and hope that this is a Willowcrest I actually finish!



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