After Youla Saff had finished styling her two daughters’ rooms, she decided to pursue the painstaking task of recreating them in miniature in what resulted in one of the most amazing dollhouses we’ve ever seen. From the tiny replica furniture to the amazing finishes (Youla even stained the timber floors!) you can’t help but be impressed by the level of detail.
“I had this little lightbulb idea to replicate our home in miniature so the girls can have a piece of our home forever. After styling and revealing their rooms, I decided to dedicate some time towards the gorgeous Victorian dollhouse we had and start planning the mini reno. Little did I know then, it wouldn’t be so little,” says Youla who purchased most of the items online – a mix of regular and custom pieces.
Youla estimates that she put in at least 40 to 50 hours work on the dollhouse. “It took me approximately two days to stain, cut and install the timber flooring as I did it all myself using the same stain as the timber in our home. We repainted the house to our feature colours and built custom furniture too,” says Youla who explains that the timber floors were the most intricate, fiddly and messy part of the project. “But sanding back the mahogany paint to recreate my study was also a nightmare!”
The dollhouse was initially received with a fairly lacklustre response from five-year-old Taliah. “Her exact words were ‘I don’t care, this isn’t a gift’ and then she cried. I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh myself and my husband just burst into laughter. I think she expected some bright Barbie pink furniture which would’ve been much cheaper and easier. But I don’t think she understood the concept of the replica,” says Youla.
“She plays with it a lot now. I often find her hidden in her room pretend playing and I absolutely love it. It’s a big difference to the initial reaction of when she received it. She didn’t love it at first sight, but she has definitely learnt to love it and appreciate it. I would love to lie and say I have deleted that reaction from my mind, but it will be eternally etched into my memory. Maybe there is a lesson to take from this, maybe keep things simple next time. And maybe fewer projects? Yeah right!” says Youla.
And if you thought that was impressive, check out the cubby house her husband just completed for the girls!
When can we move in?!
Follow Youla’s decorating adventures on her blog, Belle Abode