On Memorial Day weekend, I spent a lot of time crouched on the floor by the McKinley, pulling down wallpaper and trim. Good thing I have long fingernails! Some of the trim came off in tact and some broke into a thousand pieces. I can get replacement trim from Greenleaf but I may first try to salvage what I have. I discarded the trim for the doors (am going to replace them with Houseworks doors) and put the window trim in individual baggies for each room so I can find it later. I started stripping the wallpaper using a water / vinegar solution, since I’d heard that would neutralize glue, but soon found that the paper was stuck on with double-stick tape… still sticky after all these years!

   

I pulled out the fireplace, and eventually the stairs, to get the living room wallpaper off. It made me wonder if there’s a better way to use the space… but I like the depth the fireplace adds to the room, so I think I will probably include it.

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This was a TOTALLY unplanned purchase. I had been going along my merry way on the Fairfield, having a great time working in half scale, planning out all the other half scale houses I’d build next. I went so far as to buy back issues of Nutshell News that contained half scale house and furniture plans. Then BAM! I came across this assembled McKinley for a reasonable price – less than half what the unassembled kit would cost – and I had to have it. I made a special trip to pick it up. My boyfriend commented that I’m the only person he knows who would go 60 miles out of her way to buy a dollhouse. (I’ve also been known to drive this far for baby hamsters. But that’s beside the point! Anyway, I’m GLAD I’m the only girl he knows who would drive so far for a dollhouse…)

The house has clearly been loved over the years. I got the impression it’s 20-30 years old. Here are the pictures the seller emailed me. She didn’t say that it was a McKinley, but I recognized it right away…

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