A Guide to Dollhouse Scales? (1/12, 1/24, 1/6 etc.)

Let me guess: your little one is longing to get their favorite dollhouse, but when you visit a toy store, you find yourself being clueless over which scale to get it in?

It is commonly assumed that the larger it is – the better. Still, there are a lot of details that go behind getting the perfect dollhouse. You might find benefit in knowing them!

Determining The Scale Of Dollhouses

To give you a brief introduction – remember that there are multiple dollhouse scales. You should consider those scales before getting a dollhouse.

What is even a dollhouse scale, though? And what scale are dollhouses? You will be surprised to know how useful these questions are for getting your desired dollhouse.

Dollhouses follow certain criteria. That criteria set its dimensions, the breadth of each room, and the length of the house. Its entire structure is similar to that of a real house.

To make things easier for us, each dollhouse has a unique scale that helps buyers decide better by comparing the ratio of miniature houses to real life.

A dollhouse for children might have a different scale from a traditional dollhouse kept by people who harbor an interest in possessing miniature dollhouses.

For this reason, before making the final decision of getting a dollhouse, think properly about which dollhouse scale would be the most suitable for you.

Types Of Dollhouse Scales

Now that we have established what a dollhouse scale is, let’s dig a little into how many types it has. We are primarily going to focus on four types of dollhouse scales: 1:12 scale dollhouse, 1:6 scale dollhouse, 1:24 scale dollhouse, and a half scale dollhouse.

1:12 Scale Dollhouse

The 1:!2 scale dollhouse, also called the one-inch scale, happens to be the most frequently used scale for children’s dollhouses. If an object is seven feet long in real life, then it will be 7 inches long in the dollhouse – for one foot in real life, an object in the dollhouse is one-inch long.

The 1:12 scale shot to fame after the Queen Mary’s dollhouse in 1924. This scale creates highly detailed dollhouses. You can also find a few animals and furniture items being commonly made on this scale. It is easy to work on miniature dollhouses using it as well.

However, on account of size limitations, this scale can also be restricting and might make it difficult to generate complex miniature items. Hence, scenes with tall buildings are rarely present in this scale.

1:6 Scale Dollhouse

The 1:6 scale dollhouse, also known as the ‘Playscale’, or ‘Fashion Doll’ scale, is perfect for doll-like figures such as the Barbie. It states that for an object of six inches, one inch is represented according to the scale.

They happen to have the largest dollhouses. It gets easy for children to grab hold of miniature items of this scale. The 1:6 scale dollhouse is also present in big box stores as it uses cheap plastic.

However, due to its large size, complications can arise in displaying unique miniature items.

1:24 Scale Dollhouse

The 1:24 scale dollhouse scale, also commonly known as half scale dollhouse, displays a one-foot object as half an inch by the scale. This scale is gaining popularity in the UK and Europe, and is also a scale used to make dollhouses for children.

In the 1950s, the 1:24 scale seemed to be renowned, but is recently meeting new heights of popularity. It is cheaper than the 1:12 scale dollhouse; however, it is rarer than the 1:12 scale as well.

1:18 Scale Dollhouse

Lundby dollhouses make use of the 1:18 scale, and they are commonly seen in Sweden. In this scale, an eighteen-inch object in real life would represent one inch (2/3 scale). The 1:18 scale was, at the time when dollhouse and miniature item manufacturers started to regulate their articles, was the most famous.

However, it is no longer that commonly used anymore. It also frequently makes use of the 1:16 scale furniture to gain a better look. This is so because play furniture on this scale does not always fit the right size.

1:48 Scale Dollhouse

The 1:48 scale is also known as the quarter-inch scale. This scale displays a one-foot object in real life as a quarter inch.

It is shooting to fame in areas such as the UK and North America. It is a famous scale to manufacture construction toys, as well as diecast and plastic models. A benefit of using the 1:14 scale is that it adds extra space to your dollhouse.

However, it is much more difficult to catch dollhouse miniature items in this scale as compared to other scales such as the 1:12 scale and the 1:24 scale.

1:144 Scale Dollhouse

The 1:144 scale is commonly known as the ‘Micro-scale’. It happens to be the smallest dollhouse scale as well.

Notably, the 1:144 scale dollhouse is called the dollhouse for a dollhouse – given its tiny size. The small size of this scale makes it very attractive to a viewer, as a dollhouse this size could be a very good addition to an existing dollhouse.

Nonetheless, this scale is rare and hard to find. Due to the small size, it is not only costly, but you can also easily lose miniature items of this scale.

Dollhouse Scale Calculator

You can also look for a dollhouse scale calculator to transform any measurements in real life into dollhouse scale inches. For that, you will insert your item’s measurements, choose a dollhouse scale, and find converted values.

Frequently Asked Questions