Starting the new year right. My new antique doll's house.

 Happy New Year everyone!

I am starting 2016 with a new addition to my collection.

While visiting friends in Maryland I found this beautiful FAO Schwarz Mystery House in an antique shop.

This is one of several dollhouses made in the 1890s, and sold at FAO Schwarz. No one has ever discovered who made these houses, or whether it was one craftsman or a factory. Because of this, the esteemed dollhouse historian Flora Gill Jacobs coined the term "Mystery House." The houses came in many sizes with various architectural configurations. They all share two distinctive features - tramp art trim on the exterior, and painted parquet floors.

Long ago someone painted the house white with green trim. It doesn't look bad, but I hope to be able to restore the house to its original colour.

I am not sure the roof is original to the house. It is a different type of wood and the window frames are a different shape, but it suits the house so it's okay by me.

I put in the few pieces of furniture I also found in Maryland to give the house a lived in feel. I will do a more thorough decorating job when I get the house home.

The parquet floors are intact, but will look better after a good cleaning. The tramp art trim will also look better if I can get the white paint off. It should be a contrasting colour.

I am so excited to add this house to my collection. When I saw it in the antique shop I felt as if Santa had left it especially for me. What a thrill to find and then own this rare dollhouse.

My friends' dog, Mango, supervised as I furnished the house. She is a very sweet dog.

Happy New Year and all the best to you and yours in 2016.