Barbie Doll House Buying Guide

The original Barbie was released in 1959.  Her first "role" was as trend-setting teen-aged model.  She was an enormous hit, and soon Mattel began creating toy environments for her.  In 1962, Mattel released the first Barbie Dream House.

This first Barbie house was--and remains--a tribute to mid-century style.  Sleek, low armless couches flanked the hi-fi/television console--where Barbie could watch herself on TV!  In addition to furnishings, lamps and rugs, Barbie-sized 33 rpm albums with authentic cover art were available for tossing on the floor.  Barbie's 1962 record collection featured Nat King Cole, the Lettermen,  and Frank Sinatra's "Swinging Sessions."

As times and stylings changed, so did the furnishings and decorating themes of Barbie houses.  Today, there are a wide variety of Barbie houses.  Barbie can make a choice between studio apartment-sized spaces to full, multi-storied Victorian houses.  

Mattel inadvertently simulated a real-life accessible housing dilemma when children discovered that Barbie's wheelchair-bound friend, Becky, couldn't enter her house through Barbie's doors and elevators.   Appropriately chagrined, Mattel promised to rectify the problem.  Since 2002, Mattel has been building Barbie houses to meet handicapped codes. 

Many parents like the idea of building a custom Barbie house for their child.  If you're interested in building your own Barbie house, be advised that you'll need to find plans specific to dolls of Barbie's dimensions.  "Regular" doll houses are built to 1/12th scale--too small for 11 1/2-inch tall dolls like Barbie.