Midcentury modern

When it comes to dollhouse furniture, I know what I like. Nightstands, dressers, vanities with mirrors and beds with (plastic) chenille spreads.

Kitchens with straight-back chairs and lumpy refrigerators.

When I came across these pieces of furniture at a secondhand store, I knew they weren't my style.

But they caught my eye because their quality was a cut above most of doll furniture of that era. With molded tiles, hinged doors and pull-out drawers.

The kitchen features sleek styling and (plastic) butcher block countertops.

And canned soup.

The furniture was made in Japan in the 1970s by Tomy. Maybe some of you have memories of playing with it? I was a 1960s Barbie girl myself, so I don't have any experience with this.

(Discussion question: Is there anything sadder toy-wise than the devolution of the orginal Mattel Barbies and Barbie doll furniture into the horrifying plastic blobs they became?)

I'm sure I'd have liked the Tomy furniture, since it offered the experience of playing pretend records on a pretend stereo.

Not to mention pretend blow-drying and perfuming.

And reading about pretend teen stars.

Comments

[nanette]

This is the doll furniture of rich kids. Everything I had was pretty much handed down from my sisters or from this family (rich) that gave us stuff (good stuff, wish I had it all). I was a barbie girl, too. Those were new, mostly. But I did have little bits of doll furniture in the Tomy collection. They were hand-me-downs from the rich people. I knew they were special. But who knows what happened to it. Seeing these makes me somewhat sad and somewhat happy.

[Kim G.]

I have the yellow Tomy kitchen set. My grandparents gave me a home made dollhouse and they filled it with the furniture and my grandma sewed the curtains and upholstered things. I still have all of my furniture. I don't know about being rich, my family only shopped at pic 'n save. Looking back now I see that it must have been a very big splurge for my grandparents to buy me dollhouse furniture. I treasure my collection and will hand it down one day. My seven year old Audrey is at the perfect age for it now. I have a set of old dolls that I found years ago that love their home!

[Tina]

Wow, what a collection! Do you still have your Barbies?

[barbara]

Tina, I do have my Barbies! This post made me a little sentimental; I need to get them out again. (Especially the furniture. Oh, how I love that furniture.)

[Kim Kenward]

You had me a doll furniture. I'm glad you rescued these pieces. I totally agree about the new modern furniture available for Barbie. The detail work just isn't there...which is why I continue to be on the hunt for vintage pieces.

[Kathy]

Wowza! A doll house with a dishwasher!
I was a 60s girl so my dollhouse was a Barbie house. Yes, the pink and aqua one that looked like a suitcase. I remember well the little cardboard hi-fi and stack of cardboard record albums. I used to add to the record collection by cutting the album pictures out of the record club advertisements and glueing them to the cardboard from cereal boxes. Haven't thought of that in years.

[Lavender Dreams]

I love the little bottle of perfume and all of the beautiful furniture. I made a list this year of things I would like to 'find' while thrifting! A doll house and doll house furniture is at the top of the list! Wish me luck! Hugs!

[laurie magpie ethel]

What a find with these pieces - a different era than the earlier stuff, but great none the less.
I had some Barbie furniture in my childhood, but I also made a bunch of it. The new stuff is junk compared to the older stuff.

[Heather]

How adorable and sweet are these!! Love the vanity with those sweet light bulbs!! Happy weekend!! xo Heather

[Erica]

Those beds with the plastic chenille bedspreads are incredible! I would love to find some of my own (although I am not sure what I would do with them).

Have a great weekend:-)

Erica

[whit]

These are adorable. I have no experience with anything like this, because most of my toy playing years were in the 80's, the beginning of the rapid downhill slide in design and attention to detail.

My daughter has my old Barbies thankfully, as we were walking down the doll aisle looking for Chelsea clothes, and half of the Barbies i saw on the shelf struck me as looking like men with entirely too much eye shadow on. Sheesh!

We'll be sticking with American Girl and a small collection of barely "vintage" yet Barbies. :)

[Elizabeth]

This is such a fun post for me as I am excitedly awaiting my very first dollhouse in the mail. It's Ranch style, but I hope I don't have to put Mid-Century Modern in it! Such fun! Elizabeth

[Maureen]

Love all the vintage doll house furniture. I never had a doll house, but I always wished I did. So, I'm not sure why I never purchased on for my daughter...(head scratch.) Well, never too to start collecting now. :)
Maureen

[Into Vintage]

You truly find the most amazing things. This little set of furniture is something I would display in my full-sized living room! That Teen Years magazine is cutting it a little too close to home ... those publications were definitely a part of my growing-up years (Hello there, David Cassidy). I switched from Barbie to Teen Beat at some point.

[Shelley Germann]

Very interesting to see these different types. Me personally? I never played with dolls of any kind. I wasn't a tomboy, I just preferred stuffed animals. Lord, did I have tons of those! I will say, your post is timely. I have been helping my mom clear out my great aunt's estate. We've come across boxes of salesman's samples of kitchen cabinets and such. All would be perfect for a dollhouse. I'm guessing they are from the 50's or a little earlier by the style. Don't hold your breath, but maybe I will post them?

[Mitzi Curi]

Not my style either, but I can really appreciate the wonderful details! Very impressive....

[Carol @ Old Glory Cottage]

If only that was a copy of Tiger Beat, and there were some Partridge Family records spinning on the record player, it would be perfection for me!