Restoration using Digital Design: A Dolls House Reborn 

July 2026

 

Our latest Project of the Month at the Church Crookham and Fleet Men's Shed demonstrated how traditional craftmanship can we reproduce using modern technology. Shedder Keith D., took a vintage dolls house frontage and restored is beauty using our £D printers using his newly learned expertise in 3D design, to help a grandma restore a heirloom dolls house. 

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The Challenge: Brittle and Yellowed Windows and Door 

The project arrived at the Shed with a common problem: time. The plastic windows and front door on the house’s front panels had suffered severe UV damage over the years. They had turned an unsightly yellow, grown incredibly brittle, and standard cleaning products could not restore them.  As it was an older, unique model, the only path we had was to remove and replace. 

The Solution: A Complete Digital Rebuild 

Having spent most of this year learning the design software, Shedder Keith D was up for the challenge and decided to create brand-new components from scratch which proved to be no quick task. Keith spent considerable time using our Fusion 360 CAD software, firstly measuring the old parts and redrawing each piece digitally, 3D printing it and checking the fit, and adjusting as necessary until it fitted perfectly. Each window has a front and back and the door was two pieces as was the door frame and the pelmet above the front door. 

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Once all the parts were printed, it was time for fitting and gluing into place, so sandwiching the Dolls House front between each 3D printed piece. 

The Result: Better Than New 

Needless to say, the owner was very happy with the result when she collected the completed front with it shiny white windows and door and will be ready for a new generation of grandchildren to enjoy. 

Thanks to Keith’s patience, engineering skill, and mastery of Fusion 360, we have one very happy visitor. Brilliant work, Keith!