dollhouse - which one? Also open to suggestions!

[almostmom]

I want to get DD a dollhouse for Christmas, but am torn about which one.

I found this one and love it, and with a bunch of discounts, could get it down to closer to $150 (!!). But it really looks great:

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=534290&cmSource=Search

But then my ILs went and bought her a dollhouse at Toys R Us yesterday:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3454148

This looks nice too, but BIG. DD LOVES imaginative play, so any dollhouse I know she'll love. But I kind of think the smaller wooden one has more rooms and avenues to go with play. But it's more expensive, and we'd have to buy it! ILs say they are fine to return theirs, just saw that is was on sale for one day only.

Anyone have experience with either of these? Or do you have another one to suggest? I don't want to get a Plan Toys one, as (I know I'm in the minority) I've found their stuff to break and not be so easy for kids to play with, even though it looks great from my perspective.

Also, we have a small house, so this would go in DD's room, which is also very small.

Thanks!

[traciann]

My experience is that things that I have wanted for dd, it was me more excited about it than her. I would let the inlaws give it to dd because it looks like it would accomodate barbie dolls. My dd LOVES her princess barbie dolls and I can see her playing alot with something like this. We have a loving family house which is still pretty big. I think all dollhouses take up a large amount of space.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I want to know the ups/downs of the big kidkraft ones vs. the FP Loving Family kinds. We have a Ryan's Room It's Too Cute one for 2yos, but I think DD (3.5) would enjoy a more advanced one also.

[american_mama]

My girls, sadly, like the more realistic plastic dollhouses over the Ryan's Room/Plan 9 wooden ones. I've heard others say this too. We have a big one I got off ebay and they stopped playing with it within a few weeks (days?) of buying it, never to really return.

What they love is their Barbie playhouse (we have a one level folding one bought at a thrift store) and Fisher Price Sweet Street (see http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Streets-Family-Home-Country/dp/B0006BAJA4). We've had the Sweet Street one for 4.5 years, lost and found all the pieces several times (just found the dad last week), and they still really love to play with it. We go on car vacations with it because it's all nice and contained.

They've also played with Loving Family at preschool and really like that. I find it almost grotesque - hate the bodies, the joints, the colors, the pastel furniture - but they like it.

I do always think that the wooden one would get more play if I rotated it in and out of use rather than leaving it constantly available on a play table. It's my goal, but I don't have the organization right now for rotating toys in and out. And my girls do use the furniture from that wooden set for the Sweet Streets dolls, who sometimes take possession of the Barbie dollhouse. My girls mix and match with aplomb.

[Melbel]

DD1 has this wooden dollhouse that includes all of the furnishings.

Rosebud Dollhouse Luxury Living Set $97
http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1567

When I redecorated DD1's room for her 6th birthday, I repainted the house to match. I like that it closes up and looks pretty in her room while not being used. The flash washed out the colors a bit (it is now pale pink and brown with khaki trim) but I think you can get the idea:

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