A dollhouse is much more than a simple wooden or plastic building. In order to capture the feel and the essence of an actual home, your dollhouse needs to balance on many different levels. Your dollhouse can be used to evoke a certain mood, from happy excitement to darkness and foreboding. Although many factors go into creating these moods, interior design is a large piece of the puzzle. Interior design will also be used to determine how much of what type of furniture you will want, as well as the style and placement of those furniture pieces. Your interior design plan can also influence the small touches added once the basic dollhouse is complete, from televisions to magazines to air conditioning units.

Before beginning your interior design plan, be sure that you are clear on how the dollhouse will be used. If the dollhouse is to be used as a toy for small children, then your design plan will be fairly simple. Let the child's imagination fill in the details by providing a blank slate for him or her to work with. Decorate with simple furnishings in neutral colors.

If your dollhouse will be a display item, then you have much more latitude in designing its interior. Decide on the mood and style you wish to evoke. For a traditional feel, you will want to use warm colors, antique furnishings and Queen Anne or Chippendale style furniture. A more contemporary design will use sleek lines and minimal visual clutter. If there is a particular design style or era in which you are interested, then research that era or style to determine what elements are the most representative. Most homes are decorated in a more eclectic style and most dollhouses are no different. Feel free to mix and match a wide variety of design elements.

From this point on, concentrate on each individual room. Find the room's focal point. Sometimes this will be a built-in element from the dollhouse's exterior shell. More often, however, you will need to create the focal point as part of your interior design. This could be a piece of furniture, a painting or any other specific detail. The focal point should draw the eye into the room, creating an invitation to look more closely.

Next, draw up the room's floor plan. This is most easily done on graph paper, using a format where one square equals one inch. Remember to draw out the room carefully, including all windows, doors and architectural elements that are already in the room. Make sure that you allow reasonable space around each piece of furniture, avoiding a cluttered look.

Now that you have the basics of your interior design, you are ready to pick the fun details. Choose your colors, fabric patterns and textures, and exact stylings. Shop around and have fun looking through catalogs and websites. Do not hurry this process, but let it evolve organically. Remember that furnishing a well-equipped dollhouse is like furnishing a home on a miniature scale. Think about sink styles, lighting elements, mirrors, wallpaper or paint and many other details. Remember your overall vision when choosing individual elements.

Your interior design should follow a top-down theory. First, choose the overall design style for the house. Then choose the focal point, floor plan and design style for the individual room. Finally, select the furniture and other furnishings that complement the vision you have selected. Take your time and trust your judgment and imagination.