A Look Back at the Most Iconic Barbie Dream Houses

Table Of Content

• Barbie's Townhouse
• Every Night is Girls Night - Movie Inspired T-Shirt - Girls Night Kids Shirt - Toddler Girly Pink Shirt BRY-0954
• SteamLine Luggage The Entrepreneur Pink Hat Box
• DIGITAL DOWNLOAD Plastic Canvas Barbie Condo & Snowmobile Pattern Booklet
• Barbie’s Bachelorette Pad
• Barbie 1977 Dream House Pink furniture vintage Mattel Nightstand Table
• Midge Life in the Dreamhouse Barbie

But since we’re discussing the types of Barbie dream houses, it’s essential to know this type too. It will help you properly value vintage Barbie dream house later on. Most antique and vintage item collectors do not classify an item less than 30 years old as vintage item. Therefore, the Barbie Deluxe Dream House released in 1998, is not considered a vintage Barbie dream house.

Barbie Dreamhouse Over Six Decades: An Architectural Tour - The New York Times

Barbie Dreamhouse Over Six Decades: An Architectural Tour.

Posted: Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Barbie's Townhouse

Amid this Barbie-mania, Mattel devised a portable playset titled the "Barbie Dream House" and launched it in 1962. Subsequent versions of this Barbie-themed doll house came every few years, with each new generation of child being introduced to the design-specific house of their era. The Barbie Dream House is still incredibly popular today, with the company currently selling a Barbie Dream House that comes equipped with a pool, slide, garage, and elevator for about $200. This refreshed Dreamhouse featured many new accents and accessories, including planters, shutters, working doors, and windows. The home was so popular that it was produced for almost a decade in a range of colors, including pink and white. The A-frame style — which dominated the design space in the 1970s — featured pops of bright color, and plastic and vinyl furnishings addressed the fascination with convenience and tech.

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Barbie’s dream house surfaced as a major jump from urban settings to sub-urban settings. This unique edition of the Barbie dream house featured a spacious rooftop and ground floor. On the contrary, modern Barbie dream houses are the ones that Mattel manufactured from the 1990s to the present date. These models are relatively new and still readily available in the market.

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Color trends for this time period were also honored, and the décor evolved with a more monochromatic color palette. Spend a day with Barbie in a replica of her original 1962 Dream House. In honor of Mattel’s 75th anniversary, this vintage reproduction is identical to the original, right down to the mid-century modern décor, self-assembled slim-line furniture and decorative accessories.

Barbie’s dream houses have had up-and-down fluctuations if we talk about functionality. 1962, 1974, and 1983 Barbie’s dream house had little functionality. For that very reason, there’s been no major structural change in Barbie’s dream houses for the last three decades. All of them resemble one another and are a mixture of initial releases. In 1979, Mattel introduced a fully-functional and enclosed version of Barbie’s dream house. It comprised two floors, six rooms, a large window, and functional French doors.

Barbie’s Bachelorette Pad

(Who doesn't love the collegiate pennants and dreamy photo of Ken?) Barbie's first home might've been on the smaller side, but Tara McCauley points out that big dreams are seldom restrained by square footage. Of all Barbie’s residences, this lavish mansion was truly upgraded. It featured working electronics, like a ringing telephone and doorbell, and a glowing accessories, like a fireplace and chandelier. The Dreamhouse’s design retained the indulgent influence of the ’80s, but it also addressed the growing fascination with taking comfort to the next level by adding electronic enhancements and increased functionality.

In this section, we’ve listed some of the most expensive and valuable Barbie dream houses sold to date. Initially, everything about Barbie and her dream house depended on what was trending in the real world. If A-roof houses dominated real estate at the time, then that’s exactly what Barbie’s dream house looked like. Since you’ve browsed all the types of Barbie dream houses, it’s safe to assume you’ve noticed how the dream house developed over time.

Midge Life in the Dreamhouse Barbie

Now she’s hitting the big screen in the “Barbie” movie, reportedly made for $100 million. Production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer aimed to create an “idealized version of Palm Springs,” Ms. Greenwood said.. It’s an Instagrammable approach to design and décor — a skill influencer Barbie perfected through her @barbiestyle Instagram account, with a following of over 2 million. Barbie’s A-frame house had window planters overflowing with plastic flora — her plants were no longer just 2D. Now, Ms. Dalsing lives in Saint Joseph, Mo., in what she called her own dream house.

"After the Victorian foray, we started to to see what looks and feels not dissimilar to the good old 70's townhouse," she explains. Speaking of small spaces, Mattel thought beyond the typical four walls with this foldable, portable alternative. Though Barbie's dream houses typically become larger and more grandiose as time goes by, the Folding Pretty House feels uncharacteristically small and simple. "It could get pretty small when packed, kind of a throwback to the very first homes that had a definite pack and play vibe," Sklar shares. While the 1979 iteration may not have all the bells and whistles of the more recent models—and, of course, that primarily pink palette—designer Candace Shure admits it's her personal dream house.

Now that you know the top 19 most valuable vintage Barbie dream houses, along with their types and valuation, we hope you embark on your hunt for the right price or model properly. If you’re selling an old Barbie dream house, browse the factors above to determine a fair price for your doll house. Though she’s known for being a fashion icon, it’s not just Barbie’s personal style that has received a great deal of attention over the past four decades; the ultra-fabulous world in which she lives gets kudos too. We’ve seen Barbie’s design aesthetic transform from the original 1962 multi-colored, swirling Mod style Dreamhouse to the ultra-glam, modern-chic, three-story Dreamhouse of 2012. Although the seller offered this rare edition is only $125, the shipping costs were around $290. But it’s all worth it, given that you get to collect the Deluxe Barbie dream house from 1998 in a unique color scheme.

It comes with the accessories included in the original box as well as some added ones. Plus, the seller also provides Barbie and her family, comprising Ken and five baby dolls. Even today, the ongoing real estate trends and building needs slightly influence the look and features of the latest Barbie dream houses. The house structure was all enclosed and included functional doors and windows.

As the 1970s ended, Barbie — and many Americans — gave up the metropolitan lifestyle and moved out to the suburbs with a prototypical A-frame home. To impress men, Ms. Brown instructed women on having a “wall of pictures,” a “sexy kitchen” and plenty of books — features found in Barbie’s townhouse. While the toy’s debut could have been an act of feminist revolt, it was also about making money — perhaps primarily so. “You get hooked on one and you have to buy the other,” he said.

Even the oldest Mattel Barbie houses are not really that old – 6 decades tops. For a lot of other items, that’s not enough to even be considered an antique. So, it stands to reason that the prices of Barbie dollhouses will increase even further in the future. As the world waits with bated breath for the premiere of Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie, the design community has thrusted the spotlight on the dreamhouse. The Barbie dreamhouse isn't just the star of a certain movie premiering this week—have you heard of it?

The 1983 version of Barbie’s New Townhouse is not as popular as the 1974 version. If you check out timelines, you will not find this version mentioned in most places. However, unlike the original house, the settings in this house were not 3D or walk-in.