Gloria Furniture + Repaint

I've long admired Gloria doll furniture on ebay, but haven't been able to discover much about it. It seems to be a Barbie knock-off, made and sold in China, and the boxes have a 1990s style. I finally bought two sets I'd been admiring, and didn't realize until receiving them that my dining table was "My Fancy Life" brand. However, it's obviously the same design as Gloria, as the wine glasses and bottle are identical. (If anyone knows anything about these brands, please tell me!) I paid less than $30 for the two items.

Yes, Chinese Barbie is allowed to drink, clue #1 that this wasn't sold in the US when I was a 90's kid. But I feel rude calling these designs a knock off; although they are Barbie-sized, they seem to all be original designs and are both clever and practical. Making a doll house is a big desire of mine, and Mattel products haven't filled that void in the way Gloria does. 

The dining room set comes in pieces, cleverly packed into the smallest possible space. 

Beautiful wood grain molding

As I mentioned, this is a repaint post. I didn't assemble the set as is- I'm too eager to give the table the realism it's longing for. No one has pink tables! 

I used a satin spray paint so it wouldn't be too glossy.

Be slow with your spray painting. Wear a mask. Do it outdoors. Go light and do several coats. 

I loved the IKEA style instruction on the wine cabinet. This was slightly more challenging than expected. Unfortunately, I started scratching up my paint job quickly as I used the functioning doors. 

I also painted several small details on the table- the bloody looking candlesticks got some new yellow flames and a black base. (I still can't decide if black is too modern for this table. My husband recommends gold leaf- maybe I'll try that someday.) I also spray-painted the plates a solid white. (They had a purple fish-skeleton pattern. Also there were matching cardboard placemats with the same design... I tossed those.)

Finally ready for a family dinner! Christy's American Teen sister Dominque is joining her tonight. (Most of my dolls are in storage right now...)

Sisters chatting late into the night

Part of what I love about this set is the number of small details. I realize this isn't ideal for kids- I would have lost half of this immediately. But... I still would have had fun. And as a collector now, this detail thrills me.

The wine cabinet has lovely details- the fleur de lis on the glass doors, the crystal glass doorknobs, the recessed trim... When it was pink, the details were lost, but a nice brown brings the set into relief with elegant realism.  This was a good buy and an easy craft. Try it for yourself!