What Scale Are Barbie Dolls?

When buying a dollhouse and furniture or dolls, it is important to consider the proportions of the house and accessories to ensure they will play well together. We are often asked 3 questions about dollhouse proportions. Firstly, what does proportion itself mean. Secondly, can you mix and match furniture sizes? Thirdly, which proportion will work best for my child? We hope this guide gives you the information you need to feel confident when buying a dollhouse:

What is Dollhouse Proportion?

Dollhouses are often designed to replicate a real house and their proportions tend to follow a similar size ratio to increase realism. Dollhouse proportions are measured in imperial units and in simple terms can be broken down with the following formula:

1 inch on the dollhouse = x inches on the real thing

We will explain each proportion further below:

1:6 Scale 1:6 Scale
1:6 dollhouse proportions are sometimes referred to as fashion doll proportions. They are suitable for Barbie or similar dolls that are 30cm tall. These dollhouses are the largest dollhouses available and it is important to consider whether they will fit into the space available.

1:12 Scale
1:12 Scale
1:12 Scale is sometimes called one-inch scale, meaning that 1 foot (or 12 inches) in real life has been scaled down to 1 inch. If you measure the ceiling of your house and it is 10 feet, then the dollhouse is 10 inches.

1:16 Scale1:16 Scale
1:16 dollhouse scale is sometimes called 3/4 scale. 1 inch in this scale equals 16 inches in real life, or 3/4 inches equals 1 foot.

1:18 Scale1:18 Scale
Some dollhouses are made in 1:18 scale (sometimes called 2/3 scale). The same scale rules as above apply: 1 inch in this scale equals 18 inches in real life.

What furniture scales work together?

Not all furniture is suitable for all dollhouses, and large furniture may clutter the rooms of a small-scale house, or simply not fit. Smaller scale furniture can sometimes work well into a larger dollhouse as it can give the room a grander feel as the ceilings will appear higher. But we do recommend choosing items of the same scale, otherwise your dollhouse may end up looking mismatched.

Which scale is best for my child?

Suitable for ages 4+ Suitable for ages 3+ Suitable for ages 1+ It all depends on the age of your child, their fine motor skills and how gentle they are when playing. You may find that a larger dollhouse (e.g. 1:12 scale) is better for a smaller child as the pieces are larger and often easier for little hands to hold, whereas a smaller dollhouse often has more detailed features and may be better for a slightly older child as they can interact with it more easily. But this isn't always the case, so each product has a recommended age icon to help you decide.

Not suitable for children aged 0-3 Many furniture sets come with miniature accessories such as cups and books, and if you have a child under 3, we recommend leaving these aside until they are older as they can be a choking hazard.