Dolls House Wired Lights

Mount the Terminal Strip

The heart of the system is the terminal strip (LT9017): a hub with 12 sockets, a fuse and an on-off switch, which connects to the transformer with its attached cable. Mount it near the bottom of the outside back wall of the dolls house using the adhesive tape on the back of the strip, then connect the lead-in wire to the transformer using the screw terminals. The spade terminals on the end of the wire can be fitted either way round, as most dolls house transformers are AC. If you need more than 12 sockets, or the wires from upstairs lights won’t reach the strip, add one or more triple extension leads (LT9015), which also fix to the back of the house with adhesive pads.

Size the Transformer & Test Every Light

Size the transformer by the number of bulbs being fitted — not by the number of light fittings. It is perfectly acceptable to use a higher-rated transformer than required (though a voltage regulator is recommended if you are running fewer than about 5 bulbs in total), but never exceed the recommended rating on a transformer by adding more bulbs than specified. The most popular transformer (LT9073) will run up to 32 bulbs — enough for most 6 to 8 room houses.

Before installing anything, temporarily plug each light into the terminal strip, switch on and confirm it works. Bulbs often loosen in transit, so they may need tightening before they will work (don’t over-tighten, though!). A useful trick is to slip a plastic straw over the bulb to loosen or tighten it: a straw gets into places far more easily than fingers, and its natural slippage helps prevent over-tightening.

Fit Ceiling Lights

Ceiling lights include ceiling-mounted lamps, hanging lamps and chandeliers. First paint or paper the ceiling of the room, then drill a small hole where the fitting is to go. In the room above, use the corner of a small wood chisel to cut a groove from the hole to the back of the room; the final part of the groove can be made with a drill, which should also be used to make a hole in the rear wall of the house.

Remove the plug from the fitting by holding the plug in one hand while pulling out the pins with a small pair of pliers — this frees the wire the pins were anchoring and allows the plug to come away completely. Pass the wire through the ceiling hole, along the groove in the floor and out through the back wall, then fix the light permanently in place using the adhesive pad supplied. Refit the plug by reversing the removal method, cutting the wire first if necessary for a neat job. Carpet or other floor covering in the room above will then completely hide the wiring.

Fit Wall Lights & Fires

Wall fittings include standard wall lamps, fires and the like. Where possible, fit them to the rear wall of the dolls house: decorate the wall first, then drill a hole for the wire to pass through. Remove the plug as before, pass the wire through the wall, fix the lamp in place and reconnect the plug. Fires are generally supplied without plugs, so purchase a pack of spare plugs (LT9020) if you are intending to fit one.

You can also fit lamps to an interior wall using a similar technique to the ceiling lights: drill a hole through the wall where the fitting is to sit, then on the reverse of that wall cut a groove with the corner of a chisel from the hole to the back of the house — just don’t decorate the other side of the wall until the wiring has been completed.

Add Freestanding Lamps

Table lamps, standard lamps and other freestanding lights use the same technique as wall lamps, but with single-socket extension leads (such as LT9013) in place of the light fittings. The sockets on these cables can be affixed to the inside wall of the house for the lights to plug into.