Scale basics

What “1:12” actually means

Scale is a ratio. In 1:12, one inch in your miniature stands for twelve inches, one foot, in real life. Everything shrinks by the same amount, so a room only looks right when every piece in it uses the same scale.

1:6

Playscale · 2 in = 1 ft

Twice the size of 1:12. The scale of fashion dolls and doll dioramas.

16 in

1:12

One-inch scale · 1 in = 1 ft

The standard dollhouse scale. The most furniture, kits and printables are made for it.

8 in

1:24

Half scale · ½ in = 1 ft

Half the size of 1:12. Good for book nooks, small kit houses and tight shelves.

4 in

1:48

Quarter scale · ¼ in = 1 ft

Tiny. Often used for a dollhouse inside a dollhouse.

2 in

Bars show an 8 ft ceiling at each scale, drawn to the same proportion.

Everyday sizes in miniature
Real item	1:6	1:12	1:24
Ceiling height, 8 ft	16 in	8 in	4 in
Interior door, 80 × 32 in	13⅓ × 5⅓ in	6⅔ × 2⅔ in	3⅓ × 1⅓ in
Kitchen counter, 36 in high	6 in	3 in	1½ in
Dining table, 30 in high	5 in	2½ in	1¼ in
Chair seat, 18 in high	3 in	1½ in	¾ in
Full bed, 54 × 75 in	9 × 12½ in	4½ × 6¼ in	2¼ × 3⅛ in
Adult, 5 ft 6 in	11 in	5½ in	2¾ in
Dinner plate, 10 in	1⅔ in	≈ 13/16 in	≈ 7/16 in

Checking scale before you buy or build

Measure one familiar thing. A chair seat should be about 3 in high in 1:6, 1½ in in 1:12, or ¾ in in 1:24. If it isn't, the piece is a different scale.
Mixed scales show right away. 1:24 furniture in a 1:12 room looks like children's furniture. 1:12 pieces won't fit in a 1:24 house at all.
Same scale, different spelling. Listings may write 1:12, 1/12, 1 12 or “one-inch scale.” They all mean the same thing.
Working in metric? Divide the real size in millimeters by 6, 12 or 24. A 900 mm counter becomes 75 mm.

From the shop

Furniture Scale Guide (1:6 to 1:48) →Scale Conversion Cheat Sheet →

What “1:12” actually means

Scale converter

Checking scale before you buy or build