In 2013 came Olivia's house; then in 2015 came Emma's; now 2017 brings Stephanie's house, an equally beautiful set.
Let's start with the exterior. To me, the stunning outer architecture is what sets it apart from the previous two installments. What immediately catches my eye are the windows. Such a lovely new printed design, and the bay windows in the dining area add to the picturesque charm. On the top floor, there are shutters - I modified them so that you can actually close them to cover the window. Aside from that, I like that the porch swing can fit all three mini-dolls. The porch swing gives the house a quaint cottage feel, while the balcony balances it out by adding a regal flair.
Now, on to the interior. Several things to consider -
1. Very difficult to access the dining/kitchen area. However, this was designed with a remedy in mind, as the top floor is easily removable.
2. I find it odd that the seats in the kitchen don't all match. 2 look like stools, while one looks like a chair.
3. No rooftop area. Less front-lawn, which I don't mind (more focus on the actual house.)
4. First of the friends' houses to have a staircase; seems to be a new piece with the January 2017 wave.
Note: Left side does NOT separate from the right side, as was the design with Olivia's/Emma's house.
This set comes with many cool accessories/pieces that are relatively new - a list with writing on it, a party invitation (both printed, NOT stickers), and even an entire pie (divided into four slices. Also comes with one extra pie slice in case one is lost, for a total of 5 slices.)
I always love the mini-dolls that come with the house sets, the parents in particular, as new face/body pieces are often created especially for them. It's nice that the mom is wearing pants instead of a skirt for a change, and I'm glad to see another face with glasses (only the second so far with the mini-dolls I believe). As a side note, I've noticed that only older characters have had glasses, but obviously, teens and younger people wear them too, and I would like to see this represented. Sort of disappointed that we have yet to see a brother or sister included. It could even be a similarly aged sibling, to avoid having to make a whole new 'shorter' version of a younger brother/sister.
Overall, this set is a nice addition to my collection of Friends' houses. At the current rate, we may see Mia's or Andrea's house in 2019 and by 2021, we should hopefully see all 5 houses. A long wait, but I know there will be plenty of other wonderful sets to occupy myself with in the next 4 years!
