GI Joe makes some cool bunkhouses/ houses. You don't have to buy the guns and GI JOEs to go with it but the houses look like lake cabins and have decks etc. Not frilly and wallpapered.
They sell non military looking furniture too.

OP here. Thanks for all the opinions. I didn't expect so many responses! I'll likely get him the Melissa and Doug one with the elevator he seems to love. Part of my excitement is that we are finally moving into a larger space and I'm so happy to set up a dedicated play/art/reading space for him. We've been crammed into a small space and have been on top of each other, and toys like a dollhouse, furniture like a table space for drawing, and a bookcase just were not possible before. That's why I'm asking about the doll house now, at kind of an older age. At the same time I'm pretty frugal, and I don't want to spend money on a dollhouse if he's going to outgrow it in a year.

Anonymous wrote:My kids played with their Playmobil buildings for a long time (one until 10).

+1 for Playmobil at that age. My son has the mars space station and plays with it basically like a dollhouse. We have a dollhouse too, but the playmobil gets more of his time

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just let him pick something he likes. We need to completely do away with the notion of “boy” and “girl” toys.

+1

Does your son want a dollhouse or do you like the idea of one for imaginative play? Imaginative play comes in many, many forms. Follow your child's lead.

I'd argue that toys were classified as "stereotypical" boy and girl toys because parents of old.... were following children's lead. Families used to have a handful of children and a mix of genders and parents noticed a sort of gravitational pull towards certain toys that tended to align with the kid's sex. When we started having kids, we had all gender neutral toys and honestly, I definitely tried to steer them to more educational/STEM type toys. But the play choices so quickly became stereotyped it was mind blowing. Now I look for "boy" toys for my boys and "girl" toys for my girls because that is what delights them.

Our experience has been very different. Our son likes dance, firefighters, monster trucks, the color purple and dress up - he's 7. He asked for an American Girl doll for his birthday last year. Our daughter's pretty much only interested in sports - never played with dolls - is obsessed with dinosaurs, but also loves anything coated in glitter. We exposed them both to a lot of different things, and they followed their own interests.

My son is six. He inherited my dollhouse when he was about 3 and has played with it off and on since then. Right now it's a Transformers Headquarters. Other times, it's been a cat house and a firehouse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just let him pick something he likes. We need to completely do away with the notion of “boy” and “girl” toys.

+1

Does your son want a dollhouse or do you like the idea of one for imaginative play? Imaginative play comes in many, many forms. Follow your child's lead.

I'd argue that toys were classified as "stereotypical" boy and girl toys because parents of old.... were following children's lead. Families used to have a handful of children and a mix of genders and parents noticed a sort of gravitational pull towards certain toys that tended to align with the kid's sex. When we started having kids, we had all gender neutral toys and honestly, I definitely tried to steer them to more educational/STEM type toys. But the play choices so quickly became stereotyped it was mind blowing. Now I look for "boy" toys for my boys and "girl" toys for my girls because that is what delights them.

Is he asking for one? If he doesn’t have dolls, and is not asking for a doll house, why would you get him one?

My son rarely played with his older sister’s doll house - or played with it other than intended.

Anonymous wrote:Just let him pick something he likes. We need to completely do away with the notion of “boy” and “girl” toys.

+ 1.

Boy vs girl toys are stupid and boyish boys can like interior design as much as the next person

Check out TMNT Epic Sewar Liar and KidKraft Superhero Fire Station. Your DC won’t get teased for these houses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP we had a play kitchen and well into the mid elementary years, kids flocked to it. Nobody teased our sons for having it.

We can't tell you if it's worth purchasing a dollhouse without more information on what you already have, and what/how your son plays now.

Interesting. I wouldn’t have thought older kids would want to play with a play kitchen

Our elementary has a play kitchen in the Extended Day area - and it’s very popular with 2nd graders including mine. Presumably because none of them have one at home anymore unless they have a little sibling.

My 7 year old’s friends flock to our play kitchen. It’s fascinating to me because she never really played with it (my younger one loves it and it’s mostly for him). Older one loves her toy cash register and playing store, probably her favorite pretend play toy.