Architectural Pizazz Part 2

I now have these beautiful Sue Cook doorcases installed and I love them! They add just the right flair to this magnificent house! I still have some filling and touch-up to do, but am so glad I bit the bullet and bought them.

Painting in progress.

French Country Work to do

French Country Work to do
My checklist of things yet to do - so I can refer back to it

First Floor

• Kitchen cabinets
• Kitchen lighting
• kitchen crown - beams like library?
• Library lighting
• 1st floor doorways - sue Cook and framing
• Decide on fireplace mantels and attach

Second Floor

• 2nd floor doors - probably white
• 2nd floor staircase - stain/paint
• Bath - lights

Third Floor

• Chair rail and crown in 3rd floor right side
• Wallpaper 3rd floor hall
• Crown 3rd floor girl's room
• 3rd floor doors - probably white
• 3rd floor - 3 round open ceil canopies?

General

• Windows - decide paint color and paint
• French Doors - figure what extra trim is needed
• Dormer windows - paint and sand, apply
• Wings - one a bath - wiring, paper
• Exterior - roof trim on corners, buy trim

Architectural pizazz

I've been musing for a year about whether to get these beautiful doorcases from Sue Cook. I looked for local alternatives but they just don't compare.

I'm happy to say I ordered these today and am pretty stoked about how they will look!

Here was the other alternative - Unique Miniatures.

Challenges with French Country Manor

I've been stalled for a while on this house, I think its been some challenges I've had and haven't figured out how to handle them.

Doors
The doors and the fanlights have presented some challenges. The doors fit from inside the house (unlike most other houses) and then there are 2 fanlight pieces - one for outside and one for inside. The inside width of the fanlight is slightly wider on either side than the door width. I will have to add a strip of wood to the door frame...maybe a 1/4 inch or so?

Then, I will also need to add a small strip of threshold to the exterior so it fills the small gap between the slate out on the terrace. This is mostly due to the use of cardstock I used on the arch walls for my wallpaper, just enough thickness to cause this. 

Windows

I've been debating on color for the windows. I started out with white, and was fine with that, until working on the Study. White looked too stark and I chose a more tan color (Folkart Linen) for the beams, crown and baseboards. I also did paint one door this same tan...but I'm undecided. 

There are a ton of windows (thirteen), so I have lots of work ahead of me.

Kitchen

Deciding on the cabinets, which, and the placement, and finish is a big one. I just repapered the kitchen for the 3rd time and like it so I'm starting to consider the finish. I'm thinking about lightly distressed cabinets, a cream over a darker stain/paint and the distress would show the darker. I have the pieces I bought from M&R Miniatures so I need to do some test finishes. 

Kitchen lighting

I love the look of the Study ceiling beams and crown and think that this is how I will do the kitchen. ceiling. As for lights, I'm not sure yet what to use. 

Study lighting

While I have the lights for this room and know the placement, I haven't yet done the work of wiring. The 2nd floor wing is removable and I haven't committed to attaching it. Its been a fear of committment! 

I have to wire the 2nd floor, and while I have a lead up there, once I add more tapewire and do the eyelets, I have committed. 

Making Books

I decided to try my hand at making a large quantity of books for my study bookcase. I did some research and bought the Mini Mundus kit. I used a fellow blogger's advise on how to make the books look more realistic  - color in a band around the inside edge of the paper.