Finished stairs and mullions

The mullions are all painted and installed, both sides of windows and doors. It too some trial and error to get to the best process to downsize each (paint caused them to swell a bit). Sanding each edge 8 back and forth strokes was the sweet spot. I was nipping off a tiny bit with exact knife but that wasn't consistent. 

The 2nd floor stairs are also completed, stain and paint, fretwork and carpet runner. I'm awaiting the stair rods this week for the final step. Lots of painstaking taping so I could paint the risers but it was worth it in the end. My hand isn't steady enough to do by hand. 

Happy to finally wrap this up. I do need to glue together the stairway bannisters to their cornerposts and place them into position. 

 

Mullions

I've been spray painting the mullions for windows and doors. I knew I needed adhesive to attach them to because they are so lightweight. I started by using blue tape, and that is labor intensive both in laying out the mullions and in removing the painted mullions. 

I rooted around and found low tack spray adhesive - that is the answer! Spraying on cardboard, and attaching mullions, spraying them and then quickly sliding them off onto parchment paper. 

I've attached mullions to several windows and all doors. Feels good to get this time-consuming work done finally. The rooms look truly finished with the mullions!

Windows and doors complete

I'm finally done painting all the windows and doors! The only remaining parts are the mullions and I've decided to hold off until warmer weather where I can spray them outside. There are way too many of those to think about hand-painting them.

For this reason, the windows and doors are not glued in.  I do have the 2 oeil-de-boeuf dormers to attach. I also haven't glued in the interior arches for the 2 wings (Kitchen and Study). I want to be sure I can remove the door portion to attach those mullions.

Painting exterior frames and color washing.

Painting and painting and painting

Placing the door, filling the gaps, and attaching the exterior window trim.

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. 

Changed finish of exterior windows

Funny how time changes your mind on your previous choices. I just kept rethinking the dark red burgundy exterior color on the windows. I bit the bullet and re-painted them white. Yes, from one extreme to another.

Of course I'd already glued them in, and fortunately that wasn't too much of a challenge, with the exception of the 2nd floor arch window. That bit the dust when I attempted to remove it. Repainting white over the dark of course took 2 coats, not to mention that the windows were pretty much painted shut the first time. I kept all the 1st floor ones, and ended up trashing the 4 2nd floor ones and getting new windows. Odd that not all of those 2nd floor windows had the removable wood, allowing you to paint without the acrylic.

I'm still not sure about if I will change the front door. I am thinking maybe a combo of white and burgundy.

Exterior windows

I've been working on the Thornhill windows - starting with the first floor since most of that floor's rooms are done and I knew what the interior colors would be also.

Thank goodness I kept notes on how I did the color washes in the living room, so I could go back and replicate it. Turns out I had done the interior trims on some a few years ago when I did the living room walls too....I guess I had the foresight to think ahead.

The exterior trim was supposed to be grey, like a photo from a book I have. Either I just wasn't getting the right grey or it really was a bad idea. I asked DH what he thought on the grey, and he didn't really like it  - said it didn't pop for him. So back to the drawing board...and I found burnt sienna. That seemed to complement the earthtones, and made the 'pop' and contrast. So that's where I went.

I also got the front roof shingled - looking good! Then here's the interior color wash I reproduced  - not bad after a couple of years. I think for the 2nd story, I'm going to stain the interior windows cherry, rather than paint. Turns out that the 2nd floor windows don't have removable panes - can't believe that...but as a result, painting even the exterior of those window frames is a huge challenge.

For the back, I cut 2 openings - a window upstairs and a french door downstairs. So am working on those too. I think the french door turned out nicely. 

Here again is the color wash on the interior of the french door.