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.

3rd Floor Bedroom Has a Character

The 3rd floor bedroom has been eluding me for quite a while. I had to have a chair rail since the angled walls are longer than even Brodnax papers. Yesterday somehow it all came together. I still have to do a chair rail, and crown.

I also hung and wired the light. Looks cozy.

New Kitchen Wallpaper, again

Its been a challenge to get the right tone for my French Country Manor kitchen. The first attempt was a plaster like paper that I really loved, but it didn't seam well and then I somehow tore off a small patch. A second paper went up, and almost immediately got removed. The third paper was a yellow and white vine paper. It was just OK but didn't really enhance the tile floor.

I saw the new paper on a dollhouse wall in person at my local dollhouse shop, and I had been looking at it already as a possibility. Once I saw it on the wall, I was sold!

Electrical problems in Dining Room

I had all the fireplace and sconce lighting working and I was cutting and fitting baseboard. I had noticed the floor overhung on the front of the house about an 1/8 inch and slid it out to trim the back edge of the floor. I hosed my wiring job when sliding the floor back in.  While groaning and trying to figure out how I could fix, I noticed that none of the 2nd or 3rd floor lights were working either.

I started to panic but was able to deduce it was the lead going upstairs. I was able to slide out the foyer floor, and add another cross run of tape, joining the run that goes upstairs - that took care of that - whew!

I still have to fix the dining room sconces and fireplace lighting. 

So...I decided to again change the kitchen wallpaper. I've been struggling with what to put in there. I had a few papers picked out, and oddly enough my local shop had a house they were papering for a customer, with one of those choices in it. That sealed the deal and I ordered it. So.....since I would be removing the kitchen paper, I would rewire the dining room sconces through the wall into the kitchen before I paper. I also removed the dining paper from the fireplace wall, and then I'd have access to all the wiring. Then, I reinstalled the chimney breast and papered over it as I wallpapered the wall, the right way of doing it.

So I also had to remove all the crown I just put up on that wall....and once lighting was installed and tested, completed the crown and baseboard. 

Kitchen wall where I drilled to rewire dining room sconces

French Country Design Resources and Notes

Keeping track of colors, sources, how-to's is something I'm not very good at so rather than keep a paper notebook, I'm going to post here.

Wallpapers
First Floor
Dining Room: Brodnax 1AC105 Michaelmas
Foyer: Mini Graphics English Rose Beige
Living Room: Brodnax 1VT304 Peregrine, World Model white embossed wainscoting
Study: Itsy Bitsy Mini Equestrian Red - Plaid
Kitchen: Itsy Bitsy Mini 1222 cottage acanthus pink on ivory

Second Floor
MBR: Brodnax Gathering Red
Foyer: Itsy Bitsy Mini Woven Damask -Ivory 1294
Guest Bedroom: Brodnax 1VT303 - Patina (stripe)
Bath: Broadnax 1VT311 - Ravenhurst

Third Floor
Girls Room: NC871.07 Dark Pink Toile - New Creations, World Model Molding 34903
Bedroom: Brodnax IVT302 - Morocco on top, 1VT314 - Damask on bottom
Hall: Jacksons Miniatures - Tulip Arabesque Pink H62

Flooring
Kitchen: Romney Miniatures - Terracotta Square Quarry Floor Tiles
Foyer: Tid-Bits Alabaster with black dots
Study: Brodnax Lille Parquet, Cherry
Strip Wood - SH Goode - Cherry Flooring strips 3/8" x 1/16" x18"

Bathroom - World Model Faux Marble Floor Tile, diamonds.


Built-in Items
Trim in first floor - Falcon Molding #3685
First Floor - Sue Cook Doorcases OD7S

Second & Third floor -Sue Cook Doorcases OD8S
Third Floor Ceiling Roses - Sue Cook CR25

Furniture

BB Miniatures
Bespaq
JBM
DeCava Interiors

Paint/Finishes

Quoins (Jackson Miniatures)

Lighting
Study - Lighting Bug
Foyer- Lumenations by Mr K
Dining Room - Lumenations by Mr K
Living Room - Lighting Bug
MBR - Clare Bell
Bedroom - Clare Bell
Girls Bedroom - Clare Bell 3 arm

Kitchen - Clare Bell 4 Arm short Hurricane chandelier

Bathroom - Cir-kit?