More Chateau Miniature Finds

 My living room now has a few new pieces I found at the Chicago miniature shows. BB Miniatures, as always, comes through with this exquisite chest. It's perfect for this room and this spot. On top of this chest is a fruit basket from Karen's Dollhouse Shop. I also found a pink ottoman from Miniature Cellar that complements the JBM chair.

Fruit basket on Dining Room table was from Purple B Emporium and the cane holder in foyer is a Ron Johnson item from Purple B.  You will also see another tray in the foyer with that Netherlands rosemaling - Wagon Mountain Miniatures. A teapot from Purple B graces the buffet.

Chateau 2nd Floor Lights & Miniature Finds

I nabbed 2 chandeliers at the Chicago Miniature Show this weekend and was anxious to get them installed. This truly finishes each room. 

I got a unique chandelier from Live a Little Miniatures and another Clare Bell Brass one. I already had one Clare Bell Brass, so those 2 went into the bedrooms and the hall got the fancier unique one. I'm  pleased with how these chandeliers look. 

Also you will notice some other finds from the miniatures shows. The rooster is from BB Miniatures, and the bench and pillows are from Wilson Santiago Dollhouse Linens and More. The bust is from Ron Hubble. The sunflower vase is from Miniature Cellar. 

That cute teddy bear in the bedroom and the cat in the hall are from Purple B Emporium and the blue box on the floor is from Wagon Mountain Miniatures. I just learned about their painting style. Hinderloopen art - "Hindelooper art is a type of traditional decorative painting originated in the northern province of Friesland, The Netherlands." I guess its Norwegian Rosemaling. The cream basket with green is from Vilia Miniatures. 

In the master bedroom the 3 drawer decorative box on the bombe chest is from an artisan in Italy - Alemikimikiri. 

Chateau Bath

The bath is on the third floor and I bought white Reutter with gold accents. The sink is what sold me. The other day while perusing the Les Chinoiseries wallpaper site, I happened on tile paper that is so different and so appropriate that I bought it. Well, actually I bought 2 different papers and am thinking about a tile wainscoting. I decided to do a knee wall around the window and make a surface for the vertical tiling. 

I've been pouring over sites looking to see if anyone has used it in their actual dollhouse. I think the very tiny hex tiles with the small flowers will be the floor. I'm still not sure about using the yellow/blue as the wall tile, I may look for a more neutral tile. 

Pretty retro, huh?

Chateau Bedrooms Get New Wallpaper

It wouldn't be the same if I didn't strip at least one paper off and install another in the Chateau. Funny how you have an idea in your head but the result isn't satisfying.  

I've been pouring over the Les Chinoiseries wallpapers available. I have been very satisfied with the living and dining room papers that are Les Chinoiseries. I found a stunning yellow and blue stripe for the master and a complimentary blue damask for the other bedroom. Stripping the 2 rooms didn't take much time, and within a couple of hours I had both rooms papered. I'm very happy with the results - the character of those rooms has changed drastically. 

I also got crown up and cut the baseboards, just need to attach doors. I will need to decide on chandeliers - my ceiling roses are ready and the holes are drilled. 

Oh, see that beautiful yellow secretary there? A recent purchase, I was originally thinking it would work in the living room but it found its natural home. And the lovely bombe chest in the master is new, a JBM piece that I happened on and couldn't pass up.

Chateau Kitchen Update

It felt like the countertops on the cabinets were too similar a repeat, and more grey than I liked. I touched them up and they are warmer looking. This is how the countertops looked - this corner one was more obvious with the repeat than the others but I toned it down and stippled some beiges and creams.

I finally decided on the neutral wallpaper and got that installed. I have been working on the ceiling beams and its clear that what is throwing me off is one side where the ceiling starts is higher than the other. I've attached the ceiling more permanently and fixed the spot where the wall met the ceiling - so that entire wall is now the same surface. 

The embossed border I bought is also now up, and I had to add a strip of wood on the side that opens to make both wall heights the same. And I framed out the window! 

The ceiling beams have an arch, and I won't go into all the challenges I faced doing it. Let's just say that balsa wood was the way to go - soft enough to trace and cut an arch of sorts. I'm in the process of painting them, and may need to fiddle a bit with them to get at least the right side to snug up to the ceiling. 

The ceiling lights I selected are Ray Storey - I got this one for the 2nd floor landing, but it's much larger than I expected, so I got a 2nd one and will be hanging them in the kitchen. 

Chateau Conservatory

What is it with my obsession with flooring?? I decided to purchase the terra cotta embossed paper that is the same brand as the kitchen paper tile. I had briefly considered this terra cotta for the kitchen, something about terra cotta clay for kitchens is stuck in my brain. But I did that in the French Country and think the kitchen will be better in the tile, and the new cabinets.

So I am now contemplating using it for the conservatory. It seems to flow nicely with the wicker and the probable wallpaper. I am not keen on the 2nd tile floor I made for it - I posted a picture below so its easy to consider each. Funny, I was stoked about getting enough marble tile to do this large floor. There's a couple of things that just hit me wrong - I had grouted them but not every tile is adhered flatly to the floor, so its kind of bumpy but because its shiny, its more obvious. 

Chateau kitchen cabinets arrive!

I'm stoked about the JBM kitchen cabinets I ordered! This is the first set of finished high end kitchen cabinets I've purchased. I love the detail - they really make the room come alive. 

Not sure about the arrangement/layout, though I will have the corner L and the uppers will project out into the room, hiding the window in the back a bit (like I did in the French Country)

I've been playing around with wallpaper, and just like in the French Country, it's been very hard. I was still on the fence about flooring, tossing between a terra cotta and tile. I think I'm settled on the tile now so it will be easier to lock in on wallpaper.  

I don't want the paper to be the focus, but rather the cabinets and the effect.  Here are some of those photos. 

I also located a textured RL wallpaper and ordered a sample. Did you know you can't go to a store and look at wallpaper books anymore? All online and that's hard to really tell what the effect will be. This RL paper is beige but has some sort of 'glitter' effect, or maybe I'm just imagining it. Oh and its wide enough that I don't have to seam it.