Category: "The Newport"

Bashing a prefabricated wall

by brae  

The brick on the Newport is a finish the manufacturer completes before shipping the kit.  If it's marred, there isn't a way to fix it.  And, there's no way to replicate it, either.  To get the garage to match the rest of the house, I had to peel the brick finish from my doorway scraps and glue it on.

The photo of the front porch below shows how the front of the house is recessed by the front porch window.


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If built per the manufacturer instructions, the second floor would mimic this recessed pattern.  Here's the Real Good Toys photo showing the way the house is supposed to be put together.

Since I extended the front porch, put the addition on the "wrong" side -- I planned it that way :] -- and flipped the stairs, I needed to push the front wall on the second floor forward.  This not only eliminated the huge flat roof on top of the porch but also gave me more room inside the structure.  In yesterday's post, I showed the scrap of mdf I used to make the side wall the proper length.  My problem today is getting the front to look like one continuous wall on the outside.

The rub is that the walls are pre-cut with the brick finish.  So, I couldn't just glue the two pieces together since (1) the brick pattern wouldn't match, (2) there was a gap between the two wall pieces since there was supposed to be room for the connectors that make the recess, and (3) the reason for the recess in the first place was to give the illusion of a tower running up the middle.

To fix the gap, I used a 3/8" x 3/8" strip of wood.

I glued each wall to the strip wood and let it dry.


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To mask the strip wood and to follow the original vertical line of the mock tower, I cut a piece of 1/2" x 1/16" strip of wood and painted it white to match the other connectors.  I glued it in place, lining it up with the connector on the first floor.

The strip wood connector won't show on the inside once the wallpaper is in place.  :]  Problem solved!

Scratch built garage shelves and goodies

by brae  

In between working on portions of the Greenleaf Spring Fling structure and accessories, I built a new set of shelves for the Newport.  The table I had used for the last setup was too large and actually meant for a different room in the house.

I made the new shelves from balsa wood following the instructions in Making Miniature Gardens by Freida Gray.  This is the same author that wrote the book I used to make the divan in the study.

This book has a lot of great ideas for gardens including plants and flowers as well as structures, furniture and accessories.  These shelves were very simple to put together.


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I used antique pine stain from IKEA - one of my favorite colors of stain.  It brought out the grain of the balsa and really warmed the overall look.

I think this works better for scale and for showing off the various minis I'll display here.  Nothing on it right now - waiting for the stain to cure.


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I've also received a few minis from a two international miniaturists.  First, two rya rugs made by the talented Glenda at Peppercorn Minis in New Zealand.  They're so soft and pretty I wish I were mini so I could run my toes through the pile!  :D


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The second is a tiny pitcher with flowers from the gifted Sylvia at lotjesdollshouse in The Netherlands.  I love the color and the clovers!


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Garage update

by brae  

I have been making some progress on the garage.  I cut grooves for the front lighting wires and put up the wallpaper (scrapbook paper by Martha Stewart in a color called swan, a very pale green).  I left the ceiling plain wood painted white since the surface was fairly smooth.

Next came the scary part of installing the Timberbrook garage door.  Scary because if something went wrong, it would mean a lot of work to repair.

I first cut some holes in the wallpaper so the glue would adhere to the wood and not just the paper.  I figured this would add to the stability of the door moving up and down.

After following the easy instructions of the kit, I decided lifting the door was still a little unstable.  I added a thin strip of wood connecting the ends of the ceiling track, and the door moved much more freely in the track.

The garage is technically removable from the main house, though the wires need to be disconnected before doing so.  I left it detachable in case I need to move the build sometime in the future.

I set up a few things I've acquired to put in the garage, though I have more planned for this space.

The car is a 1:14 scale remote control Audi TT.  The lights come on only when the car is in motion, so I had to prop up the back wheels to prevent movement as I photographed the car with the lights on.

Kitchen and dining room lighting

by brae  

I had previously installed range hood lighting...

...and made pendant lamps for the kitchen.

I bought a black chandelier for the dining area, but since the room is so deep it remained dark even with all the lamps lit.  Here I've taped Novalyte canned LEDs to the ceiling to supplement the existing lights.

It really brightens the room and will make for a very modern look once installed flush with the ceiling.

The rug under the dining table is a paper printout of the red Piazza rug by Dynamic Rugs.  The draperies are paper mockups; the pattern is Keisarinna by Marimekko.  I made the tapestry from June Tree by Natasha Westcoat.

Conservatory progress and wall tapestry

by brae  

I cut the window and door openings in the new 3/8" plywood walls of the conservatory.  It was quite a workout since I didn't have power tools on hand to use.  The foam core rooftop is just for planning purposes.  I haven't decided on whether I want a glass (i.e., acrylic sheet) roof or a solid one.


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I'm rather excited about this room, mainly because it is turning out as I had hoped just like the garage.  Both the conservatory and the garage are partial scratch built rooms using the Foxhall Conservatory kit as the basis.


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After stitching the Mackintosh chair cushions, I got the bug.  :D  I checked out a bunch of books from the library and lined up a number of projects.  The first one I completed was from Exquisite Miniatures in Cross Stitch and Other Counted Thread Techniques by Brenda Keyes.  This book is not specifically for dollhouses but has smaller real life size projects that can be used in miniature settings both with and without minor modifications.

The art is called Orange Tree, so I thought it would look nice in the conservatory.


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I stitched it on 28 count evenweave fabric in mushroom color.  The book had called for it to be stitched on 22 count needlepoint canvas.  The color of the fabric saved my having to stitch the background, and the higher count made the project smaller in size.  The needlework is mounted on stiff felt on the back.

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