Baxter Pointe Villa - bedroom

by brae  

The upper floor of Baxter Pointe Villa consists of a bathroom and bedroom.  The bedroom gave me absolute fits!  Not in the structural changes but in the bed dressing.  :D  It's still not really the way I wanted, but I do like it for the most part.

The first issue was its being an odd shaped room.  From the front, there were two small windows and a steep, long roof.  I ended up changing the layout quite dramatically from the original kit.

I used the front wall of a second addition kit to make a new wall in the bedroom.

I changed one of the original three windows to accommodate a French door leading out onto the deck.  I ended up leaving the mullions out of the French door since I wanted an unobstructed view of the beach!  :D  I closed up the small window on the adjacent right side wall since the adjustments I made to the addition blocked part of this opening.

Closing that window wasn't all bad since the adjustment in depth allowed me to add a working narrow door to the bathroom, and I really like how that turned out.

There was still very little usable room in this part of the structure because of the steep roofline in the back.  I was able to put in a bed, two tiny side tables, a small dresser and not much else.

For the bed, I started by using my two artist's models (I need to give them names, I think) to determine the smallest possible mattress size that would still accommodate them.  It had to be a bit smaller than exact scale, but I didn't want it to look completely out of proportion.

I took that piece of foam core board and cut five more pieces the same size: gluing three together for the mattress and three for the box spring.  I covered the mattress with thin batting that is meant for millinery.  It’s similar to felt and can usually be found in fabric stores.  I covered the box spring with striped fabric from Hobby Lobby.

In the photo above, I just used some wood scraps to see if the height was okay.  I ended up putting 1/2" wood cubes on the corners and painted them black.

For the sheets, I used a very finely woven cotton poly blend.  It's so soft and photographs wonderfully true to scale.

I used this process for the Newport guest bedroom and master bedroom.  It was probably unnecessary to do these steps, but I know it's there and I like realistic details even if ultimately unseen.  :D  I also wanted the option of showing the sheets and box spring fabric, just in case I liked it that way as I put the bed together.

I opted to add a headboard at the last minute since the room is so tall and there was so much blank space on that wall.  I used a scrap of plywood to make the basic shape.  I added a bit of padding to the top and then upholstered with Hanami Circle Dots Onyx cotton fabric.  I apparently cut the board too small, so I added a 1/4" strip wood border painted black to make up the difference.

The first bedspread I tried was made from cotton broadcloth I picked up from Hobby Lobby.  I made panels and vents sewed to a topper.  It was beachy and fits well, but it looked just a bit too casual for what I had intended.

This faux lace afghan looked nice, but it's for sale in my etsy shop.  ;D

So, I dug through my stash of fabric, found some lace I've had for years and cut a piece to size.  I pressed the pleats at the end slightly to keep it in shape.  So much better!

The folded blanket was made from a poly cotton blend, a remnant bin find.  I sewed two pieces together, pressed into shape with an iron and then tacked together with a tiny bit of glue.  The leather purse and shoes were made by Patrizia Santi.

For the pillowcases, I used white cotton sateen since the sheet fabric was a bit too sheer for believable pillowcases.  The peacock pillow was made from a resized image of tiles by Jerusalem Pottery which I then printed on fabric.  I fill my pillows with seed beads to give them some weight and to make it easier to shape them.

The dresser was made from a House of Miniatures Bachelor's Chest kit.  I painted it black and used scrapbooking brads for the hardware.  It's the perfect size to sit next to the narrow door.  Not a lot of storage in this room, but we'll just pretend the closet is behind you on the open wall.  :D

The flowers are Bonnie Lavish dahlias in orange.  The vase is from Manor House Miniatures and is the companion to the bee vase I used for the sunflowers.

The side tables were made from precut wood shapes for the tops, scrap kit wood for the base and Houseworks legs.  I kept them simple since the overall décor of this room was meant to be minimalist and serene.  :]

I had originally planned to make two bedside lamps from metal beads, but they were very uncooperative during the creation phase.  :\

I didn't have time to order and wait for a shipment of any ready-made replacements, so I dug around in my Newport box and found two Reutter Porzellan copper lanterns I was saving for the conservatory.  They actually ended up being better than my original idea.  There is so little color in this room, they really pop.

On either side table I have modest decor.  First, the sailboat I made based on an original from White Flower Farmhouse that I first saw on on The Lettered Cottage.

And, second, a tiny laser cut wooden whale from Pepper Sprout Designs.  There is a larger companion piece, but it is out of scale for this house.

The wallpaper is scrapbook paper in Dusk (bottom) and Stonehenge (top), both by Bazzill Basics.  To cover the seam between them, I used strip wood painted white.  I used regular drawing paper on the visible ceiling and painted the non-visible back ceiling white to reflect brightness back into the room.  I added ceiling beams using 5/16" strip wood painted Liquitex Payne's Grey.  The one over the window wall disguises the seams between the new porch roof and the added wall.  The one in the peak of the ceiling holds the lanterns and hides their wiring.

The floor started out as walnut sheet flooring that I experimented with to obtain the deep color it is now.

I installed a NovaLyte can light over the fireplace in the living room below.  These require a 3/8" thick board to hold them in place, but I was able to use this light without building up the entire ceiling since I put in an extra piece of 1/4" thick wood as a stabilizer just above it.

In this photo, you can see not only that extra bit but also the channels for the other wires situated around the house.  With 1/8" thick plywood, you have to be careful and remove only enough of the top layer to get the wires to lay flat.

I painted it dark brown and the bed covers this spot besides, though I will work out a more polished solution for covering it in the future.

The artwork is Zhen-Huan Lu's Days Gone By.  I printed the image on regular paper in a few sizes to determine which size would work best in the space.  I then sharpened the image in PhotoShop before printing on Art Canvas by The Crafty PC.  It has a canvas texture that really brings it to life.  The frame is made from mass produced matchstick craft wood glued on a bass wood backing.  The sunlight through the window effect in the painting is actually part of the painting, not a light reflection.  :D

The light switchplates throughout the house are actually stickers from miniatures.com.  They photograph wonderfully!

8 comments

Comment from: rosa margarita [Visitor]  
No tengo palabras! tus trabajos son siempre impresionantes y perfectos. Tienes ARTE! Un abrazo
07/06/11 @ 20:25
Comment from: Plushpussycat [Visitor]
Yes, this is art!!! It is exquisite! Jennifer
07/06/11 @ 21:10
Comment from: Margriet [Visitor]
I love what you did to this room...so much nicer than the original!!!
07/07/11 @ 02:05
Comment from: Tabitha Corsica [Visitor]
This is such a wonderful cottage! Thank you for keeping a pictorial log and for sharing it. I am following it eagerly! The lacy bedspread reminds me, at first glance, of the chenille or candlewick bedspreads my Grandmother used to have on the beds at the lake cottage. Everything there was also very "spare", with only the absolute necessities. Your work is exacting and detailed and I love reading about it.
07/07/11 @ 05:42
Comment from: Eliana [Visitor]
The bedroom is a dream ... I loved the solution that you found to the strange structure of the house.
07/07/11 @ 06:18
Comment from: cinderellamoments [Visitor]  
The bed is amazing! I wish I had looked at it before I did mine. I love the modern lines. The whole bedroom is gorgeous. I love this cottage! hugs, Caroline
07/07/11 @ 10:33
Comment from: Christy Blackburn [Visitor]  
Kudos from a 'weak blogger' to a 'Strong Blogger'! You are doing wonderful, magical work with both your miniatures and your blog! Bravo! Christy =^o^= GSOLFOT
07/13/11 @ 16:10
Comment from: brae [Member]
Thank you all so much for your kind comments! I remember those candlewick bedspreads! Mom had one in pale yellow. :yes:
07/15/11 @ 09:37


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