The Conservatory at Pennethorne Manor

Ha!  How do you like that title?  Rather presumptuous and aristocratic isn't it?  Perfect!

I was able to get the conservatory mostly finished today.  I'm still deciding on how to attach it to the house and then finish the roof with acrylic which is on order.  My back and neck are aching from all the different positions I had to put myself in trying to fit the wallpaper.  It took most of the afternoon (with breaks), but I got it done and it turned out well . . . at least to my liking.  For the floor I decided to use walnut flooring for the step from the breakfast room to the conservatory, and used a vinyl tile from Menard's for the conservatory flooring.  It kind of looks like marble and with the rug, it's hardly noticeable.

And with that done . . . you just know I had to play!

The wicker furniture was made by a beautiful lady named Wendy (wenlaine) who I was privileged to meet on the Greenleaf forum years ago.  She also made the cross stitched rug.  Thank you Wendy!

Conservatory Addition

After a lot of "bashing" I got the conservatory to fit onto the house where I wanted it.  It is a nice addition to the house and after it's finished and with landscaping around it, it will be a nice place for the little girl of the house to play and for "Aunt" to sit with a hot cup of tea.

I still have to install the plexiglass.  That will be no small feat as I have to cut it to allow for the modifications to the conservatory so that it fits nice and tight up to the house.  Not looking forward to that.  For now though it's painting time!

I decided on walnut flooring as I had a lot left over.  Since I originally had a step here to the outside, I'll have to decide how to cover the step.  Will probably use hardwood and just paint the edge with Burnt Umber which blends in really well with the flooring so you won't be able to notice it too much.

Very happy to have one more room to decorate!  Yahoo!

What's Happening . . . blah, blah, blah

Okay, so maybe I'm enjoying Hotel Transylvania a little too much . . . it's awesome!

While I love the building and decorating of a dollhouse, my favorite part is furnishing, adding drapes and all the special little touches that bring it to life.  This post is about some of the special touches I'm starting to incorporate into the manor . . . and a few other things "on the table".

I purchased some miniature books from Little THINGS of Interest on Etsy for the bookcase I just built and finished.  I purchased just about enough to fill the bookcase and will add some knickknacks as time goes on.  Books are one of my favorite things, and I hope to fill the study/library with plenty of them!

What really makes a dollhouse sing is all the layers - books, pillows, rugs, drapes, and knickknacks.  There are several people who do this extremely well, Elizabeth from Studio E Miniatures, Jodi from My Miniature Madness, and Linda from Une Petite Folie, are among them.

I found these gorgeous pillows from Mondina Dollhouse on Etsy.  They are so delicate and well made and look wonderful poised on the furniture in the parlor and one on the chair in the hall.  Makes one want to cuddle in with a good book!  The rug is from Anabella Miniatures on Etsy.

Dear hubby spent most of yesterday afternoon shingling one side of the mansard roof.  His attention to detail astonishes me.  I trained him well.  LOL!  He'll be working on another section today.

I also got some corbels painted and installed them under the eaves.  I just love adding more and more detail to the manor.  It's like decorating a cake!  I ordered more corbels for the porch and for under the eaves on the bay windows.  I'll be adding more details like a Juliet balcony and railings around the balcony over the porch.  More was more in the Victorian era.

And the manor wouldn't be complete without a conservatory.  I ordered one and am having to do a fair bit of bashing to install it where I want it.  I'm realizing that I love reworking and figuring out how to make something work.  It doesn't always, but it sure is satisfying when it does.

Any guesses where it will go?

It looks a little odd from this angle, but you'll see why it's built like this once it's installed.  The section on the right I had to build from scratch as I eliminated a set of French doors and a section of window.  All that's left is paint, flooring, installing the acrylic glass windows and deciding on whether I want to install a chandelier (of course the answer is yes!).

Still on the list . . . siding!

Beacon Hill Additions

Since I'm almost getting to the point where I can start installing the roof, I decided it would be a good time to get my additions built as I don't want to be messing with the house once that heavy roof is on.

Using poster board to create my templates, I started with the bath and dining room extensions which will add another 6 inches to each room.  I'll be using the bump out window that originally came with the house in the dining room, creating a long window seat there, and will add another window on the front.  I added a window to the side wall of the bathroom and am contemplating adding a second window on the front wall of the bathroom, although I'm not sure I like it.  It balances with the windows below, but maybe it's overkill?  I could also set that front wall extension back a couple of inches creating a little more space for the balcony.  Hmmm . . .

Note to self - don't forget to extend the porch and balcony!

The breakfast room addition comes off of the parlor through French doors and will add another 7 inches.  I'll be using the bay window that came with the kit in the middle of the side wall and French doors leading to a small garden out the front.

This is one of those times it pays to think ahead.  I wish I had cut out the wall from the bathroom through to the extension before I glued that side wall on.  Oh well, it will give me a chance to strengthen my muscles.

I'll be cutting (or rather Brian will be cutting) all the pieces from 1/8 inch hardboard, a suggestion from Caroline at Cinderella Moments who makes everything look so easy!

I've Only Just Begun

Yesterday I broke open the box to my Beacon Hill and sorted out the pieces.  I have to say that I'm not all that impressed with the shingles and siding that came with the kit for this lovely lady.  It's been found wanting.  I mentioned it to Brian and he said "we can't have that".  I love it when he gets on board with a project . . . even if it is mine.  Looks like I'll be ordering new shingles and siding befitting a grand manor house.

Yesterday I removed all the pieces I'd need for the "bones" of the house.  I sanded each piece and set it aside remembering to number them as I went along.  I debated back and forth whether to prime the pieces first or wait until it was together.  I went with the latter.

I also remembered (well almost) to enlarge all the openings for the interior doors.  It looks like I might need to add 1/8" foam board on the walls that the new doors will fit into as the molding won't sit right unless I do.  A picky detail, but as this is going to be my one and only dollhouse, I can afford to take the time to do it just right.

I also finished the flooring in the butler's pantry.  I'm also debating whether to put the staircase in the butler's pantry or in the kitchen.  Since I don't have to install it right away, I might wait until I get some of the kitchen/pantry cabinetry done before I make my final decision.  What do you think?

I didn't like the way the door to the sewing room opened, so I spent some time flipping it around.  Another one of those picky details, but I can't stand a door that opens into the room instead of into a wall (so that it's out of the way).

Figuring out how to enlarge the kitchen and bathroom and adding on the conservatory is more than my brain can handle, so I'm going to leave that for another day.  That and I need Brian to cut the pieces for me!

So for now it's on to the staircases . . .