Tuesday 23 June 2020

Dalton Manor... Bathroom, Music room, Rugs, the Dining room and a new sofa

I've been trying to keep busy while we have all been staying at home and have managed to get quite a few things done in the house. Grab a cuppa it's quite a long post,  Enjoy.....

 The bathroom or " bathing room" as it was called then, has been causing me some sleepless nights.😩

Mainly because it has to have an antique look and it's very dificult to source the right style in the dolls house shops, everything is either Victorian or too modern. I did however manage to find a free standing bath that has a Georgian look and I also have a WC with a high cistern. Plumbed bathrooms and running water were only found in the most affluent houses in those days and usually they were very grand and highly decorative. I still have to decorate the walls but I have some ideas floatng round my head as to how it will look



the bath before and after painting

WC before and after






















I have added a glass cabinet for toiletries and towells which has also been painted white at the moment but that might change depending on the decor I choose


Quite a lot to do yet in the bathroom but I'm looking forward to decorationg it and filling it up with lots of little extras. I havent decided on a colour yet. It will have collums and a vanity unit. I have made the taps for the bath as they normally came up from the floor and you just can't buy that kind of thing.

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The Music room

A decision had to be made between having an Artist studio or a Music room and due to the fact I got the whole contents of the room in the sale the Music room won.
 As you can see it's mahogany and as I prefer either gold on white which was very popular in Georgian homes or Walnut finish,  I will be changing it and it will be completely different when it's finished.
As you can see there are quite a few pieces including a large sofa which as you will see further down the post I painted and recovered to make another sofa for the morning room.


Just had to have a grand piano....



The decor has to be finished yet , another little rug. All the rugs are woven and made in Turkey




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The Dining Room

Since the last post showing this room I changed the decor slightly and I'm happier with the way it looks now. I also purchased a bare wood Chippendale table and chairs which I have now stained to resemble a Walnut finish. The seat cushions are still cream but I might change them later on. Also today I bought a Server table for the Dining room and have also stained that. I have still to atatch the tiny handles to the drawer fronts, you can see them in the video.

Bare wood table and chairs before being stained


after being stained. the chairs also have arms to make them carvers but I haven't attached them yet


the Server before staining



after being stained

The Dining room now with changed decor and furniture

I also bought a few rugs this week 


Still need a fire, curtains and accessories for the room and that will finish it off

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The Morning room

The new sofa for the Morning room before and after painting and then I recovered it using one of Hubby's ties ( I did ask him before taking the scissors to it πŸ˜… )





Think I might add a few touches of gold to the sofa and the coffee table

Love my new rug too it is a perfect match to the roomπŸ’™



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Another female doll the same as Charlottle so I removed her wig and changed her hair to make her a little sister or a cousin maybe







I don't have a name for her yet
















making the ringlettes



 She is more of a red auburn colour, she has still to be dressed 


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Next up is a wardrobe for Charlotte's bedroom. Again it was bare wood and I painted it white then decoupaged the panels with burgandy pattered paper. I still need a dressing table for this room but can'y find one that I like might just have to set about making one




























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Entrance hall

A new addition to the entrance hall is a little statue of a lady with flowers 3inches high and a table which as you can see obviously is  just too dark and will be painted


Also this week I bought 2 Japanese Imari vases but only 1 arrived I contacted the shop and they are sending the other one. When it arrives they will be placed as a pair somewhere in the house. The detail in these little vases is lovely they are only 1and half inches high I love them



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I hope you enjoyed the update and I will keep you posted with the progress of the Bathroom and the remaining top floor rooms as I do them. Hopefully by the end of all this Covid stuff and we can finally be out and meeting friends again I can arrange for a we night to view the house. In the meantime thanks for your visit and keep safe everyone.

Vera x


Tuesday 31 March 2020

Upholstered furniture, servants hall and the 4 poster bed.....

Hi again, I've been keeping busy this last few weeks and managed to get quite a lot done. Below is a pic of a setee and chairs that were mahogany coloured and covered in a cotton fabric, not very Georgian in appearance so I set about changing them. Fisrt off I removed the fabric which left a really messy covering of hardened glue so I sanded it back painted an undercoat and then used the liquid gold leaf paint. I made sponge padding and upholstered them with silk brocade in cream and gold. Now they fit the Georgian theme perfectly.

Stripped and broken

Old covering
 undercoat                                                                                                                  pattern
 


 New soffa

 
 Charlotte's new furniture ready for the morning room

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 Now for the servant's hall a new table and benches, chair and a Queen Anne style dresser where most of the silver ware and candle sticks were kept. Still loads to put in here including a fire.




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Now onto the bed.  I really wanted a very lush and opulent 4 poster bed for the ladies bedroom and managed to get this one for a good price. Not the colour I had in mind or the material but no matter I set about changing that right away. 

I put it in the room to see where I would place it and was disapointed to see that it was too close to the chandelier, it didn't matter how I placed it the chandelier got in the way. So I decided to have a half canopy instead. I've been working on it for 3 days and you can see the results below.

This is the bed as I bought it and the chandelier is hitting off the canopy it could only go on either side of the light and that's not where I had planned to put it



I had to remove the original canopy and make a new half one in it's place, reduced the height of the front posts and I painted the bed white. You can also see in the pic the silk material I used in the pleater, this handy device  pleats very small for minitures. It looks red but it's actually cerise pink and gold.



 Pleated vallance attached and the first stage of the silk brocade bed cover


 Headboard and pillow added and more lace on the cover



pleated satin ribbon added round the edges 


side drapes made from same silk brocade


canopy decorated and side drapes added... nearly there...


view from the back



So whats missing ?......



Cushions.....



The finished 4 poster bed with half canopy and not interfiering with the chandelier 




I am really pleased with the way it turned out and I have saved myself ( and William lol) a few pounds. To buy a fully dressed 4 poster bed on the specialist miniature sites ranges from £80 up to £120 and sometimes more. This bed cost me all in, £25 and I love it more 'cause I made it.....

Thanks for popping in I hope you like the latest makes and buys for the house. it's coming on a ton.

Till next time

Veronica x