Disaster inspection

As some of you, my dear readers, already know, my large Victorian house, Womble Hall, was badly damaged during relocation from the UK to Sweden. It's too late to complain because it has been in storage for almost a year, and even if I could get compensation, the damage is done, and no money can replace it. I am particularly frustrated because the movers packed chairs and tables in layers upon layers of cardboard, while they transported the delicate dollhouse without any protection at all! But there is nothing I can do about it, so I am pretending that Womble Hall was bombed during the Blitz and has to be restored to its former glory. The former glory, by the way, is this:

On the outside:

And this is what I got out of storage

I considered sitting down and crying, but it wouldn't be of much help. This house has cost me more money in kit and material than I am prepared to confess, as well as about 2000 hours of work so I am grateful I got it over in one piece - well, almost. I anticipate the repairs will take many, many hours, and I will take it easy and enjoy it just as I enjoyed building it before. Maybe I can make improvements. Maybe I can re-decorate, as they would have after the Blitz. On this positive note, some closer inspection. It is much, much worse than it looks. The lights do not work of course; several windows are smashed, floors are broken, wallpaper torn.

One of my cats immediately discovered the perfect hiding place. This is a classic: cat in a dollhouse. Something from a horror movie.

I have now barred the front door with a piece of cardboard because he did some further damage in the room. I can't imagine how this huge cat can squeeze through the tiny door - and turn round! Cats are amazing.

It took me weeks to approach the house because I really didn't know where to start. I then decided to start from the attic because it seemed the least damaged. I couldn't be more wrong, because that's when I discovered that the roof has gone off. It's a miracle they didn't lose it altogether. So I removed it, but I know I won't be able to put it back on my own.

 

Two dormers are falling off, two window sills are missing, the ceilings are torn, and on the outside tiles are missing. That will be the easiest to replace. So far I have put the roof away in my store room, safe from the cats.

Then I stared at the attic for a long time, again not knowing where to start.

 

I decided to restore one room at a time, so that when I have done one room I will see the result. This is how I worked last time round, even if it meant that I had to remove objects from rooms every now and then. And I decided to start with the room that seemed in need of least work, the guest bedroom on the right.

More than two years ago I wrote a series of blog posts showing the various rooms in Womble Hall, which will now be very helpful in restoring them. Here is the guest bedroom, although I have made some changes, including new fabric on the canopy.

As I said in that post, the floor in the guest room is still made from self-adhesive paper, admittedly in a sophisticated pattern, but my intention was to replace it with hardwood at some point. I considered whether this was the right point and decided against it. It takes about 50 hours to make an interesting floor for a room this size, and at the moment I'd rather use these hours to make more repairs. When the house is fully restored, I will make new floors. I know this probably goes against common sense, but I do want to see the house in presentable shape soon.

So I did some cosmetic repairs: glued on wallpaper and mouldings that had got off, straightened the floor, and that was it. I think the room is inhabitable now - apart from the roof of course. The beam is hiding the light strip so it will either have to be mended or removed. I suspect that lighting technologies have developed since we wired the house four years ago.

Also against common sense I put back as much of the furniture and accessories as I could find in my storage boxes. The four-poster was also slightly damaged, but it was easy to mend. I will have to remove everything when it comes to putting back the roof, but meanwhile there is one room at Womble Hall where poor residents can live, and there is even a portable heater to keep them warm.

To be continued.