Finding the right place

As promised, I am going to show how the riches from the flea market either find their place in the existing environments or, perhaps, inspire new projects.

To place the pewter things was easy: they merge nicely into the Tudor great hall. They are slightly too big, but I don't think it matters. The rich master of the house wants to impress his guests.

In the solar, which is the upper floor of a Tudor house, I have put the lady, the baby in the cradle and the chest.

This is the first doll I have in the Tudor house. I was planning to have one, but it didn't happen until now, and I see how the presence of a doll makes a huge difference. I guess it means that there will be more.

Tudor final touches

The only things to finish the (ongoing) story of the Tudor house is to show the present state of the three rooms. The kitchen has not changed much, but I keep adding details, utensils, decorations, and I will make more food. I also plan to add a small baking oven.

 The Great Hall has another table that I found at a flea market in Stockholm. The numerous teapots and the bowls on the manterpiece are all made from old coins. The pretty pewter things are real pewter, bought on ebay. The battle axe and helmet are from Lego. There are two stools in the front. The one on the left is made from kit, the one on the right I made myself, using chopsticks for legs. There is not much I can add to this room, except for more crests and tapestries. The crests, by the way, are of Cambridge colleges.

Some new details in the solar are the cradle, the spinning wheel (which is a pencil sharpener) with a little bench, and, hidden behind, in the left corner, "the secret chair" covered with velvet.

It is difficult to show the whole house, but this is the best I can do. I never showed the attic before, but there isn't much there yet. 

I have some plans for exterior addtions, such as chimneys and a porch, and there is a lot I can do in the rooms. The book about Tudor dollhouses has masses of interesting ideas. I will come back with new developments, but for now, this is the end of the story of my Tudor house.

Solar

Solar is what the Tudors called their bedrooms. Beds were the most important furniture in the house because it showed how wealthy you were. Rich Tudor people had a Great Bed. The most famous Tudor bed is the Great Bed of Ware, on display at Victoria and Albert Museum in London (although right now on loan elsewhere). I built the bed for my house with this remarkable bed in mind.

 

In the top left picture you can also see a chest. If you have read about my Victorian house you may recognise it, but I have added metal hinges and decorations, all as described in a book about Tudor dollhouses. 

Timber framing

Tudor houses are timber-framed (or half timber-framed). My house was timber-framed on the outside, and it had ceiling beams, but it had no frames on the inside.

 

This is the upper floor, also known as solar. Note that there is no fireplace in this room. Tudor houses were cold. I knew already how to make naturally looking timber frames after I had done my antique shop. I used wooden strips that I cut uneven with a craft knife and hammered with a rubber hammer.

 

Then I did the same on the middle floor, which is the Great Hall.

I cut the unicorn tapestry from a catalogue, and two buttons with crests fit in nicely. But you have surely noticed a very authentic Tudor bench. In the meantime I had finally been to a very dangerous place, Maple Street dollhouse shop. It is just half an hour by car from where I live, and they have everything. Of course they have everything online, but I am less tempted shopping online than when I am there ans want to buy everything. But on that occasion I just bought a couple of Tudor pieces to add to authenticity. I would very soon learn how to make almost as nice things myself.

I bought a table, a chair (which was a rarity in Tudor houses; only the master would have a chair), a bench and a stool. They were all kits, and I assembled and stained them. I borrowed some utensils from the Victorian house, things that looked like pewter, which they would have in a Tudor household.