Hepplewhite serving table

This was a very easy piece to make, but I put a lot of effort in the finish. I used fifteen coats of stain (brown mahogany) before I was quite happy, then two coats of varnish. I think it is a magnificent piece. The curves make it look delicate and elegant. The drawer can be opened.

The dining room is now so full that there is no room for another table, but for the time being I have replaced the side table you can see in this post with the cellarette. The side table can be anywhere, but the serving table doubtless belongs in the dining room.

Chippendale cradle

I will show the cover of the original box for this kit because I made the miniature differently.

 

I like it this way, but I am getting a bit tired of mahogany (I must buy some more different stains). I first tried to stain it light oak. It felt wrong somehow, and I also thought that if I were to put it into the master bedroom, to replace - reluctantly - the cradle I made from a fan, then it could match the wardrobe and some other furniture there. So I painted it with the leftovers from the wardrobe and decorated with the same stickers.

 

It was a joy to make. Not that other miniatures are less joy, but it is such a delicate little thing. And it fits nicely in the bedroom.



I have removed some objects (including dolls) for a better view. You can see the dressing table in the foreground. I have repainted it to match the wardrobe as well. It is just a very slight change of shade, but makes a huge difference. The table and chairs to the left will also eventually be replaced.

Queen Anne firescreen

This wasn't a hugely challenging project, especially after the Chippendale firescreen. More precision leg-gluing, but I am really getting better at it.

 

It was my serious intention to cover this screen with a pretty cross-stitch piece from Ely cathedral, but as I tried it felt much too crude. I may find something else, but actually I think it is so pretty as it is that I may leave it like that. It looks great in the room.

I find it remarkable how, when you have added a nice detail to a room you cannot even image how it could have been without. If you look at my previous post showing the same room you may notice the old firescreen that had been there for a long time and done a good job. But you see the difference, don't you?

Tudor bathtub

Among many small details I have wanted and never got round to in my Tudor house is a bathtub. The excellent book by Brian Long explains how to make an authentic-looking bathtub, but for some reason it just hasn't happened.

Yesterday I had another successful round of charity shops. (They are all in the area where I have my hairdresser and my dentist). This is what I found:

Not sure yet what I will do with the metal things, most probably candlesticks. The glass jar will join other jars in the larder. The handbag I will give to my friend the happy shoe shop owner. Every now and then I give her something to add to the shop.

But can you see what the napkin rings will be?

I think they look very, very authentic.

But do I really need two bathtubs in the Tudor house?

One can go into Victorian kitchen. Among many other things.

In any case, two very nice objects that took me about five minutes to make.

Nursery cabinet

I wanted to make a cabinet to match the nursery bed, and I decided to combine a hutch cabinet and an open cabinet top.

I have made the hutch cabinet twice: one is in a rear corridor, the other as a base for a kitchen cabinet. 

I have made two closed cabinet tops, but it seems that the open top is less common. Now I have one.

I will not show step-by-step pictures. The top cabinet was probably the easiest Chippendale piece I have made, and I have now made more than thirty.

 

I painted the outside with the same paint as the bed, a plain acrylic from a kids' paint set. The inside I painted with the remains of paint from the wardrobe. It is not plain white and I think it goes well with blue.

The base proved easy too, because this was the third time, and I almost didn't have to check the instructions. Not even the hinges were evil this time - both sides went in at first attempt.

For handles, I used small silver beads. I left both the inside of the main cabinet and the drawer unpainted.

As I tried to put some objects on the shelves I realised that the shelves were much smaller than my original nursery shelf made from Jenga blocks ten years ago. Even then I remember that some toys were too big.

 

So now most of the toys will have to lie scattered on the floor. As they do in nurseries.

Utensils makeover

I have shared several examples of making over various plastic and wooden things, for instance, wooden objects, jars and pots, adding labels to wooden bottles, and in fact if I think back, my very first kitchen things were plastic Barbie pots and bowls that I painted metallic.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a set of plastic kitchen things in a charity shop.

 

Because I have learned some lessons, the first thing I did was check whether there were any marks signalling rare collectibles, but there weren't any. I also checked with my miniature group, and nobody recognised it. (If you tell me now that it is rare collectibles, it's too late). I also consulted my group concerning the question of whether leave them as they were or paint them, for instance, copper. Leaving them as they were, I could put them in my retro house, where the kitchen is already filled with stuff, including rare collectibles, and anyway, there is more challenge in upcycling things.

It was quite clear with the bucket: I simply painted it metallic. I will probably add some rust to it. I painted the frying pan black, and after some considerations I painted the roasting pan black too. I can't remember seeing a copper roasting pan. The two other pans I painted copper on the outside and metallic on the inside, because that's what my copperware looks like.

Now all these things can go into my Victorian kitchen. It is also full of stuff, but there is room for more. The "real" copper pans, made of copper coins, are in the best kitchen, but these can go into the working kitchen. In any case, I am pleased with the result.

Chippendale firescreen

A quick and relatively easy project resulting in a stunning piece. The only difficult part was the legs, but I am getting better at them.

 

According to instructions, the screen could be covered by a price of fabric, for instance, the lady's needlepoint. I think it is so pretty as it is that I will leave it like this. I have tried some fancy paper, but haven't yet found anything I like.

I have said this about candlestands: a pity that these objects are less visible in the background. But everything cannot be in the foreground. Anyone looking closely will see how amazing this screen is and how nicely it fits into the room.