Messy kitchen

It has been a while since I did any upcycling projects. I had planned to upcycle this kitchen for a long time.

It is good quality, but a dime a dozen, and my idea was to paint it with chalk paint, maybe distressing a bit. But as I started painting I suddenly felt I wanted to use it in a scene. Working on the book nook has made me eager to create more living environments. Some comments that I have received pointed out that the book nook very clearly told a story. I don't think any of my projects tell a story, not even the largest dollhouse. They are static, frozen in a moment. I want them all to tell a story, or many stories, but I haven't got there yet. I want there to be broken tea cups, spilled milk, dirty clothes, opened books. Tokens of presence.

This is why I decided to use the kitchen set in a scene of a messy kitchen. I haven't yet decided how messy, but I'd like to create an impression that someone has just left it in haste, and maybe this person hasn't been very tidy to begin with. The time will be vague 1960s-70s as I have many objects from those days.

I had already painted the kitchen units when I got the idea, and there wasn't much I had to change.

Obviously, the oven had to be black inside, and the front white. I painted the knobs and taps that were far too shiny. I added a drain in the sink (jewellery finding). I distressed a bit, not too much yet, it will depend on how the project develops.

I had saved a good cardboard box, exactly the same size as wine boxes that I had used before for room boxes and that are impossible to get these days. I made the first tentative layout.

I wanted a door in the back because a door always creates a sense of extra space. This door has been used in several earlier projects - I am sure this is not the last time. I can make a door of cardboard, but I happened to find it as I was looking for something else, so I can just as well use it.

The lovely fridge needs a door so I will have to figure out how to make it.

The cupboard is not quite in the same style, but it will work if I don't find anything better.

I think I have mentioned repeatedly in my posting that when I work on a project I like to put in as many details as possible from start, even if I then need to take them out again. It gives me a better sense of what I am doing. So after I had painted the walls and ceiling and attached suitable floors, I put in the furniture and dozens of objects that may or may not be part of the final scene, but play a role in the process. For instance, one of the chairs got knocked over unintentionally, but I saw immediately that it would be precisely like that in the final scene.

I mended the fridge to my best ability with what I had at home. One day when I can go to craft shops again I can make a better door, but it will be in the background so will work for now - or so I hope.

I haven't yet decided how messy my messy person will be, for instance, will they leave the fridge door open, but in any case there must be at least some stuff there. I will also add fridge magnets and such.

Next I "dressed" the sink.

This is something I would never, ever have in my kitchen, but that's the point of miniature-making, isn't it - creating something you would never have in real life. I didn't want to use my nice vintage plates in this project, and they wouldn't even be fully visible. Instead, I made plates from egg cartons, gluing them together at random and adding some disgusting food remnants. The knives and forks are cheap ones from Tiger, but they were far too new and shiny, as pointed out by someone with whom I shared this step, so I aged them a bit. Soap bottle came with a lot. From the cabinet, a garbage bag is falling out. But I am most proud of my mold. I had never seen a mold tutorial so I asked one of my miniatures groups. I got plenty of suggestions, but as often happens, others' advice can push you toward an original solution. Lint from tumble-dryer! I want patent on it.

I am quite pleased with this assembly. It looks truly disgusting to me.

Next, I did the corner cabinet. I didn't bother putting stuff into it since it won't be visible at all. But the counter must be crammed and untidy. 

The objects are a mix of commercial, mostly from large ebay lots, and handmade or upcycled by me. For instance, I added labels to wooden playscale bottles. To make spilled milk I used Tipp-Ex. Few people today will even know what it is. In the Stone Age before computers, it was used to paint over typos in typewritten manuscripts. It dries fast and is perfect for mock liquids, but it is the first time I used it. I recently got a bottle from a friend who had apparently saved it for the past thirty years - thanks a lot! The baking trays come from an eye-shadow box, and I put some unidentifiable food there. The rotten fruit is some dried berries I had in my grocery stall project. 

The next step was the hob. I had a little pan with eggs and black pudding that I used as it was. I put some couscous in a pot and covered with mold since I now knew how to make it. There is also some general dirt and coffee stains.

Setting the table was exciting. Here I wanted spilled coffee, and to make it I used grey chalk paint mixed with brown acrylic. For the right effect, I filled the cup, then tipped it so the liquid ran out in a natural way. What was left of the coffee, I poured into other cups, then almost emptied them to leave a bit at the bottom. I made some stain rings as well - in real life, they make me want to yell. For cereal, I used a few fennel seeds and covered them with Tipp-Ex. I had made all the bread from Fimo at a workshop some time ago. The whisky bottle completes the image of the person who lives here.

I will stop here for the time being and consider further details. I don't think this scene tells the whole story yet.

To be continued.

House restoration: basement

With the attic restoration done, I went three levels down to the basement. I know it probably doesn't make sense, but the basement also looked like it didn't need a lot of repair, and I was eager to have as many rooms as possible finished. Actually, there is some logic in getting kitchens done before anything else.

There are two kitchens in Womble Hall, as in any mansion with self-respect: best kitchen and working kitchen. Best kitchen is just for show; it is never used to cooking. It displays fine copper utensils and other implements that are never used. Best kitchen at Womble Hall is full of objects, a mixture of handmade and bought, and I keep adding to it.

The scope of damage was tolerable, mostly mouldings.

But of course the cutlery in the cupboard got muddled.

I am very particular about proper order of cutlery in my 1:1 kitchen so I spent some time sorting minicutlery with tweezers.

Then I put in most of the furniture and utensils. The greatest challenge was the shelf next to the stove. Everything else I could fill with pots and pans before inserting into the room, but for this shelf I had to reach into the room. A good deal of patience, and the show kitchen is done.

The working kitchen was miraculously almost fine, except for a broken window and a few tiles missing from the floor.

The window was easy just to press in gently. I found the tiles in the far corner and glued them back. I made this floor many years ago from air-drying clay. Today I would have done it from egg cartons, which would have been easier and neater. I think I will replace it some time, but not now. It looks fine. 

The stove was slightly broken.

It is handmade and easy to mend. And putting it back was also a good moment to see the room before it was filled with stuff.

When I opened the box marked "Kitchen, small things", I realised that it contained a mix of objects from all basement rooms, therefore it would make sense to deal with them at this point. The pantry looked fine, just a few broken shelf legs. And the mouldings had got unstuck.

It is very difficult to work in the pantry because it is so narrow. When I put in my hand, I cannot see what I am doing. When I first built it, I used tweezers to put stuff on the shelves. I like moving things around so I don't glue them. I considered taking out the shelves to mend, but it felt too complicated. I just glued on the missing bits.

The entrance looked relatively fine.

One chain on the ceiling light has gone off, but I cannot do much about it now because it is attached from the floor above so I will deal with it when I move on to that room. I cannot fix it as it is, again because the room is too narrow.

The door into the rear corridor was jammed, and when I managed to open it, I discovered that the back stairs were broken.

 

This will be very difficult, not to say impossible to mend, because the rear corridor is sealed off, and I cannot access it without dismantling the whole basement. Of course I can just close the door, but it would be a shame because it is such an interesting feature. The corridor is also visible from side windows. I have no idea how to go about it.


Meanwhile, I took everything out of the box marked "Kitchen, small things", contemplating the sheer scope of objects I have in the basement alone.

Most of these I made from rubbish or upcycled. Here are some close-ups.

I was so overwhelmed by this sight that I sat still for a while, staring at it, not knowing where to start. If I hadn't had two destructive felines sharing my living space I would have left it until tomorrow, but my options were either find a place for every object or pack them all again. Guess what I chose! And it wasn't that bad at all, just as in full-scale (which I went through recently). Once you put every item where it belongs, it doesn't look crowded or messy.

Here is the working kitchen, just like it was before. The cook and the kitchen maids are happy.

 

There are a couple of details missing that I will hopefully find in another box of "Small things": two antique tin shelves where all the pewter stuff will go (which is a mix of expensive antique and painted plastic), as well as a set of servant bells. There may be other items scattered in various boxes.

Here is the pantry, full of goods.

 

I have considered gluing everything on with glue dots, but will wait a bit. I have recently attended a course in making miniature breads, so I may want to replace bread, cheese and pies that I made fifteen years ago. It is amazing how our standards rise. Fifteen years ago I was proud of my breads.

Finally, the entrance. As I said, the lamp will be mended later.

This lower entrance is used for deliveries, this is why there are so many food baskets. I still feel upset about the broken stairs, but now much I can do right now.

And not to forget the fronts.

I could never understand why people might NOT want to decorate the fronts. There is so much interesting space to be added. In this case, all the utensils to be proudly displayed.

Anyway, now the whole basement is in relatively acceptable shape. Relatively, because there is some work on the exterior to be done, and the wiring has either to be mended or removed and replaced. But I feel I have made clear progress.

To be continued.

House restoration: nursery and servant quarters

The next room I repaired after the big disaster was servant quarters. Once again, my step-by-step posts from two years ago proved helpful.

There wasn't much damage to this room so I only had to glue the torn wallpaper.

As with the guest bedroom, I only put in things I could easily find in my storage boxes, so the numerous details are still to be added.

Next to the servant room is the nursery. I love this room because you can add as many details to it as you please.

At first I though there wasn't much damage to it, just torn wallpaper and some minor damage to the floor.

 

On closer inspection, however, the door surround was broken.

It was difficult to mend because it was hard to reach. When I built the house, I worked as much as possible on flat surfaces, including inserting doors. This door, I remember, was particularly stubborn, but at least I didn't have to fix it standing on a stepladder, reaching to the farthest corner. It will never be perfect, but it wasn't probably perfect to begin with.

Then I glued the wallpaper,  made some improvements on the floor, and while I was at it, I painted some edges that I had neglected three years ago.

With the nursery, I believe I have found more or less everything that should be there, an abundance of toys and books. The only thing still to be done is hang the bookshelves. And a couple of children are still evacuated in the country, but the room is now ready for them to return.


To be continued.

Dealing with treasures

On my annual visit to Stockholm I spend incredible amount of money in a particular shop. It is only open a couple of hours on Saturdays so I always contact the owner in advance to make sure they are there. I plan to spend at least an hour in this teeny tiny shop because by now I know what I am looking for and how much it would cost, so I need careful inspection. First time I discovered this shop I was overwhelmed. I still get very excited going there.

Here is this year's catch:

It may seem unsystematic and eclectic, but it is fully consistent with my previous purchases. I buy things I cannot make myself; I buy things that match stuff that I have, I buy unusual things, and I buy things that are slightly broken and that I know I can mend. For instance, I managed to mend a brass chandelier (from the same shop) as well as pewter candlesticks and wooden wardrobes. Several things in this bundle (if it's appropriate to use "bundle" for expensive stuff) need mending.

The chest of drawers - I bought it because I have never seen anything like it, and I still need to find out where it comes from. If you know, please tell me. But one knob was missing. I added a bit of a chess piece.

It isn't a perfect match, but I have tried other options, and this was the best. I can always replace it if I find something better. I don't know where this chest goes, probably in the retro house. Or I may build a vignette around it, because it is really unique. 

The vintage telephone - we had one like this when I was a child - will obviously go to the retro house. I am in two minds whether to repaint it.

The clock was hopelessly broken: 

I managed to bend it back into shape and glue together with superglue. The pendulum can move, and I have added hands from my stash of watch parts. It will go into my clockmaker shop. (Scroll down a bit in the linked post to see it).

The lovely fruit bowl can go almost anywhere (except maybe Tudor), and I have filled it with apples. These are real berried and will probably wither, but right now they look perfect. 

I could not resist the cash register. I have been looking for it for a while. It is a pencil sharpener, and I have a number of miniatures in the same style, probably by the same manufacturer. Another thing to research.

 

I will try it in my yarn shop. (Again, scroll down; it's the same post). Wait, maybe the chest will look good in the yarn shop? This will need some testing, which involves taking off the glazing. Something for long autumn evenings.

The pewter teapot had no lid. I have exactly the same teapot from the same shop, with a lid and a pretty tripod. 

  

I know some people would make a lid from fimo or something like that, but I am not good at sculpting. I am good at saving things that can come handy. In this case I remembered metal buttons I got last year from a friend. One of those became a perfect lid.

The other pewter things I thought were straightforward - I also had some of these before - so I just put them randomly on a tray. 

But see, that was completely wrong. When I looked closer, they were two different designs. 

The sugar bowl on the left is smashed, and someone probably tried to mend it and broke it, so I will leave it as it is. After all things get broken in 1:1 world as well. I am not yet sure where these objects will go. They look great in glass cabinets. Or maybe the Tudor household needs more pewter.

 

The plates also turned out to be all different and not like any other pewter plates I have. One day I will do some proper research on these miniatures. Meanwhile, they are definitely going to the Tudor house.

The magnificent standing mirror has replaced the simple one in master bedroom. There was nothing wrong with that mirror, and I will use it elsewhere. But this looks really grand. In all confidence, it cost almost as much as everything else together. I couldn't resist it.

It now feels imperative to replace the chandelier with one to match the mirror. There will be a massive replacement of chandeliers following my new purchases. This chandelier has to go into the reception room.

Then the chandelier from the reception room can perhaps go to upper hall, and the chandelier from upper hall can move to the bedroom. To perform all these replacements, I will have to remove floors in rooms above, so it will take some time.

But I will start with this two-arm chandelier that will go into the working kitchen.

This will be a challenge because I cannot get the main house off the basement to use the drilled hole in the ceiling. (Sometimes I imagine the horror of having to move the house, and I stop quickly). I will have a think of some clever way to attach it neatly.

All in all, my annual miniature binge has resulted in many interesting objects most of which lead to new projects rather than just finding a place for them. Have I ever mentioned that a dollhouse or a room box is never finished?

Come back soon.