Half-scale kitchen

For the half-scale kitchen, I made a stove of the same model as in my Victorian house, just half the size.

The body of the stove is made from cardboard, simply painted black. The doors are bits of cardboard glued to the front. You cannot have as much detail in half scale because they become too conspicuous, so I just made simple handles from wire. The pipe is of course a drinking straw. The pots and the kettle came in some large lot, and strangely they fit perfectly in scale. I will make some utensils to hang on the rack.

Next I made a butler's sink with instructions in Vivienne Boulton's book, only she makes everything from clay, while I found an old butter container, the kind you get in hotels. I think I have had this container ever since I started making miniatures, just waiting for the right occasion. I wanted a butler's sink rather than a more modern sink like I have in the Victorian house simply because I wanted to make something new. Let's agree that this kitchen hasn't been modernised yet.

The room is very small so I cannot put as much in it as a typical kitchen would have. But at least a table is necessary. It is very easy to make a simple table: take a wooden strip and attach legs with blue tack...

However, this feels highly unsatisfactory for a furniture maker with self respect. Instead, I made it using my experience from making the Tudor and the Georgian tables - very difference experiences, but both proved useful. I also studied carefully the very first kitchen table I had in my very first kitchen. And this is what I did:

First, glued a smaller strip (a domino piece) on the underside. Cut four legs and the bars. Glued the legs at the corners of the smaller strip and glued on the bars - I promise, that took some time!

This feels much better. I had some half-scale dishes and food, but I will make more. And add more details. But so far, this is what the kitchen looks like. A bit crammed for a Victorian kitchen, but will have to do.

For a comparison, I took a picture of a full-scale and a half-scale table. It gives you a good sense of scale.

Modern kitchen

I have said repeatedly that kitchens are fun to make, and modern kitchens are no exception. Since I by now had so much faith in my abilities I decided to build a modern kitchen myself, using my old favourite material, the venetian blind. First, I made a model from cardboard and put a wooden worktop on. I cut an opening to make a sink.

For sink, I used a plastic container of the kind you get jam in for breakfast in hotels. I painted it metallic. I used a lid from a spice jar to make a washing machine door. I know that you'd probably have a dishwasher rather than a washing machine in this place, but the lid was too good not to use. 

Meanwhile, I also painted the stairs white and made a railing, which is very difficult to make, as anyone knows who has attempted. 



I glued bits of venetian blind onto cardboard and scratched them with a craft knife to imitate gaps between drawers. For handles I used tiny things on wires the purpose of which I don't know. I got them from my dollhouse-making cousin. I drilled holes and pulled the wires through, fixing them at the back. I glued a bit of glossy paper on the top to make a hob, and painted rings with a gold pen. I made the chimney hood from a hotel soap-dish lid and glued small bits of Lego for lights.

 
I made the kitchen table from yet another piece of venetian blind and used unidentifiable plastic clips for legs. The fancy mugs are cut from a pencil, with half a bead for handle. As I have already mentioned, the fridge is a tin tea box.

Kitchen sink

The kitchen sink is made from a bulb package - it was just the right size. The doors are glued on and do not open. The handles were already there - the pieces are from wooden blinds. The basins are mini marmalade jars you get for breakfast at hotels. The pipe is a drinking straw. I had the taps from something else, but I painted a red and a green dot on them.This is how it all fit together