...On to the Music Room

Merriman Park was originally meant to be a Winter Project for me, but due to the unusual weather of late --a wet, positively monsoon-y spring, and an unbearably sultry, steamy summer-- I have been able to clock in a few hours here and there, all in air conditioned, climate-controlled comfort!  I had the day off today and since once again the skies opened up and poured sheets of rain off and on all the live-long day, I took advantage of the sitch and worked on the Music Room.

I made floors for all of my remaining rooms, figuring it would save time.  Live and learn! They are just regular, old plank floors which is what an American house from the Federal period would normally have.  They are all made from iron-on edge-stripping stained a dark walnut color and have several layers of shellac overall and a final coat of wax. .

I chose a Susan Bembridge wallpaper because it resembles the pattern in my 'rl' dining room. I have been thinking about repainting the front rooms, even though I really like the old colors --but sometimes you just need a change of scenery, right? But the over-sized, brocade pattern will live on forever in my dollhouse!

My 'rl' dining room.

Next, I added the wainscot.  This I made with illustration board and pre-made panels from Lawbre.  I had some panels left over from the Entrance Hall, so I only had to order a few more.  All three walls, BTW, are pieces of illustration board I cut to the exact size of the room.  It's so much easier working on the walls flat on my kitchen work table! You can just pop them in and out as you're working and all the wiring gets hidden behind. How cool is that?

Here I added the fireplace mantel from Braxton Payne and the door surround from Miniature Mansions.  All the mill-work is painted my special off-white. Nothing is glued down permanently, yet.

The base boards are black marble with a bullnose trim on top.  I think every room should have a little black in it!

I have been working on the art collection which will pretty much cover the walls completely.  The only one I didn't make is the work in the very center, which is a Jim Coates piece.  They're made utilizing Ray Whitledge's technique of over-painting Mod-Podge on top of  the print.  They look like real oil-paintings!  I had a reclining nude of Venus, the most lovely picture you ever saw, but she fell onto the floor and disappeared into the heat register.  I have the saddest life...

I have a pair of the fold-down card tables from the collection.

But I'm very excited because I get to use my Thomas Jefferson Monticello Collection furniture in the Music Room!  Most of you already know that Jefferson inspired Merriman Park's layout and I am a huge fan of him.  I bought these pieces ages ago and plan on getting a suite of six or eight of these Louis XVI-style chairs and reupholster them in the matching Susan Bembridge pattern in silk.  It might seem a bit much, but as I mentioned earlier, most of the walls will be covered with artwork, so I don't think it will get too pattern-busy in there --I hope!

Of course, you know my motto: 'it's not done, until it's overdone!'  so consider the source!  Well. that's all I have for now, have a great weekend everybody, stay cool and ciao for now!