Backtracking a Little Bit

Happy Spring!  Woke up today to an inch of new snow on the ground with a whole foot possible tonight!  Oh wells, best just not to think about it --right?-- and dig in on the Bedchamber...

Because I changed my original plan and hung two chandeliers downstairs in the Library instead of one, I had to make a whole, new plank floor for my Bedchamber.  But this gives me the opportunity to show you how I wired the chandeliers, since Elga and Fi are on that subject.  (Sorry the photo is so blurry --I had to take it, one-handed)!  Anyway, as you see I made small trap doors over the chandeliers and routed out a shallow 'junction box' to house the wires in case something goes awry --as it often seems to do.  The traps are hidden under rugs and I like to pretend my dolls are in constant peril, LOL!  Ray gave me the junction box idea back when I started wiring my first room, the Entrance Hall, its checkered, marble floor can be glimpsed to the bottom left. It's worked out great in all the rooms, so thanks a bunch, Ray!

And now, the fun part!  after cutting the illustration board to fit all three walls (and doing several, careful 'dry fits' to make sure everything lines up), you can start decorating.  I always start with the 'back wall.'  I papered the illustration board panel with my toile wallpaper, which I'm absolutely coo-coo for.  It was completely worth the six, long weeks I waited for it! I like to use Super 77 Spray Mount from 3-M for my wallpaper but I know some of you hate it!  Here's a little tip: instead of cutting the paper to fit the panel, wrap it around the panel and secure with white glue in back.  Not only will the paper never peel away, it finishes the visible edges off beautifully.  The moldings are from the Lawbre Company, the skirting is an inch wide and makes an elegant statement in an otherwise plain room.  The cornice, also from Lawbre, is a classic egg and dart design.  I hung a picture frame molding about an inch and a half from the top of the wall and here is where I started the wallpaper.  This leaves a nice, wide frieze at the top of the wall, which I decided to leave plain.  Less is sometimes more!  I already showed you the lovely door surround I made from bits of scrap.  And I can never resist playing with artwork even at this early phase: the silhouette portraits are vintage 1950's pieces from an old, dismantled dollhouse.

The 'plain' wall across from the fireplace will have the bed placed here.  Unfortunately, the skirting was ot long enough to make the span so I will have to do some filling and sanding at the joint. I use gesso (a mixture of white paint and white glue) for filling gaps.  Here's another important tip: don't glue down any moldings permanently until you have dry-fitted them first --slip all your walls into your house and mark in the corners with a pencil where the moldings butt together in the corners.  Make sure they match up precisely before gluing anything down! You will be constantly putting in and pulling out your walls --don't expect to get it all right in one try.

Here's the fireplace wall, under construction. The window seats are simply trimmed and I tried to unite all the different elements: windows, seats and mantle into one, cohesive composition  I ran out of cornice in the upper left and so had to order another length!  Don't you just hate that? 

I remembered to take a photo of the hearth, under construction. It's all just illustration board and card bricks.  I paint it up in scrumbled shades of grey.

It's all starting to come together!  Here, I slipped the illustration board panels into the carcass of the house for another dry fit.  Lookin' pretty good in the 'hood! I don't glue the cornice in til the very last thing because you want a tight fit with no gaps. The floor needs a few more coats of lacquer, some joints need filling and touching up...and then I can tackle the wiring!  

ONLY A COUPLE WEEKS TIL THE CHICAGO SHOW...I"M GETTING SO EXCITED!!!