Meet the Ancestor

Thank you for all your lovely comments to my previous post and a very warm welcome to anyone who is new to the blog.    It's lovely to have you here and I hope you like what you see.

Quite some time ago I purchased a barewood cabinet but didn't really have anywhere suitable for it.   I just bought it because I liked it.   It lived in the stash for some time until recently and I now have the perfect place for it - the Gentleman's Study in Netherton.

I think it's a EuroMinis piece and offers lots of possibilities.

The first job was to get it varnished.    Unfortunately I was too intent on getting all the accessories into this piece that I didn't take a photo of it empty!    Never mind, onward!

Meet James McCulloch (1841 - 1893)

One of three brothers, Master Flesher (Butcher), Freeman of the City of Glasgow 1884 and spouse's Great Grandfather.

His picture presides over our dining room table and because he's perfect for date, I've added his portrait to The Study in Netherton.    The cabinet for this room had the perfect place for a copy of his portrait.

To help with the accessorising of my properties I like to give the residents a little story.   Nothing major or detailed, just enough to narrow down purchases and help with décor etc.   So, the owner of Netherton is an MP with an interest in all things Egyptian.    He collects stamps, is an avid reader and has recently purchased a very sophisticated item - a Gramaphone!

As an aspiring MP, he has to be in possession of a Government Red Box

Hopefully this post will keep things ticking over while I carry on with the rest of the Study now that I've sorted out the elusive paint colour.

Some Hallway and Morning Room Tweaks

Unfortunately, there is still no progress with the paint required to deal with the lower part of the wall in the Drawing Room.   I have hunted high and low, in shops and online for a colour that will match the stripey paper in this room.   So.……...I am going to have a go at mixing my own.   This is not my forte!   I've never mixed paint before but my sister has.    She managed to crack the colour but has only created a very small amount.    Given the number of sample pots and tubes of paint I have in my stash there must be what I need to mix what I need so that's my next step.   What have I got to lose?

Whilst going through all this paint angst I decided I wasn't very happy with the Hall.   It wasn't terribly welcoming and as Netherton is not a grand Stately Home, more a homely Town House I decided to give it, and the Morning Room, a little tweak.

Upper Hall before -

Upper Hall after with the addition of a couple of chairs by Alison Davies and a rug from Dream Home Miniatures

 Lower Hall before -

Lower Hall after with the radiator cabinets removed from the back and replaced with chairs (Etsy purchase), the paintings were replaced with two larger ones (York Fair purchase), the half moon tables were swapped for two slightly larger tables from Art of Mini which gave me a little more space for display items, namely a photo and Post Box (made by me) to the left and a tray with mail and telephone on the right.

I did, after my last post on the Hall eventually manage to find a suitable rug but it was a tad too big.   Every time I closed the main house door, the Vestibule attached to it scrunched up the carpet so I removed a piece from said rug, following the pattern, and now it's a perfect fit and colour match.   I'm much happier with the overall look now.

Before -

After -

I also gave the Morning Room a bit of a tweak too.   Again, it felt as though there was something missing.   Something to make it just a bit cosier so I added a couple of bits -

The lid on the piano has been lowered and a fringed throw added along with a vase of flowers, some framed photos and a candelabra.    I also added a throw to the back of the sofa.    Not big changes, but I'm happier with this room now.

What? Christmas already?

When I was trying to come up with a name for this blog at it's inception I wanted it to include any smaller project I embarked on alongside the Netherton project - hence "Small & Stately".   I'm afraid there hasn't been much "Small" lately but now...………….yes, there is a small project happening.

We have little people in our family now and they are of an age where they now "get" Christmas.   So, I thought it was about time I embarked on a Christmas Room Box, something I've been itching to do for years.    Probably more for me than them!!

I've always liked a particular Dolls House Emporium box which is unfortunately no longer available but I managed to purchase two from Ebay quite some time ago and they've been languishing in the attic every since.   Until now, that is!

This is what I've got to work with -

The previous owner had already scraped off any paper and décor previously used but the uprights and part of the frame came apart while it was stored.    Fortunately it is a simple job to put everything back in place and add the acrylic.

So far I've papered and fitted carpet but of course I couldn't resist having a little play.   Since then, I've been to the York Miniature Fair and managed to pick up a good selection of Xmas bits to add.

Work has now progressed with the room box and it is finally finished and on display for the little people.

*Please excuse the quality of the pics - I am no photographer!   More "aim and fire".

I'd also like to wish all my followers a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Starting work on The Study

Before going any further, a very big thank you to all followers for your lovely comments on my Morning Room and yes Simon, I made the curtains.

Yes, I know, I said I wasn't going to make another sofa!    Again I couldn't find exactly what I wanted (or was prepared to pay) so out came the foamboard, logged into One Inch Minis for the instructions and here we have the last - yes, the final - sofa I will make.    I don't think it has as good a finish as the earlier one I made but I'm putting that down to the fact that this one has silk upholstery and the other one doesn't.    I didn't find it as easy to work with and added to that was the performance involved in keeping glue away from the parts that didn't need it - all in all, a few bad words were bandied about but it's done and looks fine - I think.

Black isn't easy to photograph but you may see that I added a trim up the front to the arms and another piece over the back corners.

This furniture is destined for The Study.    A Gentleman's space for a man who likes collecting items from foreign parts, namely Egypt, and stamps..   A place where he can read the paper, have a wee dram and entertain his cronies.

The cabinet on the left has been in my stash for a few years now and is, I think, ideal for this space.   I have an idea for a picture to be placed in there but more on that for another post - there's a story attached to it.

At the moment I'm trying to decide whether to go with the darker shade on the wallpaper for painting below the dado rail (something that's holding me back - getting the right colour) or going with the paler shade in the stripe which would be keeping the colour scheme in the neutral shades along with the three other public rooms.

This is turning out to be harder work than decorating the RL house!

I couldn't help but have a little play to decide furniture placement.   I call the photo below "Just Chillin' ".

Lots more still to do, lights to purchase, accessories to buy but I'm enjoying this one - so far!

At last, a guided tour of the Morning Room

Thank you all for your lovely comments to my last post, especially with regard to the sofa.  They're very much appreciated and (she whispers) I'm about to make another one!

So, on with the tour -

The room measures 16" x 16" x 9" (40.64 x 40.64 x 22.86cms) and is entered from the right hand side.    I decided to have a carpet AND a rug in this room for a change and it may happen again in another room - we shall see.   Stripey paper above the dado rail and Lincrusta below.

In the left-hand niche is a family photo and ornaments from Ottervale China.

The right-hand niche has a couple of glass dishes, a family photo, another ornament from Ottervale China and some books.

The desks on either side of the chimney breast were purchased from Art of Mini

Ta-da, the sofa!   I've had the desk chair in my stash for years and is made of resin.

The finished room complete with chairs re-upholstered in red and gold silk, handmade cushions and kit footstools and tables.

Below shows the fourth wall.

Lighting makes all the difference, doesn't it?

Below are a couple of photos showing a bit more of the detail on either side of the room.

The sewing box below was a Kensington Fair purchase.

Wine, anyone?

So-fa, so good.

Firstly, thank you for the very encouraging comments on my last post.   They are very much appreciated.

Since my last update I have been busy!

The little chaise in the photo below has been in my stash for ages and I thought it would fit very well in the Morning Room.    As it was a barewood piece it got varnished and upholstered.    At the time of finishing it I didn't have the two chairs sited to the left but when it was placed with what I did have, it didn't really do it for me so an alternative had to be found.

I made one!   I know I said last time that I wouldn't be making any more sofas after creating the suite now placed in the Drawing Room but it seemed the only way to get what I wanted and besides it is fun creating it.    Many thanks again to Kris (One Inch Minis) for her excellent tutorials.

Below, you can see my foamboard structure.    The chairs are barewood, waiting to be re-upholstered and were an Etsy purchase.

Ta-da!   This is the sofa in situ with borrowed cushions.    I didn't want to fall into the "brown" trap that I had with the Drawing Room so here, I'm trying for a much lighter, airier feel.   My next task will be to find suitable fabric to recover the chairs.

Les Chinnoiserie fabric has been used for the curtains (shown here on the "fourth" wall).   I doubt very much that the floral display will stay but is fine for the time being.

I'm glad that, at last, I feel progress is being made with this room as I struggled for a while.   Now that the sofa issue has been resolved I'm hoping it wont be so long between posts.

Morning Room Update

Apologies to my followers for the slow progress with this room since I last posted.    Work has been happening in the RL house and my time was taken up with that.    I do however now have something to show you.    It's not much but I'm further along than I was and can now see the room starting to take shape.

You may remember from the previous photos that I had created arched niches on the fireplace wall.   I was happy with that until I had the idea to add decorative trim to the top.   That's when they became square!

I'm working on furniture at the moment and searching for suitable curtain fabric.

I hope to work more on this during the holidays so, until then, I'd like to wish all my followers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.