The Upper Back Hallway

More photos for you all.   Well, I did say I would be able to really get on after the trip to Miniatura, didn't I?

After the grandeur of the Dining Room, we're shifting socially today and are now in the Upper Back Hallway at the top of the house.    This space would not be visited by the owners of Netherton and is purely the domain of the servants hence the drab paint colours.

 

This is the only time anyone will be able to see the whole of this space as a wall will be fitted in front.

 

 

 

You can see the "stops" below where said wall will go.

Close up detail of the "stained glass"

I keep checking and double checking this space before committing to putting the wall up because once I do, that's it and I'm really anxious not to make a mistake and find I've forgotten to do some little job or other which would mean taking it all down and besides, I can't do it yet because I've got to fit another light in the space below and I can't do that yet because I haven't bought it.....................see what I mean?

 

I've no idea what my next job will be as I need to get my head around the order of things to come.

The Dining Room

As promised (some time ago!) here is my finished Dining Room.   I thought a lot about whether to add a tablecloth or not and even considered a halfway measure in the form of table mats but the shape of the table meant they didn't sit as well as I'd like so in the end I decided to go without.   There were a few bits to add and a few bits to tweak before getting to this stage but it's all done now and given that I had no preconceived idea of what this room was going to look like when I started, I'm pleased with the way it's turned out.

 

Going round the room from left to right

The drawers are lined with green baize and the top drawer contains cutlery, napkins and napkin rings.

 

Tablecloths in the bottom drawer but nothing, as yet in the middle drawer as I was struggling to think of something but it will get filled, I'm sure, eventually.

 The servant's entrance/exit leading downstairs to the Still Room

 



The green baize door and dumb waiter

 

The china closet



The centre decoration on the table is my gift from Jeffrey's give-away.   

 

This is how I blew the budget

I arrived back from Miniatura this afternoon laden with goodies!    The fair was smaller than past fairs but that in no way reduced the quality or selection of what was on offer.   There were some really lovely pieces I was sorely tempted by but I managed some self-control and only purchased those items which were needed for work at presently underway. 

 

Firstly, the much needed wood - cornices, skirtings and trims.   Unfortunately I forgot to get plain cornice and dado rail but no matter, I can get that online and there's enough in that little bundle to let me get cracking.    Iron-on flooring, lights, a radiator and two pineapple finials.

 

 

Second pic, paper decoration (to go between cornice and picture rail), bottle of port, wine label, silver wine coaster, Visitors book, two clocks, Parker pen, cigars, lamp, picture and (in the little bag) some wine glasses.

 

 

Third - a sink, some soap/cleaning products, a couple of brushes, mop and bucket, "stone" hot water bottles, cleaning cloth, a picture and lastly (and not for Netherton but the "finished" Tenement) a bowl of nuts - and I said The Tenement was finished?   Who was I kidding?

Finally, and my favourite two purchases of the day, two lamps and two silver salts.   I love them!

 

I'd better start saving for the York fair now!

Something to keep me amused.

Thank you for your lovely comments on my previous post.   I think I'm almost "stared out"!

As you know, I've been putting off placing orders for supplies in view of the long awaited trip to Miniatura this weekend with the result I can't crack on with anything of any great consequence but I still wanted to mini so I did a bit of research and came across a good photo (complete with measurements) of a Post Box for the Netherton Hallway.   I've always fancied having one of these in RL just for decorative purposes so until I find one, I'm happy with the mini version.

 

It's constructed from card, painted then varnished and the detail is embroidery thread.

 

 

The little table was put together using balsa and spindles and lives in the Dining Room.

 

 

On another note - I don't think I've given any background to this property, which helps me when I come to dress the rooms, especially as I don't put in any "people".

 

So, in "Irene-land" Netherton is the Town House of a big wig who sits in the House of Lords.   Think more Upstairs Downstairs than Downton.    He has his country pile elsewhere!   I struggled for a while over this given the size of it but having the pavement settled that question and I know a Town House wouldn't have had a Dairy, especially one situated under the "area" but it was such a good idea (I thought) that I just had to put one in - especially as I had the space and all the necessary bits.

 

It dates from 1901 until pre-World War I.   I'm still a bit woolly on that, it'll all depend on what minis I find and I'm not sure yet if he has any offspring but there's plenty of time for me to make a decision  on that one.

At last, some progress.

It has been some time now since any progress was posted here and I had to read through what I'd mentioned last time to bring myself up to date.   Things have been slow with this property in my bid to finish the Tenement but that's all behind me now and I'm cracking on with Netherton.   I have so many ideas there are scraps of paper and post-its everywhere with notes on and I'm spending a ridiculous amount of time trying to get more out of the spaces I have.   As this house was custom built there are no removable walls (other than the two created in the design) so making rooms bigger or turning walls around to get doorways to the front or back is nigh on impossible.

 

I know I said last time that I would be updating you all with new pics of the Dining Room but I'm not!  I still have some accessories to add and I'm holding off until after my trip to Miniatura at the beginning of next month before showing you all the completed room.  It's maddening really as it's only two weeks away and I'm desperate for supplies but can't bring myself to do anything about that in view of the imminent trip.

 

So, while I'm marking time for the major spree I know I'm going to have, I thought I'd whet your appetites with progress in the Hall.

 

 

The Hall covers four floors and has a grand central staircase on the lower two floors.   The third floor has a much plainer staircase but not as basic as that used by the Servants in the Still Room.   This is due to the fact that the owners of this property will have to look at it as they access two of their own private rooms and the bathroom on the third floor but it will primarily be used by the servants.

 

So far I've papered and painted the central hallway and up to the third floor.   The fourth floor has also been papered but will be decorated in a plain basic manner.   If you look closely at the photo below you can see wooden "stops" on either side of the room and two just at the stair well.    There is a wall that fits in here and the space forward of this will be devoted to "something else"!   Also, and because I'm a bit anal about all this, I've decorated the corridor side of the wall, all in keeping with the rest of the space (well, you have to, don't you!).   That goes for the other side of the Bathroom wall too.

 

 

 

There is a similar arrangement on the floor below which shows the wooden "stops", the stair well and my cardboard template for the flooring (on the list for Miniatura).    This is a narrower space than the one above and will become the family Bathroom.

 

 

The whole Hallway is quite tricky to do and will, I can see, be very time consuming as all lighting has to be taken into consideration as well and I'm having to really think about the order of jobs before diving in.

I had a look at the lighting arrangement today and it took some sorting out, I can tell you.   The issue lies with the two removable back walls because once they're in, I wont be able to access anything behind them (and like the issue with the Dining Room wall, I'll be fixing it as I doubt I'll want to remove it at any time providing of course that the bulbs in the fittings on the very back of the upper Hall keep working!)    My solution to that little problem will be to remove the fitting and pull them through whichever doorway is nearest and change the bulb that way - I think!

A lot of staring is needed with this one.

 

A bit of this and a bit of that.

This is a tricky post to write as Bob the cat is walking over the keyboard!   He also likes to watch progress  from the roof of Netherton.

Right - between decorating the RL lounge and gardening (although the gardening is sporadic given the not so good weather we've been having), I've been doing some bits and pieces to Netherton.   In fact I've been on a bit of a roll and items are popping up here and there.

Firstly, this is the Dining Room as it is now.    I'm hoping you will note that the oval ceiling rose mirrors the design on the rug and I've taken it a bit further by having an oval dining table.  I have the rest of the furniture and most of the accessories but I'm leaving all that for my next post.

 

Pictures/ancestors have been added and what a difference they make to a plain room.   All of a sudden it comes to life.

 

There are still little areas to be touched up and finished off (namely the not so good angles on the cornice) but I ran out of wood filler!

 



 

The cupboard I created on the back wall has contents but because there are still more bits to be added, I'll show you all of that next time round.   The door to the front right of the picture is the door into the Hall.   It's not fixed in yet (nor is the over door decoration).   That'll get done once I've started working on the Hall.

 

 

 



 

The picture below shows the "fourth wall".   What a palaver that turned out to be as there wasn't enough space allowed to clear the floor (I thought I had, and I was convinced I had taken it into account when measuring but it all had to be taken apart, trimmed and put back together - lesson learned!)   I'm thinking about putting cushions on the window seats to add a bit more colour but I'm not sure if cushions would have been included.   I'll have to think about that one.   Another major debate going on in my head is whether to have a tablecloth or not?   Perhaps I need to get out more.

Moving on, there have also been a few additions made to the Still Room.    I haven't, as yet, shown the fully fitted out Still Room and that is because it's not finished yet.    The Kitchen isn't completed yet either but I can show you little areas.   I jumped ahead to the Dining Room because I had a "good idea".   Working on this property is so different from the others that I've done.  Previously I've worked at a room until the whole thing is decorated and kitted out with all it's accessories.   This time round, things are happening where and when the mood strikes.

 

The servant's bells were purchased from Miniatura some time ago and the Servant's Rules are there just to remind them all to toe the line!

 

They are placed at the end of the Servant's corridor to the left of the Still Room.

A view from the Kitchen looking toward the Still Room.   Most of the furniture is in place but lots of accessories are still required to give it some life.

 

 

Another view from the Kitchen, this time showing the Servant's staircase/access to Dining Room above.

 

 

Looking from the Still Room into the Kitchen - a bit of an atmospheric shot.

and finally, with the lights on and a laden dresser.

 

Kensington Fair, London

I arrived back from my trip to London yesterday.   What a great time we had.    The trip was a present from my sister and included all the usual sightseeing trips, a night at the theatre to see Les Miserables and a visit to the Kensington Dolls House Fair.

This was a first for me and it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.   Lots of lovely exhibitors with lots of lovely minis to view.

Firstly, the big stuff:  flooring - Susan Bembridge;   ceiling rose - Jennifers of Walsall;    dumb waiter - Masters Miniatures;   skirting - Wood Supplies;   cherry pie preparation and screen (sorry, can't remember the sellers of those two items)

Secondly, the wee stuff (and I've named the seller where possible):  naïve prints and chamber pot;  store cupboard essentials;  Thomas Crapper toilet rolls - Valerie Claire Miniatures;   newspapers - Aidan Campbell;   wine carafe - Gerd Felka;  wine glasses and soda syphon - Glasscraft;   half a dozen eggs, sliced bread with knife;   servant's bell pulls - Jennifers of Walsall;   lady's tortoiseshell dressing table set and light bulb - Truly Scrumptious.

 

This last item was a gift from my sister and they are destined for another property.   Two pigeons - David Ward.

 

 

There were one or two items from the list that I didn't manage to get but as I didn't spend all the budget I can now have an online spree!