Fox Manor

Study Update

Well folks,

I just thought I would show you a couple of wee pictures of the Gent's Study, complete with his telescope.  I knew I had this somewhere, but just couldn't find it when I uploaded the pictures on completion of the room.

I also want to take this opportunity as well to thank Simon for his kindness in giving my blog a shout out on his.  When I first joined the blogging community, I was told that you were kind, thoughtful and helpful - I have to say that I am happy to agree and am proud to be among you.  So, thanks to Simon, I can now welcome my numerous new followers to my blog, and I hope you all enjoy :)

The telescope is made by Jeff Mewies, its beautifully made and I'm very proud to own one.

 

The Study looks blue on my screen, but as we all know, it's green....

This must be the shortest post ever.....for me anyway.  Have a lovely weekend everyone.

All the best

Vivian

Fox Manor

The First Floor - The Gent's Bedroom

Hi everyone, thank you to all for your kind comments on my blog, I really do appreciate each and every one and a big welcome to my new followers!

The Gent's Bedroom is situated directly above the dining room.  This room was just not big enough for me, lol what's new!  I initially wanted a washing area as well as an arch through to a dressing room.  But this is what I ended up with...

I ended up putting in an en suite into the bedroom area, and made a false door to go into my gent's dressing room......ok then, my imaginary dressing room lol.  The door to the right leads to the hall at the back of the study, as described in my Gent's Study last time.

I know I wanted to squeeze a lot in here, but you have to draw a line.  Too much looks wrong and cluttered, and too little can look boxy and plain.  I hope I have struck the right balance.

I painted the ceiling and back wall in Aubusson Blue an Annie Sloan Chalk paint.  It was an absolute nightmare to work with - a gorgeous shade (just what I wanted), but a nightmare none the less.  Maybe it's just me, I don't know.  When I finally got the finish just perfect, I installed the ceiling piece for the three rooms, then started to seal my MDF.  I know, I know, I should have done that first...lesson learnt!  It japped, and I didn't notice until the next day when I was sitting at my work table, a huge cluster of splatter dots across my lovely ceiling.  I could have cried.  The patch job is passable, but I'm so disappointed in it.  I'm hoping it'll be mostly hidden behind the wall....:(

I made the floor in the little en suite from cardboard tiled with the 'marble' tiles, just as I did in the halls previously.  I have used black/grey with white/black/blue.  They look lovely against the blue of the paint.  I also glued a white ceiling in here made from thick cardboard, the same size as the floor, so the walls will have a 'square' guide to help keep it glued in place.

I glued down my toilet and papered the back wall with St. George by Brodnax.  Even though you won't even see the toilet, I know it's there :)  I also papered both sides of the arched wall, again I want any reflection from the mirror to be true; and I lined the raw edges of the arch with plain paper and painted it with the dreaded blue...

I fitted the walls around the en suite and papered the rest of the room in Irise by Brodnax.  The colours are the same as the St. George in the en suite.  You can see the little plug hanging on the door - this was put into the skirting board behind the bedside locker so I can put a little lamp there.

I made the flooring.  I had black walnut plank flooring I had bought on ebay some time ago, and, true to form, there wasn't quite enough to do the room, so I edged the floor in walnut parquet squares and then I had to glue the plank flooring to paper to raise it up to match the border edging.  With that all glued down and waxed, I put the back door in place. 

I painted the back door, mouldings, ceiling rose and skirting board in a slight cream white for the Gent's Bedroom.  I didn't want stark white in here, I wanted a gentler tone.  Sounds a bit of a contradiction for a man's room, but there you go :)

The door was going to be on the plain painted wall, so I papered it with the same paper as the en suite. 

 

Now I was into unchartered territory - what's new there lol :)  I wanted to make a curtain to drape over the en suite arch.  I firstly made a pelmet from mountboard, glued on a couple of brass stampings and painted it the dreaded blue...I'm a glutton for punishment, I know :)  I wanted the look of wooden mouldings on the pelmet.  But when I made the curtain, it didn't feel right, (plain curtain, plain pelmet) so I sanded back the painted stampings a little and highlighted them in old gold paint.  Yes, out came my lovely gold paint again....:)

The curtain is made from silk muslin.  Boy, the trouble I had trying to use my pretty pleater (for the first time, I might add).  The fabric just keep jumping out of it, it was dreadful, so I resorted to pinning down a piece of squared paper to foamboard and pinning the fabric to it.  Not an easy task.  Maybe it gets easier with the more curtains you make?  Eventually, I got the soft draping look I was after and sprayed the fabric with my Moroccan Oil hairspray.  I have the loveliest smelling curtain in the country lol :)  Being my first curtain, I'm so glad I opted for one and not a pair!

I made the tieback for here as well.  I chose a deep red colour.  There is a hint of red in the wallpaper.  This was fun.

I scrapped this idea for the tieback loops....I couldn't get this cord I made through the hole in the beads :(

 Once I settled on the little beads etc that I wanted to use, I cut a length of silk embroidery thread and folded it about five times or so and then took a separate piece and tied it together in the centre.

I made a little wire loop to help pull the cord through the beads I glued together.

 



I threaded that up through the bead and glued it in place.  I made the top of the tie back by looping it up and through the other bead.  The pictures are better at describing what I did than me :)

 

 Pulled through and trimmed..

 

 



Looping the cord back on itself to form the two holders. 

I put a little hairspray on the loops to keep them in place.

 

I glued the tieback in place....this baby is going nowhere :)

 

 

The lights in the en suite are casting a lovely diffused light in here.

I installed the fireplace and put the light for it under the skirting board.



I love the way I have the curtain draping softly.



A lovely space I think :)



Some of the border in the floor seems very light...but it's not, it must be my dire photography..again!

 

You can see the hall door from here, and walk through to the Games Room from here too.....very important!



This room has quite dark furnishings....in fact this whole floor; the Games Room, the Gent's Study and the Gent's Bedroom I have now called the Gentleman's Floor; and has a quite subdued and, I hope, moody and masculine feel to it.

Again, I have a few more nik naks to gather for in here, but I'll get there in the end :)

 

Well folks, I hope you enjoyed the making of my Gent's Bedroom.  I am thoroughly enjoying all the challenges I set myself for each room.  I do try to stretch my abilities into trying something different.

All the best and take care for now.

Vivian

PS I forgot to mention that the bed has still to be dressed!  I'm thinking maybe a deep red silk eiderdown type of bedding, well see.....

Fox Manor

The First Floor - The Gent's Study

The Gent's Study is on the first floor, directly above the main entrance hall.  This is where the stairs should have come up, but I have decided to squeeze a study in here.  You can see that access to the stairway is through the doorway in the hall behind the study :)

I know I used some toile in the dining room below, but I just had this vision of a green study; and the image of lots of plain painted surfaces in a soft green and the toile just appealed to me - I don't have a notion what era this type of look would be.  But I like it....:)

I had wondered if the toile would look too feminine, but I hope I have struck the right balance here.

As on the floor below, I had to fill in the hole in the ceiling left by the stairwell, then I installed a false wall, but kept the doorways to the rooms on either side still working.  I had to turn the internal wall sections of the kit, back to front, to have the doorways going into the back of both the Bedroom and Games room, to give me a working room to the front.  You will be able to catch a glimpse of the hallway to the back of the study through the Gent's Bedroom but unfortunately the door opens the wrong way into the Gent's Games Room, so no view from there I'm afraid. 

I have, once again, left the key in the door.  The sideboard and mirror are both by Glenowen.  I bought them because I fell in love with them, but at the time, had no idea where they would go.  I think the mahogany colour of the furniture, the redwood flooring and the wallpaper have a warmth to them, which contrasts nicely to the white door and skirting board.  The wallpaper is the same one used to the back of the Entrance Hall, downstairs.  I wanted to keep the hall areas wallpapered the same just for continuity.  This was English Rose Beige by Mini Graphics. The two lamps were bought off ebay - from an artisan, but I am ashamed to say, I cannot remember who.  American I think!

The false wall was papered on both sides, as I wanted any reflection from the mirror in the hall to be visually correct, and the door was fixed in before being installed.

I initially intended the fireplace to be on this wall, but ended up putting it on the left-hand side of the room.  I wanted a working fire and picture light above so I needed to be able to hide the wires.  I made a 'wall' from mountboard and run the wires from the fireplace and the picture light up the back and along behind the coving.

I lie in bed many a night, thinking about my next move with regards to the problems I set myself such as the placement of wiring, decorating, etc.. , and I wonder how many miniaturists do the same thing....everyone I imagine! :) The wiring was so fiddly to do.. I think I could have made life a little easier with longer wires, but you live and learn, I'll know for again!  This house is such a learning curve for me, but I'm loving it!  Being a glutton for punishment comes to mind lol :)

With the left-hand wall glued in place, my next move was to paper the ceiling.  I used an embossed paper for this, as it helps to hide the cover-up job with the hole for the stairwell :) You know I don't particularly like to leave a ceiling totally devoid of some type of decoration :)

The floor was put down next; you remember the floor here was initially being made for the Dining Room, but I went astray somewhere in the making, and earmarked the remaining 'good' part for the study, so that has saved me a bit of time here.  I think it looks well having the dark floor with the brighter wallpaper and ceiling.

 

The coving, door and frame, skirting, wainscoting and corbels on were all painted in Lincoln Green by Craig & Rose 1829, a lovely chalky effect paint.

The wainscoting in the Study was made and installed in parts, as I couldn't wait for my husband to use his man saw if I made it as a complete piece.  So I mitred the skirting first, and glued it in; then I cut the deep pieces with my craft knife - I did not need to mitre the corners here, I just butted them up to each other, then the dado rail was cut (and mitred) and glued into place.  That's the simplest way for me to put on wainscoting.  The small space to the left of the fireplace and to the right of the door (as you look at them) were slightly big for the plain part of the pattern on the wainscot, so I had cardboard a similar thickness, which I cut and painted to suit.  You wouldn't even know that it wasn't wood.....something to keep in mind for the future!!

At this point, I thought the wallpaper was still too 'full on' in the study, so I painted fine angled wood in the same green and placed them in the corners just to break up the sea of toile :)

The fireplace may look slightly big for this area, but I tried different ones in here, (and even contemplated painting one the same green as the rest of the room!) but this fireplace kept coming out on top all the time.  Although it's a warm stone colour, when I put it in the study, it just had a slight green tinge to it, which I loved.  My hubby also thought it was right for the room, so it's staying.

Overall, I am very happy with this space.  I think I have made very good use of it.  Considering the overall area was 10" wide x 15" deep, I have a hall and study, with the rooms on either side opening onto the hall.

I still have ornaments and bits and pieces to go in, but all in good time :)

What do you think of my little safe?  I love it, it is a pencil sharpener I bought off ebay and the door handle turns to open it up....class!  The little book on top is about the Titanic and has print inside.  I bought that from datemanbooks.com, a brilliant company - take a look if you get a chance!  The binoculars and case are marvellous, I bought them from the Luggage Lady at the NEC.  A lovely wee woman with amazing bags, luggage, gloves, etc.

I bought the fox head at the NEC in Birmingham in March as well.  I told you I did damage on that trip! lol  I have a fixation with anything 'Fox'..... it comes from the day I first met my husband :)

The painting over the fireplace is an original by a wonderful artist, Andrew Nicholl, and is called 'In a bit of a Blow'.  It is amazing.

I really hope you enjoyed my Gent's Study/Hall.  Thank you again for looking.

I think the next room is going to be the Gent's Bedroom, which is to the left of the study.

Until the next time, all the best and take care.

Vivian

Fox Manor

Ground Floor - The Sitting Room

Hello everyone, thank you for your lovely and kind comments on my Dining Room and Chandelier.  I was very flattered and humbled, thank you again.  I'd now like to welcome my nine new followers since my last post. Welcome along everybody and thank you to all for taking the time to read my blog, it's truly appreciated :)  I can't believe I have 16 followers to my wee blog...thank you...  If I am not following you, please let me know.  I am new to blogger and am finding it difficult at times to track down the blogs other people have. :(

On with the show!!  The Sitting Room is situated to the right of the Entrance Hall, and where the Lady of the house and her female friends like to retire to after dinner in the evening.  I wanted an oriental feel to this room.  I had originally bought the red Sue Cook fireplace and mirror for a bedroom, but I changed my mind and decided I'd rather have the oriental feel to the Sitting Room....yes, I am a fickle woman, and yes, I told you before. lol

 

In my previous blogs I had said that I had to prepare the three ceilings on each floor together before inserting the full piece into the house.

I painted the ceiling here a soft yellow, Jasper Cane by Craig & Rose 1829, and added a ceiling rose and four little corner plaster shapes - I'm sure there's a proper technical term for them, but it eludes me at the moment (and they may not even be for a ceiling at all, but I like them).  I just painted these plain white as the rest of the room was going to be very 'busy' and was going to make up for that!  Again, I had to make a new centre for the hole for the light fitting.

 I made the flooring as before, this was a plain parquet in walnut.  There's something very satisfying about laying down all those little pieces. 'Tis a sad life I lead... :)

Look at the difference a little plain beeswax does to the floor! Amazing colour, isn't it?

 

I papered the room with China Palace Lemon from Les Chinoiseries, but painted the chimney breast in the same colour as the ceiling, just to break up the intensity of the wallpaper.  Again, I used Sue Cook plaster cornicing here.  I just painted it white, as there's definitely enough going on in here!!

I couldn't decide on the wall lighting.  I wanted something that would blend with the oriental look, but didn't want to have to buy anything - and if I'm honest, I really didn't know what I wanted.

After a good rummage around in my 'lights' box, yes, sad, I know - I found these.  I hated them when I bought them, as the shades were very 'plastic'.  But I decided to try a makeover on them, and if it didn't work, well, it didn't work!  But.....
 



I stuck the shades onto Q Tips (cotton wool buds), and that kept them very steady indeed, then I stuck them into the blu tac to dry.  Now this was a eureka moment for me when I was thinking about how I was going to paint these wee boys.  I'm sure the seasoned miniaturist knows all these tricks of the trade, but I considered myself a very smart wee cookie indeed to think of this :)  Firstly, I tried enamel paint here, it was dreadful, then, as it happened, the red paint used for the dining room came in very handy, it took very well to the plastic and looked grand on the shades.  When I applied the second coat I used a rougher brush that left little streaks.  I kept them all going in a downward direction, and when I put on the lights, you'd think they were covered with pleated fabric.  They turned out very well indeed!

 

 

 

 

My very technical spacer for the gap between the fireplace and overmantle....a jumbo lollypop stick (popsicle stick??)  My fireplace and overmantle looked lovely, until I dropped the mirror and chipped the corner :(  It was touched up with, you've guessed it, old faithful, the gold paint!

 

I was fiddling around, and made these little ornaments for my sitting room.  I have found that when I do something to my house, and I have to have 'waiting' time - say for glue to dry...I end up making little things :)

 

I couldn't resist these little foxes on the fireplace....Fox Manor, Vivian Fox.....I'm sure you get it lol!

 

I'll need a lot of ornaments to fill this cabinet too!

 

 I made the central light for here...it's something different, and I'm not entirely sure if anything like that would ever have graced a sitting room....but it does now lol ! 

I also made the bell pull from gluing a piece of Les Chinoiseries silk in 'Kang' to a piece of light card and painted the back of the card the red from the dining room (also on the lights).  I put a green Swarovski cube crystal on the end to tie in with the one on the light fitting.

 

 The lovely peacock painting was bought from Jim Coates.  This is a nod to my daughter Siobhan who loves the elegance of a peacock.

 

 I'm not sure if you noticed, but the two rooms on the ground floor, namely the Dining Room and the Sitting Room have red in them.  Call it design symmetry, a fluke or happy coincidence, I think it suits my house.

 

A couple more pictures....
 

 

 

 

 

 I eventually got myself THE book.  Magnificent Miniatures by Kevin Mulvany and Susan Rogers.  I had it read in one sitting...... absolutely food for the soul.  Wonderful.  I will have to go now and re-read it all again, and this time savour each and every picture.  If you can get a hold of this book, it is just awe-inspiring.

All the best for now, until my next post...it will be The Games Room....or The Gent's Bedroom....... or the First Floor Hall/Gent's Study.....we'll see how it goes :)

 

All the best,

Vivian