PlaymoFriends
Creative => Customs Gallery => Dioramas & Buildings => Topic started by: Nickers on May 04, 2011, 12:27:28
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Started working on this mansion a couple weeks ago. I've been crafting my whole life, but this is my first Playmobil.
Originally, I was going to leave the foundation color alone. But, my second auction I won came much more yellowed than the first, so the pieces didn't match. I don't know that I'm thrilled with the color I painted it, but it was the best I could find in the Fusion paint. It's slightly darker than the original plastic. The house color is satin dover white and the trim is gumdrop.
I first tried to paint the tops of the steps to look like stone. That did not work out so well and my results were mediocre at best. I had some plastic tile sheets laying around that I cut new tops for the stairs and sprayed them. It was more of a fix than anything. Trying to remove my original painting attempt did not work out so well. lol
The sun room does not fit on the front of the house. You can see in the one photo that I had to take away part of the foundation. I removed the plastic right up to where the visible floor begins. I also had to remove the bottom edge of the wall that the sun room will attach to. I used plastic card to create a brick look for the corners where the sun room meets the house.
I'm plastic gluing the house together. Plastic glue actually kind of melts the plastic together and it bonds in a way that is nearly impossible to ever get apart. With the size I'm making this house, I want to be able to move it without the weight of it pulling joints apart.
The first and second floor will be 10 wide. The third floor will be 7 wide starting from the left and then two dormer window roof pieces then the corner roof piece. I think that's going to be the toughest to customize a good fit. I doubt the roof will butt up to a solid wall easily. Then the attic will be 7 wide from the left.
The little paintings... I just printed the pics and put sticky laminate over the front to look like glass in a frame. Twilight and Sims3! :)
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I love your choice of colors, and wow what a project! It's going to be huge! I love how you're putting the sunroom in the front, too. And I actually really like the effect of the new tops on the stairs, it looks quite nice. Can't wait to see the finished product!
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an excellent choise of colours and room organisation!!! Can't wait to see it all set up!
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Thank you Bonniebeth and Wolf Knight! :thanks:
Two things that have been extremely valuable so far in this project are my jeweler's saw (a tiny coping saw) and a rubber mallet. The layer of paint makes it difficult to get the walls completely seated on the foundation. A gentle tap with a mallet will drive them home.
I broke my jeweler's saw and while waiting for a new one I removed the back of the sun room foundation with my dremel. Bad idea because it more or less melts the plastic rather than cut it. It's not a big deal for me because I'll be gluing that area against the house eventually, so it won't show. But, I think I'll keep my dremel away from my Playmobil in the future. :)9
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One little tip if you do need to use a dremel, chris discovered a plastic blade, specially made for cutting plastic, that doesn't cause it to melt like the other blades do. Sounds like you other tool works great, though!
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That's a great looking project, it will be interesting to watch it develop.
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beautiful colors! can't wait to see the results :)
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Thank you Tiermann and Luis! :)
I'm really having a blast with this! I don't know that it will ever be complete. I think it might turn into an entire estate with a multi-car garage... a mother in law house... servants quarters... a wealthy neighbor... lol
A big thanks goes to Emma.J because her houses inspired me to really customize mine! She's amazing and looking at her work and how she puts houses together in completely original ways is what drove me to come up with my own original house design. :love:
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The best projects are the ones that never end, IMO. There's something sort of sad about finishing a project, to me. It becomes so much a part of your life, you feel kind of empty when it finishes.
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It becomes so much a part of your life, you feel kind of empty when it finishes.
Its the travel itself that matters, not the destination ;)
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Or in much less poetic American terms: getting there is half the fun!
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i like your colors choice and i 'm sure it will be beautifull when you will finish it !! congratulation for this project !
wolf night : i totally agree with you .
Bonnieth : i'm sure you don't feel empty too long because another project is probably coming soon !!
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tha lay out seems very cool and it will surely be huge, can't wait to see the rest The lilac color, sorry, but I don't like it at all.
The white dove on the walls and the grey foundations are really nice though! ;D
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Thank you gaspodfreud! :)
Thank you tonguello! Yeah... the purple. I figured people would either love it or hate it. It's my favorite color, so I like it. But, I'm hoping the over all house doesn't have a fisher price feel when it's complete. That would be sad. :-\
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Hating people who smoke indoors... I'm going to have to paint the roof too. :hmm:
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Hating people who smoke indoors... I'm going to have to paint the roof too. :hmm:
why???
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You mean it's yellowed?
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Yeah... that's why I had to paint the foundation, the windows (white parts), and now the roof too. The one set I bought was new in box, the other was used. The used one probably wouldn't look all that yellowed except that I'm putting it together with the new in box house.
Oh well... I like painting. ;D
Edit to add: I'm not a smoker hater... I smoke. But, I smoke outside so I don't wreck my stuff. :)
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Edit to add: I'm not a smoker hater... I smoke. But, I smoke outside so I don't wreck my stuff. :)
I like you ;D
And, of course, I am loving the house (and purple is my favourite colour too!)
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Looking good1 I particularly approve of the photo of "My' Edward :love:
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I like the Twilight picture :lol: Your project looks awesome. Thanks for sharing the pics, and I can't wait to see it complete :wave:
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Thanks Bad Mum!, Lindama, and Playmoholics! :)
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Success! I think this will be my last house with a roof like this. lol. I still have a lot of sanding and filing to do to clean up all the cuts... but it fits! I'm so excited! Took me all day to get everything just right. I'm not even close to being ready to add these parts to the house yet, but I wanted to get this done so I can paint the parts and let them dry for at least a week before assembling. Thanks! :love:
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:inlove: :inlove: :inlove:
I want a playmo house like that! :love:
But I couldn't buy one! ::) ;D
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Great job so far, Nickers! You are doing a fantastic job with the design! :)9
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This is an excellent development!!!! Really great work!!!
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Thank you WarriorOfToys, Bill Blackhurst, and Wolf Knight! :love:
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What a huge undertaking! :o
Thanks for posting progress updates. I can't wait to see the finished product. It's going to be amazing!!!
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Thanks toyologist! :)
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Wow! Please keep us updated with new pics. I love your work :)
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Thank you Lindama! :)
He he! I finally made a profile pic! It's probably temporary. I'll do a better one once the house is completed. ;D
The sunroom is finished. I have to wait until the second floor is done to permanently attach it to the house. The floor is paper flooring that looks like stone. I laminated the top side and spray glued it down. The floor in the sunroom, the balcony over the sunroom, and the little balcony over the main entrance are all the same. I wasn't sure about how glossy the laminate makes it look... but I'm pleased with the results.
The living room pic is from a few days ago... I have the wall papering done in there now. It's a real heavy textured scrap book paper. I need to get the all the walls complete on the first floor before I can install the tile and carpet though. I'm at a bit of a stand still waiting on orders right now. :)
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Very nice! Looking forward to the progress on your project :)9
I've been thinking about enlarging my mansion too (the yellow 5301), though only sideways (for use as my "Governor's House" in a 18th century Carribean island / harbourtown diorama). I want to avoid though adding another floor to the standard mansion; otherwise the house becomes too high relative to the other houses and towers in the town, and too the - even enlarged in hight - masts of the ships in the harbour.
I think some sawing and glueing would be required, but sofar I've not been willing to do that...
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It's looking beautiful so far! Can't wait to see more!
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Thank you Hadoque and bonniebeth! :)
If I didn't all ready have most of my cutting finished... I think I would go buy a scroll saw. lol.
So... I was sitting there staring at the house this morning (I do that a lot), and I was thinking how the kitchen (down stairs far right when looking at the front of the house) should have a window over the kitchen sink. I'm using solid walls on the sides of the house because I don't like placing tall furniture in front of windows. lol. Anyway, I think I'm going to cut a hole in the center of the solid wall and use the smaller square window from the dormers for over the sink. Of course, I'll have to do the same thing in the second floor wall above it so they'll match. I'm totally OCD. 8}
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I think that will be very pretty! I love a window over the sink. :love:
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Looks very nice!!!
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Thanks bonniebeth and Wolf knight! :)
Just finished up wallpapering the dining room! It's going to eventually have blue carpet. And I fabricated a real toilet. lol. I wasn't into the old fashioned one and I don't really care for the futuristic looking ones either. Also, I'll be permanently attaching all the things that would be permanently attached in a real house... like the toilet, tub, sinks, kitchen cabinets, etc. :love:
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For the small lower attic area, I was thinking of having a ladder access. Does anyone know... will that 9 rung brown ladder reach from one floor to the next in the victorian mansion? Anyone know how tall those ladders are? Thanks a bunch. :)
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Looking good!
The ladders are about 7 inches.
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You are great customizer! I love the flower wall paper and the toilet!! Really cool!
What kind of papaer is it?
cool avatar btw! :wave:
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Thank you toyologist and tonguello! :love:
The flower paper is prepasted 1:12 dollhouse stuff that I won on ebay. It was not in a package and has no identifying marks for brand... so I'm really not sure. :-[
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:hmm: Had my first disaster. Fusion paint says apply multiple coats within 24 hours or after a week. I noticed a spot on a wall where the paint was too thin and the tan was showing through a bit. It'd been more than a week. Applied another coat to touch up that spot. I think the paint can lies... it immediately looked horrid. I tried to sand it off and save the wall... but when I can get another for $8 it's really not worth the hours it would take. :'(
On a happy note... kitchen window turned out pretty decent! I'm happy with it. But the bedroom above will not have a matching window. Long story, but I nearly ruined that wall as well. He he!
I also started applying the ceiling! It's a textured victorian looking paper. I really like how it looks, but it's a pain lining up the pattern. :lol:
Once I get the first floor finished, I'm going to take a break for a couple days and get my thought process back in order. It's amazing how one dollhouse project can take up all the space in the kitchen, garage, dining room, and various areas of floor. I need to get organized and get a system going... before my husband freaks out! ;D
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It's all looking great! Love the kitchen window! And a very nice choice for the ceiling also.
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great! I love the white banister and the ceiling choice! 8}
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The kitchen window is a nice idea and I like the white stairway-railing a lot :)
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The work is progressing very nicely!!!
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great! I love the white banister and the ceiling choice! 8}
by banister I meant stairways railing..... I believe they are the same.... ??? ???
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Your custom work on this house is wonderful. I find it disturbing to even paint playmobil but if I had skills like these I would be cutting all kinds of stuff
Thanks for the updates on your custom house
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it's very nice :)
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Thank you all so much for the kind words! :love:
Two things I learned today...
1. Spray glue does not bond carpet ... but super glue does!
2. Super glue does not bond plastic dollhouse flooring... but plastic glue does!
I'll take more photos once I get the rest of the flooring and curtains installed on the first floor. :)
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I love it. Eventually I plan to purchase a second house to make mine larger. I love how your roof came out. My favorite is the ceiling.
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Thank you Celeste! :love:
What is mod school and how do I get there? ???
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What is mod school and how do I get there? ???
Sorry Nickers, but ''mod school'' is a board accessible to moderators only! :)
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Oh... lol. I don't need to get there then! I thought it was a board for "modding" Playmobil! Like... modifications. Like... customizing. lol :-[
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:lol: I didn't know what it was at first either :-[
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Yeah, I was totally confused first time I saw that, too! It's just an area where we can discuss whether a certain topic or post is acceptable or not, or where we can move a topic out of sight while we decide if it needs to be modified, or if it's unacceptable, it stays there or gets removed.
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love the custom window!
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Hello Nickers, saw your thread for the first time today. What an excellent job you are doing. Cudos on the kitchen window and custom celings. :love: They are very clever. Can't wait to see your progress, thanks for sharing. :)
Joe
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Thank you Luis and basilsdad! :love:
I'm finished with the first floor except for curtains. I like the Playmobil curtains, but the curtains that came with the used sets I bought are very discolored. I'm going to get some fabric and use the old curtains as patterns.
All the new furniture has arrived and I've finished cleaning the used things! I can't wait to set it all up... but it will be a couple months at least, I'm sure. :)
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All the new furniture has arrived and I've finished cleaning the used things! I can't wait to set it all up... but it will be a couple months at least, I'm sure. :)
Well we won't be going anywhere!! We are patient (up to a point) and personally I really enjoy seeing prgress pictures helps me while thinking about my own future projects.
Thanks so much for sharing your work, I'm a fan!
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:wave: Hi Nickers, this is a very interesting project and I look forward to seeing the finished thing, I was flattered at your compliment many thanks. If you need any help just drop me a line.
The white and purple colour reminds me a lot of the palace so you could add parts from that without any problem, I think it will look very nice like that, very American in colouring. They seam to have loads of Gothic / Victorian houses in grand shapes and colours. :love:
I can understand why you've had to glue the base I had similar trouble with a smaller house I did where the front extended outwards as there's no way to clip a cut down floor to it. My current house is 13 sections across but being almost level the clips will keep it together, but it does need two people to lift it. ::)
I had the same trouble when I first started spray painting - ignore the can if you need to do a second coat put it on about 15mins later otherwise your looking at more like a month or two to repaint it. If you end up with a small damaged area try cleaning the plastic down to the original with turps / white spirit and mask off that area to respray, it might just save the wall.
You did a good job with your attic conversion very nicely done!
Well good luck with the rest, it's coming on very nicely. :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Thank you Gis and Emma.J! :love:
I did save my damaged wall in case I ever decide to do another house... but I bought a replacement for this house. lol. I have a ton of extra parts... but not really enough to do a typical dollhouse. I also have a ton of extra furniture, but it's all really dirty and discolored. I'm thinking sometime in the future I might do an abandoned haunted house. That could use up those parts and be totally creepy! It would also explain some missing windows, broken stuff, etc. ;D
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Finally done painting... what was I thinking??? :o If I never see another spray paint can again, it will be too soon! lol.
So... here's the current progress. I'm not sure if I really like all the flowers and window boxes. Would appreciate some opinions on how many window boxes you think would look good and which windows I should put them on. I'm thinking maybe just the entrance ways and balconies? Or maybe I should take them all off... except the ones on the front of the porch, I really like those two.
Thanks for any suggestions. :)
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Some pics from the back. I still have a bit of wall papering and flooring to install. The ceilings are all done because it seemed easier to apply them while I had the house apart.
Oh... My klickies have Direct TV! Yes, that is a dish on the roof. lol ;D
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I love it!!!!!!!!! appart from the lilac color :lol:
I love they :lol:have direct TV and are watching Family guy! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Congratz! it is a great Mansion!
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Absolutely gorgeous!!!! I love the colors, don't listen to Gaston! :lol:
As to the window boxes, I would have them everywhere except the windows overlooking balconies and porches. Then I would just have potted plants on the balconies.
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But I do like the two on the front, like you said. Those are gorgeous!
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very beautifull !!!!! (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Respect/podium-016.gif)
I love it!!!!!!!!! appart from the lilac color :lol:
you don't like that colour? i don't like it where you used it too though on the window frames and the big windows .... you could leave the originall colours ;)
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I see Alex's smiley, and raise you past 1st place to.... Awesome place! :clap: or something... :toot:
Magnificent! :o
I cannot wait to see it complete! :wow: :wow: :wow:
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I see Alex's smiley, and raise you past 1st place to.... Awesome place! :clap: or something... :toot:
! :wow: :wow: :wow:
what did i do? (http://www.mazeguy.net/bigsmilies/paperbag.gif) (http://www.mazeguy.net/bigsmilies/paperbag.gif) (http://www.mazeguy.net/bigsmilies/paperbag.gif)
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Excepitonal work!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:
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The conservatory bump out in the front is awesome! :love: I like the flowerboxes and the front steps from the 5305, beautiful job. ;)
Joe
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:love: Well done excellent build. I love the flowers on the conservatory. Brillant choice of blue doors with the lilac. :woohoo: :woohoo:
Don't hate me for saying this though I think you need to bring out the spray paint again. If I was you I'd paint the chimney cream to match the house with the original grey top.
Can't wait to see it furnished.
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i don't have any suggestions, it turned out perfect, congratulations on such a great job :clap:
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WOW - gorgeous house! Amazing work, you are very skilled :)
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Thanks everyone!
It is complete... I will not be doing another one. lol... At least not one that I paint everything. :P
Edit to add... I need to take a close up photo of the dormer windows. It was driving me insane that from the inside of the house, you could see the underside of the dormer roof... So, I manufactured a ceiling piece in each of the dormers. You can see them in the second photo. :love:
I'll take some better close up of the stuff I missed in the next few days.
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First floor...
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Second Floor...
Some how I missed a close up of the second floor family room at the top of the stairs and the bed in the master bedroom. 8}
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Third floor...
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Attic...
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Spectacular construction job, Nickers! The attics are so cool. Thanks so much for showing us the completed project. ;D
Joe
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Thank you basilsdad! The 5300 is so awesome. I had a great time putting this together. :love:
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great job nickers!! :)9 :)9
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Wonderful Construction ! :wave:
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well done. very beautiful choice of colors and some nice wallpapers :)
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Gorgeous - love the attic floor!
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I love the attic!!! The piano room is just amazing! I love the wallpaper there.
What did you use to make the yellow curtains?
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Oh my goodness, it's gorgeous! I love all your rooms, I had to laugh at the cradle in the office, with daddy watching the baby. Very cute. And yes, the attic is great. Very good idea to add a ceiling piece in the dormer windows. I'd love a closer look at that!
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bravo!! simply amazing - are you going to display it for a while or will you only have it set up for a few days? i wouldn't feel like taking it all down and keeping it stored, it's too pretty to do so :D
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:) Thank you all so much!
The house will stay set up forever. It's... glued. :o lol.
The curtains are cut out of felt using the original curtains as a pattern. The homemade curtains are... the office, master bedroom, boys room, older bathroom, and kitchen.
The green arrow on the dormer pic shows where the poster board goes under the roof about a quarter inch. It lines up with the edge of the frame that holds the attic wallpaper up. The pink arrows show where the board folds over. :)
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Absolutely beautiful!!! :love: The carpeting looks so realistic.
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I'm drooling over these pics again, and I'm noticing how great the arrangement is... how the stairs go through two family rooms and an office, rather than cutting through the bathroom or the master bedroom or something. Very well planned. And I love how there's a seperate staircase leading from the master bedroom to a private bath. It almost seems like a little spa retreat or something up there, to me. It's just lovely. I'd live in it if it came in human size!
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Congratulations Nickers!
Lovely colors throughout, and the wallpaper and flooring are to die for!
Wonderful design with the conservatory out front.
This is a delight to view!
Cheers, Pgal :wave:
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Beautiful job! I love your ideas. Did you cut the floor piece on your attic room, or just sand it to fit? I'm working on a section now.
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Thank you! :love:
Just about everything that you put together in a custom way needs to be cut or modified at least a little. I test fit everything, cut a little, test fit again, cut a little more... Last thing I did was sand for a nice fit.
Sorry it took so long to answer. We moved to another new home this past week. Going from high heat to air conditioning ruined my attic floor. :( It was a printed coated cardboard that looked like wood and it's completely wrinkled and needs replaced. The carpets and plastic floors are all fine. Oddly enough the wall paper is also fine even though much of it is simply scrap booking paper.
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Absolutely wonderful!!!!! :love:
You made a great job here Nickers! I love your custom mansion! It's nice to see artists like you here!!!
Greeting, and well done...a masterpiece! :D
;)