I began by staring again, at the back roof, for a long time, until finally I understood the solution. I wanted to maintain the roof line of the gables on either end, so by slicing out a middle section I could keep the gables and have my dormer.
Left at this angle, it would have made for interesting architecture on a more modern structure.
But to keep with the cottage-y feel, I cut down the new dormer wall to get an angle more in keeping with cottage style.
Then it was just a matter of making another template from paper to get the right angles for the side walls.
The new MicroLux table saw that Russ gave me for my birthday, as well as the trusty Dremel scroll saw, has made quick work of all these cuts! The 1/8" basswood pieces are easy by hand with the grain, a little more difficult against the grain, but the kit plywood seems to have petrified! I would have given up trying if not for the power tools!
With the dormer finished, the next thing to tackle on my list was the interior walls. I started with the wall that divides the living and dining rooms from the kitchen, replicating the rounded doorway. The appliance stand ins lead me to believe that my resident will have a nice and functional kitchen space.
Next up was the wall that divides the bedroom from the bathroom upstairs. With more usable floor space and a new vertical wall, the bathroom seems totally adequate for a small cottage.
The bedroom will also have more usable space than I had hoped for! The captain's bed that came with the kit is super cute, full of awesome finishing potential, and fits the space perfectly!
There is even room for a dresser and a comfy chair on either side of the bathroom door!
So with these final additions, the structural changes are completed, and I can begin the priming and finishing of surfaces! I think...
Thank you all for the lovely comments and encouragement during the first phase of this project! I hope, like the beginning, it's going to have a Storybook ending! :O)
xo xo,
Jodi
Hi Jodi! I think you've Aced it!!! The new dormer roof upstairs gives you the room you need and doesn't sacrifice either charm or realism! (We have Lots of old homes in this area with exactly that sort of profile! LOL!)I think the walls you are adding make the spaces clearly defined as well as being practically located! I have to admit that there is a certain feeling of "deja-vu" for me when seeing the floorplan and the angled wall downstairs... it is the same as the Hardwick Hall plan in reverse! I hope you will be able to enjoy that angled wall... I have a wonderful fireplace in mine that is barely visible... as well as the hallway.... oh the things we put up with for a bit of realism! LOL! I am really enjoying this "Storybook" adventure! Keep up the Great work!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Betsy! I am so happy that needing stairs sparked ideas for the rest of the changes, and that I had what I needed to make them happen. I am so excited about this project now, and it is wonderful to feel this way!
DeleteI will certainly go familiarize myself with Hardwick Hall - It sounds marvelous! As for being able to see, I hope between the windows, doors and peek-a-boo views that I'll be able to enjoy the decor! Can you place strategic mirrors so that the fireplace can be better seen?
Love how it looks! That front gable would make a wonderful spot for bookshelves and a window seat in the bedroom.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sheila, and great idea for built ins! Now that the basic structure is finished, I have my work cut out for me in making it as charming and functional as possible!
DeleteWhat an amazing difference that last domer made! Look forward to see this cottage take shape.
ReplyDeleteAnna
Thanks Anna! It sure feels triumphant to have overcome the space challenges with this kit and make it be functional and fun! I appreciate the encouragement so much, and am glad to have you along for the adventure!
DeleteIt is so lovely and interesting!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy! I love a good double take in a dollhouse, and I definitely like looking at the shape of this one much more now!
Deletegenius!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marion! If I stare at it long enough, it reveals secrets to me! :O) Must be my big brown eyes!
DeleteBravo! You are really making those power tools work for their keep! And.. are you cutting wood in your dining room!?! Hahahahaaaa..... You are too funny. :D I love it! I killed my proxxon table saw today, cutting melamine.. meh, I need a more heavy duty one anyway.. I'll have to stick to non cutting projects until I can afford a new one. lol Dare I say the upstairs looks spacious now. I agree with Sheilla bookshelves and a window seat would be wonderful in the gable. I have to say I love you downstairs floorplan the best though. That angled wall in the kitchen with the arched door in it is so pretty. I'm really looking forward to seeing that evolve. Love your work girl. Keep it coming. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sam! I am putting them thru their paces, for sure! You can't see it in the photos, but the vacuum is about 10 feet from me. There are frequent cleanups along the way, along with several sliver removing sessions! :O) The table saw captures a good deal of the sawdust in it's compartment, but the scroll saw and hand sanding are brutal. I am dusting A LOT. The hubs and son have the garage on lock for their own projects, so my dining room is the only option.
DeleteThat is such a bummer about your saw! The counter does look fabulous, tho, so sacrifices have to be made! :O) I hope you get a new one very soon, as I am sure you will need it to continue the work on the San Fran!
I love the built in ideas both you and Sheila have offered! I think I am about to face the most difficult part of the build - knowing in what order to finish things and when to make them permanent. If I am smart, once I get the pieces primed, I'll mark up and make templates of all the areas in case I have post gluing tasks. The trim work is going to be a HUGE challenge!
It's looking so good! Such dormer structures are rather popular here as well (with real houses that is), although usually made narrower. How you made it is a brilliant way to make the room bigger, and opens more possibilities for decorating! And I love the bed, I look forward to seeing it finished!
ReplyDeleteThe interior is also looking great!
It will be very relaxing for a mini human to take a bath in such a cozy bathroom :-).
Great work!!!
Thanks MAF! I am so happy to have figured a way to make the space large enough for living needs and some fun stuff! These kits always leave us wishing for more. Luckily, the footprint hasn't grown much, either, so displaying it won't become a burden!
DeleteHello Jodi,
ReplyDeleteThis is just pure awesomeness! The changes you have made make the house feel more lifelike and the extra space is fantastic. It feel very New England to me. the exterior shape of the house is wonderful and feels more like a miniature version of a cottage, not a dollhouse cottage. The top floor extension makes it so much more functional. I cannot wait to see more!
Big hug
Giac
N.B. You're a mini architect genius!
Thanks Giac! :O)
DeleteI am so glad to have moved the ideas from the "I Wish" column to the "I Can" column! I feel like a little girl on Christmas morning! I am so happy that you like the shape and that it feels authentic to you!
If I could go back 30 years, with the wisdom I have now, I probably would have become an architect! I can't think of a more exciting career than to spend your days solving puzzles and making things creative and beautiful! Only then I would HAVE TO learn the math, and not rely on the stare down method! ;O)
Smart changes, the cottage looks functional now.
ReplyDeleteThanks Keli! It has so much more potential now, I hope I can make the most of it!
DeleteHas aprovechado muy bien el espacio en la buhardilla y el tejado ligeramente inclinado mantiene el equilibrio con el resto.Desde luego tener una buena herramienta siempre ayuda a la hora de trabajar, ¡pero hay que tener las ideas!. Buen trabajo..
ReplyDeleteGracias Isabel! A veces, las ideas te llegan como si Dios mismo te hablara al oído. ¡Esto es lo que ha sentido por esta construcción hasta ahora, y estoy agradecido por la inspiración! ¡Y las herramientas! : O)
DeleteEach New Post brings New Pleasures! :D
ReplyDeleteYour little Storybook cottage is chockablock full of interesting design and space-saving details, Jodi, and
who but YOU could have imagined, that this ONE room house kit, would yielded FOUR plus a separate stairwell and not have had to forfeit Any of its original Quaintness or Charm, but rather would become EVEN MORE CHARMING?
Your Amazing!!!
elizabeth
Thank you, Elizabeth! You make the most ~A~M~A~Z~I~N~G~ and ~C~H~A~R~M~I~N~G~ miniature houses I have ever seen, so these sentiments fill me with ~J~O~Y~!
DeleteThe next post will not be so dramatic, I am afraid, as I begin the priming, dry fits, mark ups etc... But soon, with wallpaper, bead board, built ins, and trims, I hope the unfolding vision will continue to delight you! I am so excited to get started!
Hi, Jodi - The changes that you've made in the design of the cottage are just amazing. Who would have thought that all that extra space could be conjured out of the original floor plan? That stare-down trick has a lot going for it, but I think mostly you're just extremely talented, skilled, and far-seeing. It's going to be such fun watching all the goings-on in this cottage; I have no doubt that it will certainly have a Storybook ending!
ReplyDeleteMarjorie
Thank you, Marjorie! It is such an incredible feeling to have gone from "how can I make this work?" to "Hooray! I think this is going to work!". The triumph, I am convinced, is how many of us become hopelessly addicted to miniature building! Your incredible ingenuity, imaginativeness and artistry show me that you suffer from the same affliction! I am so happy we can support and encourage each other through the compulsion! :O)
DeleteI am wildly impressed!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Megan - that is nice of you to say! Give us mini enthusiasts and idea and we'll try anything! Sometimes it works (thank goodness), and sometimes it ends up on the shelf for a year! (clears throat and avoids looking at The New Orleans)
DeleteUnos cambios geniales, se ve que lo tienes muy bien pensado:-)
ReplyDeleteGracias Rosa Maria, pero me das crédito indebido! : o) ¡Solo trato de divertirme sin pensar todo el placer de hacerlo! ¡Espero no meterme en demasiados problemas al no pensar bien las cosas!
DeleteI just think the way you did the back dormer is the most clever thing! It gives you so much more realistic space up there! I'm really looking forward to seeing how you fit everything inside. (You did so much with your Christmas build). I always find small mini spaces a challenge, but you excel! Cottages are so pretty to decorate, especially a storybook one! FUN FUN FUN. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you Kristine! I was so happy that such a simple change has made a giant room changing impact! These small houses are a challenge to plan for, but it's all I have room (or patience) for! ;O)
Delete