You know how it took me a couple tries to get the floor tiles "right"? Compared to other things I'm working on, only two tries seems lucky! For the Willowcrest's wee kitchen chairs, ultimately, I wasn't satisfied until the seventh try!
The first thing I needed to do was to get a feel for 1930's and 1940's kitchen furniture styles. I perused Google and collected the photos of tables and chairs that just spoke "vintage" to me. There were things I liked about each of these pieces in the photo below, and using the knowledge, tools and materials I have available to me, I thought I could probably come up with something close.
Once I had a picture in my mind of the features I liked in the chairs, I needed to get some measurements. I brought out several of the chairs in my stash so I could get a feel for size. The chair on the left is Town Square Miniatures, the one in the center is Chrysnbon and the one on the right is House Of Miniatures. What it demonstrated is that the size of mini furniture varies widely. As long as the seat height was pretty close to the standard, around 1-1/2", the rest of the design could be fitted to my space and table.
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| If there are any James Bond fans reading this, you may laugh or cringe at the cane seat being removed from the middle chair. Casino Royale was the movie. Le Chiffre was the perpetrator. OUCH!!! |
Next, I turned to Tinkercad where I could create a design, print it out, assemble it and then make incremental improvements until I ended up with something that fit my criteria. I wanted a chair design which produced a consistent print quality, that assembled easily, and looked similar to many of the 30's and 40's style chairs that I liked. Most important, it had to be cute! I love the double arch design, and it just goes so great with all the other arches in the Willowcrest!
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| Many iterations and assembly configurations to test. |
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| The final design. |
Now that the design and print process were good, it was time to compare my chair to the others in my stash. I eliminated the HOM right off because it was noticeably tinier. But compared to the Chrysnbon and the Town Square chairs, mine worked!
While my trusty X-Max was printing many chairs (at just over 2 hours each), I was working on the table. I decided to design the table in Design Space and cut it from chipboard with the Cricut Maker.
I was so engrossed in the table's assembly process that I forgot to take photos! Essentially, the table is comprised of a chipboard box which holds two working drawers on either side and a "porcelain enamel tabletop". This was a common material for that era, and I really loved the look. I made trim pieces to overlay the chipboard from kraft cardstock to add a layer of art deco detail. I combined several graphics to create the tabletop design, then used the Print Then Cut feature in Design Space to cut it from regular printer paper.. The table legs are standard Houseworks legs that I had in my stash. I painted the table elements in a mixture of the kitchen's colors, and applied the graphic to the table top with Mod Podge. I did not brush Mod Podge on top if the graphic because of the way it made the wallpaper's printer ink smudge previously. Instead, I spray sealed it with satin varnish. It shows wear on the drawer fronts, and might get a little more scuffed as I age the kitchen cabinets. The most pleasant surprise was that I only had to make the table once!
I used an amalgamation of 30's-40's table measurements I found online, and also factored in the space I had to work with in the Willowcrest kitchen. Here is how it worked with the test chairs, and then with my chair.
I really like the vintage feel and it works as well as you can hope for in this compact little kitchen!
The chairs definitely need some "cushy for the tushy", so I'll make the cushions when it's time to dress the room. For now, it's still too hot to wallpaper, so my mini time will be spent on the PC. At least here, I can sit in front of my Hot Flash fan and design the accessories for my little home cook. I have some fun stuff to share with you next week!
Hope you're finding ways to stay comfortable while working on your projects, too!
xo xo,
Jodi
It's little wonder that building a dollhouse takes so much time when you create each room's accessories and furnishings along the way. And I know why I'm not 3-D printing because I doubt that I cold design in Tinker Card as you do. The house will be amazingly authentic and beautiful.That's what I appreciate about the ability to create and design the pieces specifically for that house, making it truly unique and one of a kind. Show room quality. The table and chairs are perfect. In fact, we had a table similar to the one that you made in my mom's farmhouse Kitchen, though it was all white metal porcelain with slide-out extensions. You are capturing the 1940s perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann! It really does take a long time when you strive to make everything, but I think it ends up being so much more fulfilling, for me anyhow. I am really having so much fun with this house and era, and it feels nice to take my time. I am recognizing a lot of furniture styles that various members of my extended family had as I was growing up, and that is spurring nice memories, as well. Minis just have a way of making you grateful for so many things!
DeleteYour kitchen is such a petite piece of perfection! I prefer a tiny kitchen over the grand modern styles we have today. The color palette that you have chosen is so rich that it elevates the kitchen past ordinary to special. I bet you can get a great cuppa and some juicy gossip sitting at the table.
ReplyDeleteThanks Carrie! It has been fun to accept the challenges of this tiny kitchen and try to make the most of them! The one thing that this wee kitchen isn't short on is a welcoming friend and delicious comforts! I'm glad you like the palette!
DeleteEfectivamente, construir tu propio mobiliario, marcar tu sello personal en cada pieza, no es cosa de un intento, pero es tan maravilloso ver los resultados Jodi, que tienes que sentir una gran satisfacción!!! Yo por lo menos la siento al ver como queda ese conjunto de mesa y sillas, es tan gratificante!
ReplyDeleteEnhorabuena y espero ver lo que nos tienes preparado para la próxima vez.
Besos.
¡Gracias Pilar! ¡Es sumamente gratificante poder estudiar y luego reproducir estas piezas de cocina! ¡Es un sueño hecho realidad para creadores como nosotros! ¡Realmente me lo estoy pasando genial jugando con todas las deliciosas cosas de cocina de esta época! ¡Estoy tan feliz de que los estés disfrutando conmigo!
DeleteIt really is a gorgeous little kitchen. Very 1930s/40s and very cosy. And great use of the space. It doesn’t feel cramped or like the furniture has been squeezed in. Can’t wait to see it with accessories. I am a sucker for 1930s interiors.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shannon! I am having such a fun time with the challenges and with the era! The summer heat, though it has been tough to work in, has actually been a good thing. It has forced me to slow down and really squeeze my mind for details to include. The little side adventures which are necessary to make those details happen has been just as much fun as working on the house, itself! This era really does offer so many charms!
DeleteIt does! It was a time of lots of forwards movement too I think with more kitchen gadgets, time saving devices and women’s rights. It really adds another dimension and scope to tell stories. And interesting that the heat is actually helping you slow down and think things through more thoroughly. I hope it eases soon. We are in for another wet summer so I am not looking forward to that.
DeleteOh, what a wonderful post! ;O) Yep, I needed to return to my habit of beginning my comments this way... even more as I've enjoyed very, very much to see how you've created the chairs and the table for your kitchen. The result is awesome and I really like the color scheme of this kitchen which you've captured well for the table ensemble too. The design for the table's top referring to enamal is very pretty and a great idea.
ReplyDeleteYour ability to use your trusted machine park and your own genius to create not only stunning furniture etc. but even creating them to your size needs is always blowing me away. You're a master in making the very best use of every space - which the last pictures show very well.
I'm now looking forward to see the results of your computer work... but whatever you're coming up next there's already one thing clear: I'm going to enjoy seeing it very much... whatever it is. And I will have reason to shout out once more: Oh, what a wonderful post! ;O)
I'm really hoping that today will bring us here the long awaited end of the heatwave. Hot weather and I are not meant for each other and sitting in the darkened house wasn't helpful neither in my personal situation. But I managed to stand the birthdays of my Mom and another person you happen to know and am even back to the C-cart... only to learn that this thing is far too small for all the stuff I intended to display there. *LOL*
Hugs
Birgit
Thank you, dear Birgit! I am so happy to know that you enjoyed the post! I really enjoyed the work creating the table and chairs and then getting to share them with you. Each time I pull something out of the printer or the Maker, I pat those wonderful machines and thank them enthusiastically! For I know that without them, none of this would be so easy to achieve!
DeleteA hot, dark house sounds so terribly lonely and I wish I could fly to Germany, scoop you up and bring you back here with us! Misery loves company! But I am so proud of you and so admire your strength to face all of these dreadful "firsts". With each new milestone, you are proving to yourself that no matter how hard they have been to get through, you are made of the toughest stuff necessary to move through them. I hope you got to celebrate, even in a small way, because you are truly amazing and the world is a better place because of you! 💗
Me and the heat are definitely not compatible, either! We have never had a summer with such stretches of hot temperatures, and the humidity has made it suffocating! Some days it feels as though I am moving through hot gel. Yuck! I am so grateful for the house fans, because moving air is all that makes it bearable. I am really looking forward to the cooler fall season and will be grateful when I have some control over the environment inside the house! Rusty and Woodson could not agree more!
I am so excited to know you are working on the C-cart! And it is not at all surprising to learn that you have more ideas than space, lol! But I know you will exceed expectations and come up with clever ideas on how to charmingly display all of the overflow! Perhaps even a twin cart? A wheel barrow? Stacks of crates? More elves with goods on cigarette trays wondering the market? I hope you are having a delightful time with all your ideas and I cannot wait to see them!
Big Hugs, my friend!
I love how your table turned out! Working drawers and everything...that's amazing. Your chairs are adorable too. All of them look so good together in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sheila! It has been a lot of fun trying to capture this era in all the things I need to fill this house, so far. I'm so happy to know you like the table and chairs!
DeleteEs un trabajo realmente bonito. Encaja a la perfección en el ambiente de la cocina.
ReplyDelete¡Gracias Isabel! En algunos de estos espacios incómodos y desafiantes, ¡la fabricación personalizada es la única opción!
DeleteI'm looking at the kitchen and it's hard to believe how you managed to install all these appliances and furniture in this small space without overcrowding it.
ReplyDeleteDear Jodi, you are the only one who can combine colors and space, plans and high-tech, all together resulting as a unique table and chairs set perfect for a vintage kitchen.
Fantastic work as always!
Hugs,
Drora
Thanks Drora! It is a lot of fun to use modern technology to recreate vintage furniture! Luckily, people and furniture were on the small side back in the 30's. It makes it easier to furnish this cozy kitchen!
DeleteDear Jodi, What a perfect little table and chairs for this kitchen! I Know it is hard to imagine fitting in a table let alone chairs! But you have done it so well! And completely from scratch! Bravo!!I love the table and know the style very well. My first rental house as a young adult came with the option to buy the kitchen table and chairs. It was a fifties style instead of forties, but the same enamel table top with extra leaves that could be pulled out and the drawer underneath. I bought the set and later discovered a whole set of "kitchen" silverware in the drawer! It is still the set I use for everyday... a mishmash of old silverplate very worn but beloved! :):):)
ReplyDeleteThanks Betsy! If you were really determined to produce a replica, you could have so much fun engineering the leaves and making the top appear truly metallic! I have so much on my agenda, now, that I didn't go further than just getting it to look alike. But I love it! Those tables were not just adorable, but so handy when extra company came for dinner or during the holidays! Finding the silverware in yours, especially at a young age when just starting out, must have been like a gift from the heavens! It's awesome that they are still with you and have become a beloved part of your life history!
DeleteWhat a great post, Jodi. In every project you do you amaze me at how you can fit so many things in while keeping the rooms from being overcrowded or overwhelmed. It truly is the details that make a scene come alive and I so admire how you fill your scenes with so many of the details and still keep the rooms uncluttered. If you are looking for a new career perhaps you should hire out as a space planner for small condo units or those little "tiny houses" that have become so popular now. You could sure show them some great tricks! Cheers! - Marilyn D.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marilyn! What a fun job it would be to be a remodeler, especially of older homes where the goal is to keep the charm but add in modern functionality! And for tiny homes, too! Russ, myself and the kids lived in a tiny basement apartment for three years. It was just steps away from a very popular beach in Seattle. We adopted a rule that anything that came into the house had to serve a minimum of two purposes. Arbitrary "stuff" was just not possible! I guess that must be where my mind began to hone it's space planning abilities. It sure does come in hand in these dollhouse kits!
DeleteHas conseguido un conjunto muy bonito y muy bien proporcionado para ese espacio.
ReplyDeleteEsta quedando una escena preciosa.
Un saludo
¡Gracias Mariana! ¡Me alegra que te guste la cocina! ¡Me encanta poder jugar con otra era!
DeleteI really like this small kitchen. Table and chairs are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Faby! I am excited for the time when I can get back to making progress on it!
DeleteJodi, I've been away from miniatures for a few years and I come back to this! You are a wonder to behold! I built a Willowcrest several years ago and have always loved this house. I look forward to catching up with you here and seeing what else you've done up 'till now. Making your own furniture! Incredible!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Teresa (Pennethorne Manor)
Thanks Teresa! It is great to see you back! The Willowcrest is patiently waiting for me to get back to it while I work on the fairytale treehouse project. You never know where your inspiration is going to lead you, and it's wonderful that yours has brought you back to your amazing Pennethorn Manor!
Delete