Storybook Kitchen Cabinets

This week's Storybook tale is all about kitchen cabinets. When you're working in a dollhouse, especially one with unusual spaces to fill, you often have to make your own. As is turns out, I really enjoyed the process, and I love the feeling they've created in the kitchen!

This wall, the one that divides the kitchen from the living room, is one I added to the kit to create the separate rooms. The return is not very deep, and the angled door opening created some space challenges. When I drew out the plan for both the upper and lower cabinets, my measurements had to be spot on.

To make the arched cabinet fronts, I employed the Cricut. I transferred my upper cabinet measurements into the Design Space using a solid rectangle, then using smaller rectangles connected to circles, I sliced out the openings. I cut three sets out of 1/16" chipboard.

Making the box with the shelves was pretty straightforward. I carved a set of three drawers out of laminated 1/2" scrap wood for the bottom of the left and right cupboards. Then, using 1/8" x 1/8" basswood strip and fancy toothpicks, I made a plate rack for the lower center section.

I added beadboard, wallpaper, lace edging, textured vine stickers and crown molding to give them a real cottage feel. I did consider doors with glass, but quickly decided open cabinets were the way to go for this build.

Next were the lower cabinets. Like the built in sink cabinet, I did not want functioning drawers or doors. Just simple boxes with a toe kick, wallpaper fronts edged in 1/8" x 1/16" trim to suggest drawers/doors, aged bronze hardware, and the same "stone" countertops as the sink cabinet.

The end wall in the kitchen was a challenge as there is only 3-1/2" of usable space, and that is where the fridge will go. Since the fridge is 2" wide, only an upper cabinet was going to work. I modeled it after the other upper cabinet unit, but added crown molding to the bottom instead of more drawers.

I bought the Phoenix Models gas stove and fridge kits for another project, but thought they would be wonderful in the Storybook. They are compact and perfect for a kitchen where space is at a premium. Actually putting them together is going to be interesting. Apparently, you use quick set epoxy, and the stove has a million pieces! Figuring out what to paint in what colors and what to paint before and after assembly is certainly going to challenge my brain!

There are lots of decorating opportunities for such a small space, and with the large kitchen windows, being able to view them should be easy.

Here is the kitchen with cabinets in dry fit. I am loving the layout and the amount of floor space. I may even have room for a small prep table in the center!

Now that the foundation pieces for the kitchen are planned or finished, I have to decide whether to assemble the appliances or continue into the living and dining rooms with built ins. I have several days to mull it over, as Mother's Day weekend is FULL of family activities. Which, if I am lucky, may include a trip up to CJN Miniatures in Edmonds, WA. Fingers crossed!

And to every nurturer, whether you've give birth or not, whatever your chromosomes, ~Happy Mothers Day~! I hope the love you've given to anyone comes back to you seven fold!

xo xo,
Jodi

~Thank You~ !!!

I'd like to thank everyone who took a gander at last week's vanity auctions on eBay!

~ Thank You~ !!!

I am happy to say that all five sold, and four are on the way to their new owners! It is so exciting to know that something I made is going to live on in other dollhouses! What could be more flattering than that? :O)

Here are this week's grouping of five. The bidding started on Sunday with an opening bid of $.99. Even if you don't need a vanity, it's fun to watch the bidding!

White Marble

Old West Hotel

Nautical

Shabby Pink Bucket Sink

Contemporary Square

Here's the link to the page with all of them:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/tiny-little-smithy/m.html?item=123116728471&ssPageName=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

These end, and then the last group of five auctions will begin on Sunday.

I hope to be back on Thursday with an update on the cabinets for the Storybook's kitchen. Here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on...

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Jodi

Storybook Cottage Kitchen Progress

Since I hadn't posted my regular weekly update on the Storybook Cottage build last week, this post was going to have a lot of photos. So, I consolidated some photos into groups and will just go over the less interesting stuff quickly...

First, I got all of the walls primed and another dry fit in to mark things for the wallpaper application.

Next was deciding on the paint colors I'd be using in the build. I made a color chart, compared them to the wallpaper and fabric I have, then narrowed them down to seven colors.

Then I made templates and applied the wallpaper. In case you are wondering, I like Wallpaper Mucilage the best of all I've tried, with Grandmother Stover's being my second favorite. I used nine sheets of wallpaper and a full jar of Wallpaper Mucilage.

Someone wondered why I put the wallpaper on the walls before I glue the structure. I don't always do this - it just depends on the particular challenges of the dollhouse. For this dollhouse, I need to make a lot of built ins. With the angles of the walls and ceiling, and the challenging spaces, it seemed simpler to  have the bulk of the building completed before I actually assemble. And being able to use the walls and lay them flat for templates is a cheat that will help a lot! Getting a ruler in to measure for trim in a tight space is one thing. Being able to read the marks on the ruler while it is in the deep spaces is another! :O)

The first built in I decided to tackle was the kitchen's bay window sink. Last year while in Arizona with my mom, I bought a Reutter free standing double sink unit at Aunty Em's. I took it apart because I didn't want to use the stand in this build, just the sink and faucet. I used the sink and built the sink cabinet around it.

I wanted the cabinet to be a little wider and deeper than the space available in the bay, so I had to install the horizontal bead board first to know how deep to make the return. Somehow, with all the cabinet and sink depth measuring, how far I wanted the sink to protrude etc., I ended up with the sink being 1/8" off center. It really isn't all that noticeable in the grand scheme, so I chose not to start over. I also chose to make an open cabinet area under the sink (I love curtained openings in a sink) and faux drawer fronts. After all that vanity experimenting, I also just had to add drain pipes!

The counter top shape was a challenge with all those angles, built in shelves to meet up to, the sink cut out and the overhang for the returns. Luckily, I had made a floor and ceiling template, so transferring it onto wood made it easier.

I looked at several kinds of pink counter tops online. I saw great examples of Formica, granite and marble in pink hues. This gave me license to play around, and I love the results! I hope I can replicate them pretty closely when I get to the rest of the kitchen counter tops to come! Here's what I did:

Now for the backsplash. The space between the counter top and the window frame bottoms was 3/8". So, using the same template from the floor/ceiling/counter top, I cut three pieces of 3/8" basswood. I measured every 3/8" and filed a groove into the wood to replicate tiles. I painted the entire tile strip with a couple coats of Vintage White, then when dry I mixed one part Green Tea with three parts glazing medium and painted the tiles.

Once they were dry I gave it all a good coat of Triple Thick along with the counter top. Here it is installed. I like the shabby glazed tile effect with the shiny countertop.

And here is the built in sink cabinet with it's curtain installed. Notice the chair rail, baseboard and corner trims, as well. The window sills will have to be installed at the same time as the exterior windows, so it will remain unfinished for a bit.

I started on the other two kitchen walls, installing the bead board and trims, then did another dry fit. I hope to find time to start on their built ins in the next couple of days.

It looks like I'll also be sending five vanities on to their new homes next week - I have bids on all of them! They end Sunday, and I hope to list the next five then, as well. If you haven't seen the excitement, go take a look!

https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?item=123106991378&ssPageName=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&_ssn=tiny-little-smithy&_sop=1


Before I finish up I'd like to say ~Welcome!~ to the new followers! And to those of you who have stuck with me through the triumphs and epic fails, your friendship, comments and support mean the world to me!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox,
Jodi