Beacon Hill Redux

 

Yes, redux! Back again! The Beacon Hill has been in and out of the workshop for more than 10 years. I've lost track of when it was started. Tweaks and bashes have been happening along the way. 

• The copper-clad tower roof underwent a series of aging experiments. 
• The staircase the runs up the middle of the house got a total makeover to the point that it is removable; its handrails and spindles are all new.
• The dining room is finished. One window was closed in to make a solid wall for furniture placement, and wainscoting was installed. 
• The ground floor foyer has a parquet floor. 
• The electrifying has begun and is progressing one room at a time. 

Each of these changes has been time consuming and often required periods of thought, research, reflections, and experimentation before moving on to the next step. Do a search in this blog for "Beacon Hill" if you are interested in how all of this happened.

This morning the BH was released from confinement in the storage cage down the hall. It holds the place of honor on the worktable and will move forward again, as soon as all of its bits and pieces emerge from a rather full closet full of tubs and boxes, some of which are carefully labeled.

The challenge of moving a partially built house from storage to the apartment was easily solved. When I moved here, I bought this lovely worktable/desk on wheels. It rolled smoothly through the hallway and into the storage room. The Beacon Hill looked rather queen-like on her ride back to the apartment. 

Sugarplum Cottage to Monarch Cottage 18

 

Decalcomania! 

The flower sprigs were printed on a special decal paper and coated with three or four light applications of a clear spray sealant. A pair of scissors, a bowl of water, and we are ready to go.

The flower sprigs are cut out close to the printed area and dropped into the water. After roughly 60-90 seconds, the clear decal lifts away from the backing paper. The tweezers partly seen on the right are useful for working with such small pieces. 

The designs were such that they could be separated into a larger and smaller segment. The larger bit worked well on the back of the chair and the smaller bit worked well on the wing.

All the decals are in place. When dry, they will be stuck tight. Decals work best on a smooth surface. This paint has a matte finish, so the adherence was not perfect. Once dried, a teeny bit of Aileen's Tacky Glue on the end of a toothpick took care of a couple of edges that began to pull away.

This is the suggested finish for this kit. It is the photo from the kit box. It is a sweet little Sugarplum Cottage. 

This is how it transformed into the Monarch Cottage.

Butterflies everywhere! The sod roof tastes just like the milkweed that Monarchs love to eat.

 A handful of tiny pink flowers have sprouted in the luscious sod.

(Click on the photo to see a larger size.)

The interior is plain, as befitting a little cottage. The chairs could use some cushioning, and the bed needs a nice, fluffy comforter. It is ready to be finished when an inhabitant turns up. 

Meanwhile, we will let the Monarchs enjoy the cottage. They prefer the roof and rarely go inside. 

If you are interested in the process, how the cottage was constructed, click on the Older Post link below. There are 18 individual posts in this series.

Stay tuned for a very different project to come.

Sugarplum Cottage to Monarch Cottage 17

 

The Monarchs have arrived! 

The Monarchs are enjoying the fresh spring growth on the sod roof. The pink flowers are blooming. (Click the photo to see an enlarged version.)

A few of them landed on the backside of the cottage.

The question of what to use for the baseboards has been answered. Half-inch strips from the cereal box were covered with Contact paper. 

One of the boards is turned over to show the back, which will take glue very nicely. The Contact paper is stuck to the printed side. Now all of the exposed wood in the cottage will match. The plain wooden boards fit the nature of the cottage much better than the milled skirting boards from the stash. Rustic rules. 

The floors needed to be touched up. When the paint is dry, the baseboards will be glued in place. 

The niche on the upper floor is an awkward detail. Cover it? Maybe put the bed in that corner to block it?