African View - The Dolls House Emporium Discussion Forum

Mouse · #1 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 04:31 PM

Hi there,
actually I decided to start a Collectors Blog for my new project but it's over a week and not one of the post are up on the net

So I changed my mind and started this thread

There will be quite a few post now because I work on it since the start of April. I'll try to do the post in th same order as I built the house so far.
Enough of the prologue, here is the first post:

The last March weekend I went to Arnhem, Netherlands, to see the International Dolls House Show and to look for some stuff for my new dollhouse -which is still in a planning stage- and of course the old ones. There I saw the offer for the “Lake View” with basement.
I knew it from the catalogue and flirted quite a long time with the idea to get it mostly because it’s so different from all the other buildings I have.
After thinking for about 2 hours if I should get it or not, the decision was made and I went home with another house!
But than I had to wait til Monday for a dry-built…

St.Vale · #2 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 04:39 PM

Welcome to the forums, look forward to seeing what you do with your new Lake View!

Mouse · #3 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 04:39 PM

One of the few advantages of unemployment is: Time for your hobbies

So back at home I got to do the dry-built of my new house.
After sorting through all the bits and pieces and instructions I finally stood before my “Lake View” and now I had to make decisions: which style to decorate it?

Looking at the house the first thing that stuck out is the airiness of it and I’d like to keep this feeling.

A few days later I got it while jumping around the net for ideas: an african theme

These are just a few of the sites I found so far:
African Interior Design
design-africa: Ethnic Patterns for Designers
Houses with African Decor - LoveToKnow Interior Design
African Decor - eHow.com
African Decor for your Home
How much of these ideas I’ll use? I don’t know. I go with what I like because in the end it is MY house

At least the name for it was now easy...

Mouse · #4 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 04:46 PM

Making the decision to go with an african theme I used my next trip into town to check out a few “nick-nack”-shops. And got some things I already imagine in the house.

Because I play with the idea to have a stained glass window at the bathroom I bought some pens for coloring glass, acetat, porcelain…
And tried them out on a left-over piece of acetat: if they were easy to handle, fine enough for small lines, what happens than I use another color next to the dry one: will it smear or stay?
As you see it doesn’t look to bad, will see if I use that …
(but got already another idea: printing on film used with overhead-projectors

)

jeanmtweddle · #5 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 04:54 PM

Congratulations Mouse on your new house - look forward to seeing your progress.

Mouse · #6 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 04:55 PM

Early on I decided to remodel the house a little bit, e.g. I prefer a door to the bathroom otherwise it can get a bit drafty

After deciding which room will be what, the remodelling included a "half-high" wall between dinig room and kitchen.
And another door from kitchen to the balcony: it looked just not right to have the same one as in the basement, which will now be the entrance door.
I'll also needed a new window for the future bathroom...

...and a small window for the planned attic.

Thank God I got a CAD programme and could play with all ideas/variations before ordering new stuff, cutting new holes and closing exsisting ones

Mouse · #7 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 05:04 PM

A few days ago I got my orders! First all my dollhouse stuff arrived

And than my veneer

I’ll use that for flooring and maybe a little bit of wall-covering.
I looked for something different for this house and came across this online shop which sells a great variety of veneer and best of all not only in big bulks.
Hopefully it will look as good as I imagine it

For anyone interested which kind of veneer I ordered ( from left to right):
Cocobolo, Bamboo, Zebrawood (Zebrano) and Mapa burl.

Mouse · #8 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 05:12 PM

Getting all the dollhouse materials I could now start to alter a few things.
Mostly it's doors (The house has an african theme but will be standing somewhere in Middle-Europe!) and another window at the bathroom.
And I’ll use the small roof as an attic – you can never have enough storage room - so I put in a small window at the side and have to cut out a doorway to the loft… (I'm not looking forward to that part of remodelling

) .

Mouse · #9 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 05:16 PM

I made some samples with colors. I bought light-colored bricks at Arnhem and waver between a light color or a dark color for the façade and how to stain the wood of the windows and outside doors. Dark or not at all?

I think I’ll paint a larger piece of wood with the dark color and see how it looks than. No reason to rush the decision…

Mouse · #10 (**permalink**) 21-04-2010, 05:21 PM

Having almost everything in a large cardboard and several bags doesn't help to keep an overview

So I made a chart for every room (furniture, lamps, etc) and hung them up in my "work room"

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