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Monday, October 20, 2014

The Carl Larsson Experiment: Part 3 The Heart Of the Home, Making a Kakelugn - Real Good Toys 22 Town Hill Road CC2 Front Opening Kit

Oh my! I searched high and low for a little ceramic fireplace to fit into my Larssonesque home. When I could find one they were oh sooooo expensive. So I took my cue from some fellow miniaturists out there and made one myself.

The Ceramic Stove (the Swedes call it a Kakelugn) Inspiration

Just 'cause I couldn't find what I wanted to purchase, doesn't mean I didn't find what I wanted in looks...


There are just so many examples out there, you should have a look!

Parts Is Parts

I really wanted a simple white stove for the living room, and no paper tile adhered to a block of wood. I had seen a dollhouse fireplace that a had big chunky mantel that suggested ceramic to me, the HouseWorks' Monticello fireplace...
I used a heat gun to remove it from it's base. For the top I remembered those HouseWorks bonnet pediments, they're called, that go over window and doors, so I bought a 2 piece set of those...

... and I took a $1 fan I bought at second hand store and dismembered it to create decorative "tiles".

The stove couldn't be wider than the pediment so I cut down the chunky mantle which gave it two, large ceramic feeling pieces. I fleshed out the "torso" of the stove with leftover trim and wood pieces, scoring some with my butter knife and cutting others a bit short on their length, to emulate tile sections.

Well, it's almost done. I glued on some little plastic silver round bead caps and painted the whole thing up. I have a lovely little pewter rectangle that will serve as it's firebox cover. I think I have about three more coats of white enamel craft paint to get that gleaming tile look, but I'm on my way!




1 comment:

  1. One of my favourite mottos, which often gets me into trouble, is: "How hard can it be to make one of those?" I can see you're the same! I love the way you take kits and do your own thing with them. This fireplace looks excellent, I think you achieved your aim, and some. You must be very pleased with the result.

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