The Maryetta, an Art Deco Dollhouse: Real Good Toys, CC3, 333 Franklin Street. Part 5 - Stairs and Stairwell

The stairwell of the Maryetta is a far cry from the original stairs' configuration of the Franklin kit, but at least I was able to still use the stairs from the kit for my stairwell customization. Thank goodness!

Left: the original RGT Franklin interior layout. Right: the Maryetta with it's custom cut inside wall and modified cut floors.

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 Stair Construction

Each set of stairs is two pieces glued together, as per the kit and it's instructions. Using "mercury" metallic scrapbook paper,  I papered the risers and backs of the the stairs. The treads and sides got a couple of coats of silver craft paint.

 

The stair railings proved to be a time consuming sourcing exercise, but I finally located some mesh used for grilling from my local big box grocery and it was cheap too. I cut strips of it with kitchen shears and glued silver painted 1/8" basswood trim for the hand rails using E 6000 adhesive.

 

I glued the baseboard ribbon to the outside wall before I glued on the stairs. All of the rest of the baseboard basswood trim was then fitted and cut to the stairs. The inside, back and outside walls' installed baseboard ribbons and trims had to be fitted exactly to each other, but at least the wood trim pieces and ribbon provided the correct matching height for each wall.

 

Before I installed the inside wall's stairs I trimmed it's windows with my "classic" thin cut popsicle craft stick trim, painted a silver.

The custom cut inside wall of the stairwell before and after it's installed stair component and before it's baseboard trims.

 

 

Finally I was able to glue the last outside wall on and proved that all my planning, meticulous measuring and fitting paid off! I then installed the silver painted crown moldings from Manchester Woodworks, magnets for the LED battery powered custom lights and the inside of my Maryetta was finally complete! Wow!

 

Left: clamping and wedging trims and cornice to the sides and ceiling.

Next: construction of the opening front wall! Oh my!

The Maryetta, an Art Deco Dollhouse: Real Good Toys, CC3, 333 Franklin Street. Part 4 - Room Trims

(Note: It's been three years since I've posted. I apologize. The Covid Lockdown not withstanding, my daughter finally did succumb to her ovarian cancer in the fall of 2020. It did take a lot out of me, but I did finish the Maryetta in the summer of 2021. It is named for my daughter Alexandra Maryetta and my paternal grandmother and aunt so I just couldn't let it sit undone. I'm just now piecing together the last posts for the Maryetta, revisiting photos and trying to remember the processes long done. Thank you all for understanding and visiting once again!)

A Revisit Of the "Barn Raising" Of the Walls and Floors, 2019:

Yay! All the pieces align and fit!!

Yes, all that time consuming matching of prints, bashed cutouts for stairs, pieced ceilings and hand painted floors came to a assembly crescendo of success. Thank goodness! It was then on to the baseboard, ceiling and corner trims.

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Popsicle Craft Sticks and the Making Of a Classic Art Deco Style

What a miracle of versatility, the lowly popsicle stick! Sliced carefully in half lengthwise (steady now!) and painted or stained, they make the perfect fodder for a simple but immediately identifiable Art Deco trim element. Lucky for me! 

Popsicle craft stick time!

 

I used large and medium craft popsicle sticks and it took a good while to cut, sand and then stain and paint all those pieces in readiness for their ultimate Deco statement. Cheap and simple but effective I think:

Bottom: insuring horizontal trims are even from side to side.

 

I used 1/2" basswood trim pieces you can get at craft stores for the base moldings and a lovely miniature ceiling cove molding from Manchester Woodworks, my go to for spectacular miniature trims and wainscotting.

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Kitchen, finished and tricked out with Strombecker furniture! 

Bedroom, finished!

Next, the staircase. Oye!