The Carl Larsson Experiment: Part 5 Stairs To Up There - Real Good Toys 22 Town Hill Road CC2 Front Opening Kit

Stair Assembly

I think this kit must be pretty old, as the stairs are an assembly job, not like the RGT Tudor, which had solid stairs that needed no assembly. I'm glad these stairs came this way as I wanted them to be almost like a ladder, so you can see through them, into the kitchen. I left their kicks off, to achieve this effect. I also left them unattached to the home, so they could be removed at will for easier play. Like I play with my dollhouses! Ha!

I've used a piece of wood to clamp the sides of the stairs onto, for even spacing when I glued the treads on.

Not So Tall Walls

Well, I got my inspiration for the top floor, at all places, K-mart. Between a matching placemat and runner, I have the "wallpaper" for the small room. The embroidered print is a little bigger than what I would normally choose, but I thought, if I was painting a room like Carl Larsson, a large design might be fun!

 

 

Stairs To Up There

Now I've got all the interior sides done and the stairs and their opening all trimmed out. As you can see I can hardly wait so I put a few pieces in the kitchen, so I can enjoy my handiwork. Love that gold porcelain pooch!

Retrofit the Kit Tudor Dollhouse: Part 8 Details, Details - Real Good Toys Country Tudor CC15

Finalizing those detail concepts that have been in my head:

Window and Door Glass...

 

INSTRUCTION DEVIATION: The kit has plain "glass" and mullions to suggest divided lights. Of course the 2nd floor windows were completely blown out to accommodate the bay window.

• Left pict: Checking size and placement of a diamond pattern printed from the www.
• Middle pict: Plastic window anchored to pattern and metal tape applied over pattern lines.
• Right pict: Completed windows. Trims anchor the windows in their openings.

 __________________________

 ... and Finish the Door...

INSTRUCTION DEVIATION: Replaced the kit door with a Houseworks Dutch door (the kit door was used earlier to create the stair landing).

• Left pict: Purchased crossbuck Dutch door, Houseworks.
• Middle pict: Crossbuck and mullions removed, hinge side swapped and door stained.
• Right pict: Bottom Dutch fitted out with trim to cover crossbuck area.

  __________________________

  Working On the Door Wall...

A piece of trim is placed under the Door Wall for needed clearance. The Door Wall will be on side hinges.

So now it's just putting into practice, once again, methods developed, to finish that fourth wall, the Door Wall. Inside and out.

I try to keep steps in order for this massive Door Wall of three floors and an outside:

1. Install 1st fl. crown with Door Wall taped on (left upper pict).
2. Mark final base molding and 2nd fl. crown lines (middle upper pict).
3. Untape Door Wall. Gather courage.
4. Glue and set in the bay (see picture at bottom of list).
5. Paper the inside walls based on marked lines and the wainscotting height.
6. Paper the outside where needed (the door and window trims should cover the raw edges when installed) with brick wallpaper using Yes glue (right upper pict).
7. Set and glue the door (it's trim will cover the wallpapers on both sides).
8. Install the wainscotting and trim of all floors on the inside wall door, overlapping the wallpapers and such.
9. Poly the entire inside.

Gluing in the bay window before trimming the inside.

Ta Da!! The finished inside of the Door Wall!

__________________________

Stairs: Finishing the Banister... 

 

INSTRUCTION DEVIATION: Replaced the kit's banister with a Houseworks banister set.

• Left pict: Measuring, creating a template, gluing and clamping.
• Right pict: Polying before installation (and a couple of extra items).
• Bottom pict: Banister installed on the outside of the stairwell with glue.

__________________________

Installing the Back (yay!)...

The back is glued and carefully nailed into the sides and floor. Finally!!


OK, good enough for now!

Retrofit the Kit Tudor Dollhouse: Part 6 Leaps Of Faith, the Second Floor - Real Good Toys Country Tudor CC15

The second floor is problematic but exciting. Lowering the ceiling, adding a bay and moving the stairs to the back of the dollhouse all require a consortium of measurements, thought, much deviation, testing and patience. Thank goodness for Thanksgiving break. It increased my chance of getting a bunch done!

__________________________

 

Preparing the Front's Components For Determining Ceiling Height and Bay Cut

INSTRUCTION DEVIATION: (This step actually comes later in the instructions but I figure I need to do this so I can get accurate measurements). As per the instructions, I glue the front peak parts together and install it to the front sides of the house.

 

I prop the front up into the peak so I can test where I want the ceiling height to be, making sure to include the height of the crown moldings with the height the bay components.

__________________________

I glue the bay parts together, to insure accurate measurements and placement for the bay cutout.

__________________________

INSTRUCTION DEVIATION: The second floor bay cutout.  

 

 

After placing the new bay component on the inside front, insuring it clears the floor and making my marks, I cut out the bay using a jig saw. Oh my!

__________________________ 

The Stairs, Determining Their Height and Placement

I realize I have to construct the stairs to get an accurate measurement for the height of 2nd floor ceiling and the stair opening. Here are the original kit's stair parts and the added items used in constructing the stairs; stained and marked for cutting.

The pic shows:

• stained wainscot panels.
• the kit door, being repurposed for the landing, stained and marked for cutting.
• the kit stairs, the upper marked for cutting.

INSTRUCTION DEVIATION: The kit's door is cut and repurposed into the landing and the stairs are cut for the shorter ceiling height.

Keep the stair cut parallel with the stair treads. This is very important to maintain the angle of the stairs and it's squareness.

The left pic shows:

•  Fitting the landing and preparing to cut the base molding for it to fit properly.

Right pic shows:

• the two stair sections glued together.
• the stairs glued to the back panel, and the inside "stringer" glued to their side.
• the work table face and it's side used as clamping stops to insure squareness.
• the ruler clamped to the top, forcing the stairs into the back, insuring even pressure to insure there is no stair or panel bowing.

__________________________

 

After drying I remove the clamps and check for squareness. I was lucky! That clamping concept worked out well! Now I cut the angle on the decorative stringer so it matches the tread angle. I glue and clamp it to the stair component.

 

 The left pic shows:

• the joint in the stairs where the stair parts are glued together.
• the back panel glued in and sliced off to the outside stair side.
• the outside decorative stringer, ready to be glued on.

The right pic shows:

• the decorative stringer, glued and clamped to the outside stair side.

__________________________

Voila! The stair component, finished with the exception of trimming top and the bottom. Goodness! That was a lot of thought and work!!

Upper pic: the top of the stairs. Bottom pic: under the stairs.

__________________________

Determining The Stair's Opening Cut In the Second Floor Ceiling 

I cut spacers to test and set the floor/ceiling height and to figure where the stair opening will need to be. I clamp them in place and prop the back up to mark the stair and it's angle.

The baseboard has been cut for the landing and the landing is glued in.

__________________________

INSTRUCTION DEVIATION: Stair placement and new floor piece.

Since I decided to move the stairs to the back of the home, my hubby had to cut me a new 3rd floor (2nd floor ceiling). The one that came with the kit has it's stair's opening cutout for the side of the house.

The left pic shows:

• the "new" floor being prepared for the stair opening cut.
• the original kit's floor stair opening used to determine the cuts on the new 3rd floor.
• the difference in lengths of the back and the side of the dollhouse, necessitating the creation of a new 3rd floor.

The right pic shows:

•  the new 3rd floor, stained.
•  the new 3rd floor with the stair opening.

__________________________

"Now Is the Time To...." Decision: the 2nd Floor Ceiling

Sometimes in a project you have to make exceptions. Now is the time, I realize, to do something with the 2nd floor ceiling. Less construction hassle if I do it now than with the home is completed!

 So I glue, paint and trim the ceiling. The stair opening is sliced out in the paper used for the ceiling.

__________________________

With all these steps done, I glue and nail the 3rd floor/2nd floor ceiling in.

Crossing my fingers that this will all pan out when I  add the front and it's bay! Yiksees!!

__________________________

 

Dreaming and Planning: Outside, Front Panel. Which One???

So, of course, one must play. Mind candy is extremely important!!

Since I've finished the bay component I'm going to experiment with a couple of thoughts for the outside of the front panel.  Here they are:

What do you think????