The height doesn't matter much to me since I'm raising that. But I wondered about the length of it and if I wanted to cut that off a bit. So I got some furniture and measured out the dimensions on one of the base boards I have left over.
This doesn't really allow much for windows or anything but you get the idea. The oatmeal carton represents the tower and the tape by the base its door. I taped off 6x2 inches for a fireplace in the middle of the 24 inch length. And at the front of the house a short wall to make a small entryway to prevent drafts from getting at the fireplace.
I really wonder if I cut about four inches off of the length if it wouldn't be slightly more realistic? I don't really want it to be so spacious looking.
First he batted at the tape.
Very curious as to what I'm doing.
And trying to figure out the purpose of the oatmeal container.
But he didn't swipe at any of the furniture or jump on the table so we'll call that a win.
What do all of you think? Cut the length of the cottage to give it a slightly more cramped appearance? From a practical standpoint it would mean less work on making the stone around the house. Though I don't have a power saw so cutting through the MDF wouldn't be easy.
We've gotten more chilly weather today and a threat of freezing rain, which is delightful. Hope everyone is able to stay warm!
If you don't have a power tool I wouldn't want to be cutting MDF. It will be quite a job! I'm all for more room too. I think you can always find smalls to fill up a space, :D plus wouldn't an ex Queen have a reasonable amount of space? She would be relatively wealthy even as a dowager. You could build her a grander fireplace to take up some space. Maybe even a walk in inglenook? You could also curtain off or half wall and curtain her sleeping quarters. Will she have a hound or a cat? They could have a spot in front of the fire. Once you get lighting in and flooring, beams & wall coverings it won't look so spacious. One of those free standing candelabra's would look good. Is the side facing us going to be open? How does the kit open? I would think that will be a determining factor in this decision also.
ReplyDeleteMy idea is that the side facing us will open with magnets to hold it on and make it completely removable and I'll have the roof hinge to open so we can see the upper floor clearly.
DeleteI could make the fireplace bigger for certain and play around with the size of the table. Adding chairs and making the table rectangular will help also I think.
I actually want to try to make a candelabra as well. Wall sconces too. So I need to figure out how to do that. Could be a lot of fun.
And she'll definitely have a cat. At least one and maybe a dog too.
I think your ideas are excellent. No need to shorten at all. I forgot to mention how cute building inspector Jack is! I grew up with 7 cats and his curiosity reminded me of them, particularly the batting the tape pic. :D Alas, I have two hounds now that would probably eat a kitten as an appetizer so, no kitties for me for the foreseeable future.
DeleteThanks! I'm hoping everything works out the way I want. It would help if the kit would arrive. I'd like to do a dry fit.
DeleteJack is a sweetheart, and bigger than some of the dogs in our neighborhood, though he's strictly an indoor cat. You could always adopt an older cat who's used to dogs.
I understand the instinct to want to shorten the kit, but when I think of having to cut the floor, walls and roof sections with no power tools, I cringe! Cutting straight lines is always a major hurdle for me, even with a rip saw and a scroll saw, though. But you always find solutions to every challenge, so my faith in your decision is a confident one!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the hold up with the kit is? Weren't they supposed to be available the week of January 15th?
Oh believe me, I really want to avoid cutting the walls if I can but I'm going to have to do something to them in order to add the second floor.
DeleteMaybe I can save my money between now and then and get a saw...
They've been available for order since the new year I think but they were supposed to be shipped Jan 31st and now they're delayed until mid Feb. I'm not sure what's going on. Suzi mentioned that they were stopped in customs?
It sounds like you have solid reasons to cut the kit up. I think you should treat yourself to an electric jigsaw...you do a lot of kits and that baby would be invaluable.
ReplyDeleteI love that your furry army support your hobby with kit evaluation and testing (i.e. hitting everything with a paw to make sure it's all good) 😀
Thanks! Jack is, as always, invaluable in the evaluation of structural soundness.
DeleteSometimes they have good sales on power tools so I'll have to keep an eye out.
Look at that bed in the space! So cute! I love how I've decided to forgo the kit because it's too small and yet you are thinking of shortening it... :D At the same time if you know now those are your exact miniature furniture items I can see where you are coming from. There is no bathroom right? Not for this period? Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteYour helper Jack is adorable, hope you two come to a conclusion!
I do love that bed. I was thinking of how it looks too big and also of how to store it in the future if its really long. But I might keep it this size anyway. Still debating.
DeleteNope, no bathroom. Chamberpots or outhouses. I might just try to ignore that and not address it at all. Maybe a wooden barrel tub rolled out of sight under the stairs?
Jack is always trying to help, or at least keep me company. I think he's forgiven me for trying to take him to the vet.
Got to love that little paw coming up to touch! Cats are such wonderful creatures.
ReplyDeleteHow about leaving the outside dimensions as is, and adding a false wall (can use cardboard or foamcore which is easier to cut) on the inside if you feel the room is too big? The false wall can just take away some space, or you can be creative and add a doorway that seems to lead somewhere. Clever use of mirror to make the space behind the door look bigger?
I recently added a false wall over the corner of a room so that I could place a stove at a more visible angle. You could easily do that with the fireplace. Cut off a corner of the room, and build the fireplace at an angle.
This early planning stage is always one of the best, and one of the worst. So many possibilities, but so many decisions to make that won't be easy to fix if you change your mind later.
Looking forward to seeing what you decide to do!
That's a thought. A false wall would give me a place to hide the electric paraphernalia too.
DeleteHave to think about it some more.
The other option is to somehow make the fireplace in the center of the room, dividing it in half, it would take up a lot of space and that could be a good compromise.