We finished assembling The Antrim Dollhouse Kit a few weeks ago, but I have been searching high and low to find the spray paint I want in satin finish (everyone has it in flat and semi-gloss only). I gave up and finished it in flat. Then I finally got a call back from a company that could special order it, but it would have been another week. Argh. Rust-Oleum’s Painter Touch Ultra Cover 2x is by far the best spray paint I've used. It has a wide spray tip that is way more comfortable than that regular button that makes your finger cramp up on other cans. Plus it really does provide double coverage, so less painting. I think the finish is nicer than if I had used regular paint and had to deal with brush strokes, I went through about 10 cans of spray paint! One tip if you are spray painting large flat surfaces: paint the piece in a vertical position versus having it flat on the ground. When I painted the sides, they looked great; when I painted the front that was in a horizontal position on the floor, lots of dust/lint/dirt got caught and stuck on/fell the surface. I never knew how dirty my garage was until it kept getting stuck on my dollhouse. Oh well, I'll sand it off later.
Here are a few shots of the interior. I still have to figure out doors, windows and railings for the balconies. Finishing the interior will probably be more fun. This house is HUGE. 40" W x 34" H x 15.5" D. I was planning on adding hardwood floors throughout but haven't found the wide plank version I'm looking for. I would love any advice on flooring, I am open to suggestions.
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We are constructing a bought miniature house and for flooring I was going to make little boards from ice cream stick found at hobby shops but felt they were too short for realism (I used to do floors in real house).
ReplyDeleteThen I was left thinking machining longer little boards for scratch.
The I found a piece of laminex that mimics floor boards. Search around Laminex for patterns that may help your wide plank version
What I have done in previous dollhouses is use the peel and stick tiles from my local hardware store (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.). I cut them using a heavy duty paper cutter (wood and metal) or I guess you could use an exacto knife. Buy the cheapest you can because they are thinner and easier to cut. It can mimic marble tiles...or even slate. Actually in the dollhouse I am working on now, I plan on using these tiles but cut them at about 2" X 2" to give a more modern look. Don't lay them in the same order as they originally were. Then just peel and stick. The hard part is cutting them but the effect is really cool! Melissa
ReplyDeleteThe DHE has some nice flooring. They have Wide plank Random Oak floors, which sounds similar to what you are looking for. They have some other types too. The only drawback about these, it that it would take a few sheets to cover the floors, and the sheets are quite expensive. Other than that, these floors are really nice!
ReplyDeleteHey Studio SWS, that laminex with wood finish looks really cool. Thanks for the tip.
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Hi Melissa, I will have to go see what I can find at Home Depot. I love the 2" x 2" idea for slate tiles. I think I will try that in the kitchen. Great idea!!
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Spencer, yes DHE has close to what I'm looking for, but the price is the kicker. Due to the size of this house and the direction I want the boards (running parallel to the width not the length) I would need 4-5 sheets per floor so it would run around $100 per floor. Ouch. But they are nice.
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I also emailed Annina after seeing her photos with ELF Miniatures and admiring her floors. Here are two pictures of her floors I love: light hardwood floor and dark hardwood floor.
She makes all of the floors herself which ends up being a lot cheaper than buying them finished. She cuts planks from strip wood with a craft knife and adheres them to a paper template of the room. That allows her to change them easily or hide wiring. Then she stained the floor with wood stain. On the lighter wood floor she painted random knots which I think really makes them look so impressive. She says you can finish with wax, polish or varnish.
Thanks Annina and everyone for the great tips.
That is a beautiful modern house. Don't you love a clean slate? Nice job.
ReplyDeleteWow looking hot! CM
ReplyDeleteWhat is the hole in the floor for?
ReplyDeleteThanks Barb! Yes, I am really excited and also intimidated on what to do with all of this blank space. It will be fun, if only I can break away from work for some carve out some time to start on it.
ReplyDeleteThe round holes in the floor are for the spiral staircases.
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Thanks CM! You'll have to come over and see it some time. :D
I can make floors of any dimension, any species that are perfectly scaled. The price is reasonable too, as I use a laser cutting machine to mill my parts. All I would need is the floor plan dimensions or paper template. I could even sand them down for you, and let you finish them off.
ReplyDeleteI will be cutting custom tiles from various laminates too, and selling them by the square foot. I'm here to help, and the advice/quotes are free.
To give you an example, a walnut floor, with 1/4"-1/2" planks would be $30 per square foot, plus shipping. The sky is the limit people!
Here is an image of the double Pod with walnut floors http://m112podsbyprd.shutterfly.com/1127#1129
ReplyDeleteThis room is 16" x 20", so it's about 2 1/2 square feet, or about $75. If that's too steep, then I can cut the pieces for you for half the price, ship them to you, and you can glue/sand/and finish them yourself. It's actually pretty easy, and it's alot of fun. So I recommend you try to do it yourself, but if you don't feel mechanically inclined, then send me an email with your specs. More images can be seen at www.M112podsbyprd.shutterfly.com
Paris!! You are on. I'll drop you a line with house specs. Yay, I'm so excited. This house is a bit intimidating and I'm so happy to have your help! Talk soon.
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