Downton Manor Interior Decoration - Part 11

The Servants Bedroom

Last month we completed the first room on the attic floor, the nursery, now we are moving on to the adjacent room, the servant’s bedroom.



This room is one of the rooms on this floor that has been altered, so the grooves in the ceiling needs to be filled.



Once the gaps are filled the ceiling can be papered and painted.



There will be a false wall at the back of the room with a door leading to the rear hallway, it is very  similar to the layout of the study on the 2nd floor which we decorated previously.

Before fitting the rear wall of the bedroom I have firstly fitted the skirting board and cornice to the rear wall.



I will also need lighting in the rear hallway, for this I am fitting a wall socket this will allow me to use a small table lamp for the lighting, and will make life easier should we ever need to replace the light bulb in the lamp.



Next I need to secure the wiring from the ceiling fitting from the room below and also the fire from the nursery, I have made a groove in the floor to meet the main cut out, the wire from the fire needs to be extended, if you need to do this I recommend the use of a soldering iron as we need a good connection as the wires will be beneath the wooden flooring. Once extended all of the wires are taped down securely in place.



Now the wiring is in place we can fit the floor, when the flooring goes down, it really transforms the room from a box into what now looks like a room. I have used a single piece as far as the doors, then used off cuts for the hallway behind.



I have fitted the door into my new partition wall, but before securing the wall permanently, I need to make a hole in the corner to allow for the wiring for my corner fireplace, I have also decided to paper this wall so I will need to do this as well. I have used a pretty paper from the range by "Brodnax".

The partition wall is now ready to be fitted, firstly I have secured the bulb inside the fireplace with insulation tape, then threaded the loose wire through the hole in my partition and through the rear wall of the house.



The partition wall can be fixed permanently, to do this I have just glued the sides to the two doorways in the rear hall. Once fitted gently pull the wiring for the fire through the rear wall and secure with some tape by the door to the hallway.



Due to the difficulty of adding a wall light in this room I am fitting a ceiling light, it will mean that the wiring will come out on the top of the roof but I will eventually cover this over when the house is complete.



I need to add another wall above the fireplace for the false chimney breast, I am using balsa wood as it is easy to cut, I have cut a piece slightly narrower than the width of the fireplace, then I have chamfered the edges to make the panel fit closely to the adjoining walls.



Paint the panel and fix in place.



Finish the walls by fitting the skirting boards and cornice.

The room is now complete.



The furnished room.



The making of the kit and dressing the bed will follow in the DHMS Magazine.

Go Back to Part 10
Go Forward to Part 12

Please visit Carol Carke’s website for more ideas and inspiration for your dolls house. www.dollshouseinterior.co.uk

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