Downton Manor Interior Decoration - Part 7

2nd Floor Bedroom

Last month we completed the transformation of the central landing on the 2nd floor, I installed a partition towards the back of the hall in front of the stairs, this gave us another smaller room at the front, I turned this into a small study.

There are two other rooms on this floor, they are situated either side of the study, they will both become bedrooms. This month I will be decorating the room to the left of the study, it will be a gentleman's bedroom. There isn't a doorway in the room as yet and I really don't want to have the access through the study, so I am creating a false door at the rear left hand corner of the room. It gives the illusion that there is a walkway from the rear hall.

I was originally going to fit a false door to the side wall adjoining the hallway, but I have decided to make a small angled wall with a door inset into it. Fitting a false door is an easier option as you don’t have to figure out the angles for the cornice and skirting boards.

The first thing we need to do is to conceal the wiring for the lighting in the room below, fill in the slots where the original walls would have fitted and to run the wires from the fireplace in the study and the fireplace in this room through the rear wall, once these tasks are done we can fit the flooring.

 

 

Next I will make a panel for the doorway.  I am fitting the door into a panel that will sit diagonally in the rear corner. The panel needs to be the height of the room, when cutting panels for false walls, they can be slightly shorter than the height of the room, as any small gaps will be hidden by the cornice.  If you are papering your ceiling do this before you fit the panel.

Paint the panel to match the room and fix in the door, remember to fit the door so that it opens into the room. The edges of the panel need to be cut at an angle in order for it to fit flush against the side and rear wall, next we can paint the walls For the walls I have chosen a colour called "Proud Peacock" it is a fairly dark shade of blue/green. Remember to leave the corner section the original colour (Ivory).

 

 

 

 

To do this place the panel roughly where it will fit and make a pencil line along the two edges.

Paint the walls to match the panel.

 

 

 

 

Fix some small wooden blocks to support the panel on both the rear and side wall. Before fixing the panel permanently run all the wires for the fireplaces and any sockets you may want.

I have used a basic wooden fire surround with a simple wire basket filled with logs and a coloured 12v bulb to light it.  Instructions for the fire follow below.

 

 

 

 

When all this has been done we can fix in the panel, filling in any gaps with filler and allow to dry before touching up the paint.

Now with the fireplace and wall panel in place we can fit the skirting boards and cornice.

 

 

 

 

Work out the angles for the panel by drawing the walls on a piece of paper. I have used a shorter skirting board for this room as the ceiling is not as high. I have used the same skirting board for the cornice, as I was restricted with the room height.

The height of the room was also a factor when choosing a light, I have fitted a 6 arm chandelier, again I have removed the chain and fixed directly to the ceiling rose.

 

 

 

 

The drapes are in keeping with the room, a heavy pattern with a swag over a brass pole. Instructions for the drapes will follow in issue 229 of the magazine.

 

 

 

 

Fire Surround with working Log Fire

Materials Required

 

 

 

 

• Fire Surround of your Choice
• Imitation Gold Leaf or Gold Paint
• 12th  Scale Log Basket
• Small pieces of wooden twigs
• Tin Foil - 7cm square
• Black Acrylic Paint
• 12v Red grain of wheat Bulb
• Gold Paint
• Hi-Tac Craft Glue

Log basket and bulb can be purchased from my Carol's Website, see link below.

1. I have used a basic wooden fire surround for this tutorial, any fire surround will be fine.

 

 

 

 

2. The fire surround has a built in fender so I have painted the upper section of it in gold.

3. For the fire you will need a metal log basket.

 

 

 

 

4. Take your tin foil and scrunch it up to fit within the log basket.

5. Thread the bulb through the foil and basket, fix the foil to the basket with glue and secure the wire for the bulb underneath with tape to keep it in position.

 

 

 

 

6. Using glue fix the logs in a neat pile around the bulb, check the lighting and adjust the bulb if necessary.

7. Paint the outer areas of the foil with black acrylic paint leaving some silver foil showing, this will look like hot ash and will also reflect the red light from the bulb.

8. Add more detail by giving the rear wall of the surround a random coat of black acrylic paint to the rear wall of the surround.

 

 

 

 

9. Drill a hole for the wire to slip through and fix the fire in place.

GO BACK TO PART 6
GO FORWARD TO PART 8

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