Sunday 28 April 2019

SUNDAY CATCH UP


So another week's gone by and we are rapidly approaching May ! I thought I'd start this Sunday catch up post with a few photo's of a bust we bought a few weeks back originally for the garden.

But she's so nice that by the time we got home, we'd decided to place her on the ledge of the small window that is in the stairwell. However because the light was behind her, it was hard to see her face.



So we've moved her into the porch area where she can be seen and enjoyed more.


I think she looks better in this new position.

The kitchen is coming along very slowly at present ,although we are finally making decisions about the final look. We have had to change the blue we bought for the doors!
I asked Paul to paint the three drawer fronts he'd made, so that the handles could be attached and we'd also finally see some of the colour in place.
Well it appears that Valspar paint for wood is just a nightmare for coverage! Having undercoated the drawers, then applied a first coat, the result is very poor and shows that to get a nice even and deep finish Paul would need to paint at least four or five coats !
When you are having to paint 16 door /drawer fronts that's just too many coats ! Also the colour was not quite as dark as I'd wanted to go. So yesterday we searched for the right colour but in a different paint range.

We've settled on Farrow and Ball a maker we have used before and found just the colour I was after.
Hague blue, in a eggshell finish.


 It's nice and dark but with that richness of blue that I'm after. Of course we could not go and pick it up off the shelf, we only found two small tins of the gloss, so we've had to order it for delivery.
I had planned to paint the top doors either in a white or a pale yellow but after seeing some of the images of kitchens in the Hague blue, I'm considering having the top doors also blue and a white / pale back splash.


This photo shows what it could look like all blue , top ,bottom and back splash , although this shows  the gloss paint.
With the all over blue , this could be too dark for us, so we will probably have a break between with white. Although I love how rich the colour looks in this photo.
We've also finally decided which sink to go with and tap! Who thought it would take so much effort to chose a sink? We've gone from black/grey, to metal and then back to black and finally white! Well that was up to yesterday.. until we actually go and buy it anything could happen!

Next weekend is another bank holiday, so we are hoping to get a fair bit done in the kitchen, all being well.


The hallway is not being totally forgotten, Paul re-boarded the stairs where he'd had to remove the old boards to re tighten the stair treads.

Meanwhile on the doll front, I've wandered over to the side of the dolls house..


My manager ,at work , asked if they could have use of my dollhouse for a mortgage campaign we are having for the summer. In stead of the small 1950's Triang one , I offer up my Georgian unfinished  house.

So this now sits in the banking hall and because of that I've bought and added some wooden flooring , some people and decorating equipment. I'd meant to take some photos of this but forgot, so I'll get some in the week and share them next Sunday. However now I'm seeing it almost on a daily basis , it's fired me up to try and get it finished, so little bits are being purchased so that I can set a room or two while it's at work and also work on the front facade so it can be attached once it's home again.

I've also purchased a book or two on dollhouses plus a kit to make a lovely rug for the dolls house.

So between the house and the dolls house there's been no spare money for any doll /clothes purchases and also no doll play. There's been a lot of complaints from the Sasha studio, grumbling about being neglected and 'orphaned' ! So I'll be needing to go and have a talk with the kids to hopefully keep the peace until times allow play!

Hoping you all have a lovely healthy week ahead and a reminder that it will be the 1st of May on Thursday and therefore doll photo's will be required not long after.

Dee




11 comments:

  1. Def. agree with that lovely bust being in the porch area for all to see more clearly (although it did look quite dramatic on the stairwell window shelf.

    Much preferring this new darker blue kitchen look to that previous chosen blue. Personally I liked seeing that photo with some of the top cupboards painted in white too. (Certainly imo a white tiled splash back!)

    Love the idea of your Victorian Dolls house at the NatWest Bank to advertise mortgages. Very ME! (It's a pity that you aren't allowed to do a little work on the house there whilst in-between customers.)

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    1. Yes you can see her much better in the porch.

      Me too prefer the darker richer blue, the first photo with the pale cupboard up top does look good, we'll be seeing how it works and making decisions as we go.

      Alas we don't have much time between customers, at least not enough to start putting in stairs etc. But I could fill a room or two once I get the safety cover for the front.

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  2. Good idea switching paint. If you have to paint something on both sides, it's actually like 8-10 coats! Love the new color, and I've heard rave reviews for Farrow & Ball paint. I also love the new statuary, and where you ultimately decided to put her. That stairway ledge would like nice with a piece of decorative glassware. Very nice job fitting those boards under the stairs. That Paul is certainly a very handy guy to have around. Perhaps your bank can provide the Dollhouse with a home improvement loan - one that would be entirely forgiven if the owner maintains the property for a certain number of years!

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    1. Goodness I didn't even think about it being both sides to paint! even more of a reason to change the paint. We have used farrow and Ball before in our last house, so we know it's good.
      We're pleased with her new position and the idea about some nice glass is a good one as it would still allow the light to shine through.
      Paul is worth his weight in gold but don't tell him !
      A home improvement loan for the dolls house sounds good or maybe I could rent it out to them on a monthly basis..I'll have to run that past the manager.... :)

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  3. Valspar is pants, great value to use if you are about to move house but not in the long term. I have just finished painting both cellar doors in Farrow and Ball's new colour De Nimes (a denim blue with grey undertones) looks good and a joy to use but don't forget to get Farrow and Ball undercoat in the right tone as F&B top coat won't take with basic undercoat.
    Love the colour of the paint you have chosen!!

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    1. I do have to agree , it is pants. :) We did buy the F&B dark undercoat required, it's all arrived and Paul's already undercoats the drawer fronts and it so much better, lovely clean smooth look with just one coat.
      The De Nimes looks lovely, infact i got their new updated colour chart and there's a few I like the look of.:)

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  4. Love the dark blue kitchen idea, especially in the top photo, but really Dee, dolls' houses? They are like Sasha dolls, except that they take up more space. I began with one antique family heirloom and now seem to have enough for a small housing estate, all in store with my poor dolls. Great fun, though, so post pics from time to time!

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    1. Thanks J. So true, dolls houses and in fact miniatures are as addictive as dolls and now that dolls house is where I can see it on almost a daily basis. I'm wanting to get it home and find a space indoors where it can be filled with mini treasure and enjoyed on a daily basis.....
      a small housing estate sounds wonderful.. lol

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  5. I love that bust Dee, she is so darn gorgeous! Also love the thought of a blue kitchen, it looks stunning ... now I am inspired to do a kitchen diorama for my dolls ... like I really need something else to do ... thanks a lot! LOL!
    Big hugs,
    X

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    1. Thanks it was a good find in one of our favourite shops.l have to say I cannot wait to actually see my blue kitchen appear.
      And now I want to see you blue kitchen diorama once it’s done too! Now you know you like a new project 😉 x

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  6. That bust is really lovely Dee and you have found the perfect spot for her.
    The kitchen is coming along nicely and yes, that sounds like a job and a half with the other paint, this one looks much nicer and will save a lot of time and effort.
    What a great idea for the bank to use your dolls house! I'm glad you've been inspired to get going on it when you can :) Having started with dolls houses and then moved on to dolls, I'm still a big fan of these lovely miniature homes :)
    xxx

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