Sunday, April 11, 2010

Working on the Kitchen floor, plus rough carpentry

Here's how the floor is looking after the first few coats of glaze.


There are things I quite like about it, and things I am really, really not happy with.  The floor was scored a little too enthusiastically in places :)  leaving big lumps and gaps.  Some of the stones look great.  Some look just ... fake.  What I Have Learned From This:  just as I learned not to score floors at night (from the Great Hall experience :)  I have now learned not to score floors all the way down to the wood, and to try to keep things lump free from the beginning!


I think I'm going to have to try cleaning up some of the grout lines, perhaps with my rotary tool, and then replastering some bits.  Or I'll stage the room so that this part of the floor is totally covered with stuff :)


But I'm very happy with the little shelf I built for the hot plate alcove!  It's balsa wood, with a very weak wash of burnt umber and white.  I think it adds a lot of interest over the charcoal burner.


And here's my first attempt at a rustic Tudor sideboard, as seen in Hampton Court.  I'm going to cut it down -- make it both less deep and shorter, so it'll fit in my space, but I'm pleased with the overall effect.  Again, it just got a weak colour wash so it would keep its rustic good looks :) It's a really rough piece of basswood I got in a craft package, and works well for this application right out of the bag. At the moment it's balancing on top of the chimney breast!

6 comments:

  1. Well I think it looks great, I love the flooring (I like the rough look) and the charcoal burner is fab! I'm having one very similar in Hogwarts, just larger and perhaps a spit too. The little shelf you made is great too! :o) You work very fast!

    Michelle :o)

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  2. Your Kitchen is looking amazing, I can't wait to see it finished. I especially like your hot plate stove and sideboard so realistic.
    I'm creating a tudor kitchen in a room box and was hoping to do something similar with the floor (pollyfilla and then marking out the stones). If I'm not being too cheeky would you mind telling me how you got the wonderful effect on the stones. You mentioned glazes but as a complete beginner I really wouldn't know where to start. Any advice would be gratefully received. Many thanks, Emma

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  3. Thanks so much, Michelle and Emma! That's really encouraging :)

    I'll do a post on glazes, Emma - it's pretty simple and hard to mess up, which suits me perfectly. The key is to do it in lots and lots of layers, so it's not too opaque. I'll see what I can come up with in the way of a tutorial.

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  4. Thank you so much, I'd really appreciate a tutorial. If I can make it look as half as good as yours then I will be delighted.
    Thanks again, Emma

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  5. I love flooring it is so realistic! The shelf and the cupboard are so nicely painted - I think lately I am putting too much coats of the paint on everything and can't stop really ;) And you made me think I am overpainting it:) Thanks maybe I will stop painting now;)

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  6. :) @ OM ... honestly, I do it all the time with my art, too -- sometimes you just have to put down the paintbrush and STOP!

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