Monday 16 February 2015

The Terrace, Diagon Alley - distressing time, shiny happy wallpaper...not!


If you're wanting to see nice pristine wallpaper and the like, look away now...or better still, take yourself off and make a pot of tea and have a nice slice of cake with it instead! lol :oP   

Anyhow, here's an update on the terrace!  Well, I had an experiment with distressing the shiny wallpaper first and that was quite a challenge! I tried acrylic varnish, tea and sanding. Well only the sanding worked and even then it takes care and attention. Any photo's that appear to still have shiny wallpaper, it isn't, it's just where the light is hitting the back wall because the terrace is now tilted backwards. ;o) When sanding, one mustn't use a coarse grade of paper, use only the finest grade otherwise you will achieve the wrong look entirely. My photo's are still very much WIP and I will wait till I turn the project back the right way up before I do any of the other rooms.

Remember you are looking at a lot of flipped photo's because the terrace is still upside down so I can work on it, so many things are still defying the pull of gravity! ;o)) I've also included photo's with and without the flash so you can see the difference colour tones!  
I've been working on the interior doors, I'm not sure if they will all be this cream colour, or whether the other rooms will be either stained or just a darker paint. I forgot to take my camera into the cabin for 2 days, so I have fewer progress photo's! Grrr!

One door shown has just been primed/under-coated several times and then with 2 coats of top coat colour applied. The other after ageing etc. They were a bit time intensive and although they may need a few finishing touches I am mostly happy with them, I really wanted a dirty look. You can see the my Brews & Stews B and B will be a bit of a dive! lol 
The other side which is will be seen in the bedroom...not quite as dirty as you may have noticed! lol The separate architrave has had the same 'treatment'! lol 
 I did the other door slightly more dirty, the hallway door infact! lol
 Trying the door in situ. ;o))
This is my favourite bedroom, yes, all rotten and all! :o)
The wallpaper after some acrylic ageing wash. This is a slow job, never be overly keen to do too much at once and always remove the excess water with a cloth, otherwise you may find your wallpaper suffers a bit too much to look remotely realistic! lol     
I wanted to show some peeling wallpaper...all still very much WIP and I will continue once the terrace is turned the right way up so I can see where the light is throwing itself into the room etc.
I'm mostly okay with the results so far, but I am hoping to get it looking more authentic, the paper isn't the easiest to work with, ;o/
The larger of the two bedrooms, this room still needs a lot of tweaking! 
 This room for some reason works better for the ageing! That isn't shine on the back wall just where the light is hitting...I can't angle the camera to miss it!
The skirting board still needs to be added to all the attic rooms. 
 The false door on the false wall in the bathroom, before ageing... 
 The false door, after ageing....this door is really dirty! lol
I have also started on the bathroom itself! Yay!!! I'm having tongue and groove in here, so I didn't use a whole sheet of wallpaper on the wall. ;o)) 
The wallpaper so far, I won't do the other wall until the false wall is glued in situ, as I want to try and have one strip of wallpaper so no more joins to hide.
 Cutting the tongue and groove. I started off with the back wall.
 Again I won't cut the remainder until the false wall and door are glue in situ. ;o))  
 I wanted to add texture and roughness to my tongue and groove, to give the appearance of many layers of ageing paint underneath the green!   
The distressing has began....whilst I painted it on the first coat (not sure if will have another coat)! lol  
The bathroom rafters have been cut and primed. I will paint them the same colour as the ceiling paper. All the ceilings need a lot more ageing and dirt added!
 The top landing that will hardly be seen...but as you can never be sure what can be seen, I still wanted some decoration etc.
How the false door will look in the bathroom. The bath will probably go on the back wall. ;o))
The other lower rooms (not the ground floor) have all had their papers distressed (sanded only at this point)...they may have some more sanding done to them. It was very messy and dusty work and wearing a mask is  highly advised!
It's getting there.... ;o)) Still the cornicing, skirting boards to name a few things to be added yet. 

I hope you don’t mind my ramblings and madness! :o))

Michelle xxxx

20 comments:

  1. I just LOVE reading your blog and seeing how you work :-)

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    1. Awww thank you ;o) The method of madness Nicola is the only method I know! lol I'm glad you enjoy it! :o))

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  2. Michelle, I am just loving how you are working on this..... the ageing is brilliant. I have used the finest sandpaper to age wallpaper just this week, and it does work, it takes the shine off and just about dirties ?? the paper. I am dying to see the bathroom when it's been given the 'Michelle' treatment!! :) Love it all..
    All the best
    Vivian

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    1. Thank you as always Vivian! ;o)) I kinda knew the sandpaper would be the best solution because I'd used it on a wallpaper in Mr Mulpepper's, although all paper's react differently!

      Yes, the super fine sandpaper is the best to use, it barely takes the surface off and with a little water and sanding will further age the paper. However, please be careful about the 'dirties' left after sanding, this is actually ultra fine dust from the paper and I don't advise you keep it there. ;o)

      The bathroom is having the 'Michelle' treatment as we speak! lol

      Wishing you well and a good week!! :o))

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  3. Looking fantastic Michelle. I really like the effect of sanding the wallpaper and then dirtying it up. It's worked well.

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    1. Thank you Shannon! ;o)) Oh I tried all the effects, but I am feeling more content with the sandpaper method the more I do! It's a thing that needs to be done gradually because if you do too much ageing in one hit you can annihilate the paper! lol

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  4. Un trabajo fantástico de envejecimiento,me gusta mucho el resultado,tanto en las paredes como en la madera!!!!
    Besos.

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    1. Aww thank you! I'm more happy with the wood bits so far....but the ageing of the wallpaper, well the method is getting further refinement! ;o))

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  5. Hello Michelle,
    Terrific work. I am always amazed by how good proper ageing makes a room look. It really is fantastic and adds so many depths of character and history to your room. I love it.
    Big hug,
    Giac

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    1. Hello Giac! Awww thank you so much for such kind words. ;o)) I fly by the seat of my pants most of the time and just wing it and just hope for the best! lol

      I've since added more 'interior' dirt to the ceilings and walls, and I think it look better...dirt that's been there a while. ;o))

      Big hugs back Giac! ;o))

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  6. You are really building up a great atmosphere Michelle. Very reminiscent of a bed and breakfast I had the misfortune to stay in near Chichester a couple of years ago!! I bet you have a very long job list!!

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    1. Thank you so much Janice, but you have my sincere commiserations for staying in such a horrid real life B&B! Ghastly experience I bet....I would have left skid marks I would have left that quick! lol ;o)

      Oh yes the job list....a bit like the supplies and miniature's buying list, always long and never ending! lol

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  7. Your techniques for aging are really good Michelle, and all the wallpapers tone perfectly together. I love the pictures where you see the whole building, it gives such a good perspective.
    Have a great week
    Si

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    1. Thank you so much Simon, that means a lot after seeing some of your aged exterior work. ;o))

      The wallpaper's were carefully picked out, I bought more than I needed. I had a very specific look in my mind's eye how I wanted my B&B to look and I tried to balance out the colours too.

      Have a great week too! ;o))

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  8. What an impressive job of aging and decay! :)) I love this kind of presentation. I think that it gives the spaces history and a sense of belonging to someone. Every nick and nail-hole has a great story to tell and your mini- dwelling, is really saying a Lot! :D

    elizabeth

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    1. Thank you Elizabeth! ;o))) The B&B is a dive of a place and not somewhere I'd want to spend time in myself! lol ;oP

      Like most things in the Harry Potter world rooms are full of age and decay and I wanted to show the age etc. I'm glad in the early stages of my ageing of this project it already has and shows character (so others can see) and that really is what I was looking for. ;o)))

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  9. Oh this is looking brilliant! I love a bit of grime in miniatures! :P

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    1. Thank you Christine! Very, very time consuming that grime application! lol It's had more since...and I hope to turn it back the right way up soon, so I can work on the other room. ;o))

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  10. I love how you are aging this! Looks good.

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    1. Thank you Sam!! Sooooo slow going though...alas it must be done! lol ;o))

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