The Victorian Gothic - AKA Hogwarts

Before I start I am mighty tardy with replying to comments, emails , text's and messages....normal communicative service will resume as soon as possible! ;o)

I was extremely fortunate to be able to purchase a rather special doll's house for my collection. It was built as an OOAK commissioned piece (I imagine copied off a real building) some 20 years ago and made by a John Strulger (unsure of the spelling, I think it's incorrect, if anyone out there knows the maker, please say!!! ;o)) ) of Battlesbridge in Essex. Sadly the maker died many years ago and this was his last piece. 

I personally think it's a magnificent and majestic piece. I have never ever seen a doll's house that opens on all 4 sides. It's 2 and a half feet by just over 2 and half feet so not enormous, but it's high! It isn't electrified and I can see why that would be a challenge..so  I may have to opt for hidden LED's, or wall LED's (not as unattractive as the hanging ones). However, I may also opt for artisan made ones for aesthetic reasons...but not have them working.   

It does need some restoration, the interior isn't all inkeeping with the era, so I will endeavour to correct that. I love anything Gothic original or anything from the Victorian revival and I've had a long and enduring love and admiration of Augustus Pugin's work, and anyone who has seen the interior of the Palace of Westminster or Eastnor Castle will know why.    

I knew I wanted a Gothic project for Hogwarts...so this house will be a version of it. Not a like for like because I want to keep true to the era and architecture where I can, I don't want to spoil this house in anyway. ;o)  

This is one of the rooms, it will be Professor Umbridge's office! The Georgian look is not wanted...so it has been removed already. ;o)

This side door leads to a void (see below), I could have some interest going on in the doorway seeing she likes to punish students a tad too severely!

Here it is stripped back. I am hoping to replace the Georgian cornicing with Sue Cook's Gothic cornicing and other plaster embellishments. I'm not sure it will be possible in all the rooms...but it's something I'd like to do. ;o)   The ceiling's wallpaper detailing will be removed in due course too! 

This is where the door leads into....it has a mini roof too. 

I'm awaiting delivery of the missing floor with balustrade and half staircase, unfortunately it got left behind at the owners (unsure why it was removed). The patterned wallpapered room will be the Gryffindor's common room. I like the wallpaper, but I want to hang a tapestry of two so I will opt for something else.   ;o) The downstairs room will be Dumbledore's office.  

 It's a nice size room, I sound like an Estate Agent! lol ;o) 

 I hope to add a Gothic fireplace in here, again a Sue Cook one.

 The door on the left leads into a small hallway...

 The Arts and Crafts sun window (all real leaded light and real glass).

 The small hallway...

Inside...I plan on having trunks and maybe the odd owl! lol 

Wonderful lights on the right. The original owner had a love of white and blue bluetak....mini's worst enemy, I still spy tiny bits, so I will go around and check again!

 This door leads into Dumbledore's office.

 Each of the windows has very detailed window cills. 

All the sides were removed upon moving to my home etc, so I've taken photo's of without and with. 

 One of the 3 upstairs rooms.

 A false archway, so I may put a bed in that bit (the headboard end!). 

 The other bedroom..I will see if I can put that light at the same height! lol

 Very interesting views! ;o)

  I'm doubtful I will change a thing in these rooms as they are as they should be. 

 I love the view looking through...

With a few pieces of furniture added. ;o)

 Again, no sides attached...yet!

The main gallery. It has paper for the brickwork and some is torn or has bluetak grease marks. Unsure at present what the solution will be. Either to make the best of it, or replace it with something better and more realistic.

 I will hang portraits of the deceased wizards and witch's on the walls! All Arts and Craft's doors, they all at one point had knobs etc., no idea why they have all been removed, including the exterior ones.

 

Windows looking into a bedroom...well I think it will be a bedroom! lol I will have a small bathroom I think in another room upstairs!

 The walkway below which is open ended. I will make steps and it will lead into the forecourt.

My Sid Cooke Gothic greenhouse. It will have a rough and aged forecourt here with a large centre fountain...all aged etc of course! lol 

I prefer it situated this way, however impossible to view the side facing the window, so this side (that  you see face on) will face the cabin window.    

The roof is an embossed tiled sheeting (unsure why the maker opted for this?). I'm not sure these will stay longterm. From a distance they look perfect and look right for the house. I may opt for read slate tiles or something else but actual tiles rather than this. It's real lead flashing on the roof too and so that needs to be taken into consideration if I opt for real tiles as I'll have to put that back.

 I love the interesting roof lines.

 I do have the missing railing piece, though some needs replacing as it's broken.

 I love the big bay windows and will be wonderful to dress!

 Real lead guttering.

Lots of detailing...I've been doing a lot of looking! lol 

 This is how it's displayed now....

The gallery is the first thing you see as you enter the cabin.

With the flash on...you can see the colour difference! It is like the photo without the flash on. 

  One of the opening panels. 

A Sue Cook Gothic fireplace. It will actually go into Professor Umbirdge's office (I bought it for that). It needs a hearth and grate etc. 

Trying some of my pieces that I've collected over the years! I've only added a small portion of my collection so far, just to get a feel of space etc. 

My OOAK fairy study table is by Ericka VanHorn. The table and many of the contents were made by various talented artisans a long with Ericka's fabulous work too! ;o)

 Professor Umbridge's office.

The velvet chair is by Jain Squires. It is actually for my Nanny McPhee house, but maybe Umbridge can borrow it for a while till I get the one I want for her room. ;o)  

The vase of double tulips is by Catherine Davies.

 Trying one of the beds!

 This will be the Great Hall...which leads into the fairy study room and Dunbledore's office.

 Side archway leads into the fairy study room.

The truly fabulous trunk is  made by Tony Hughes of Miniature Treasures. ;o) 

  The floor needs a dust...you can't see it, I know it's there! lol 

One of my all time favourite pieces,Dumbledore's desk. part of a commission by Tony (I've not got all the wonderful pieces out  yet!). The chair (along with most of the other Tudor pieces you see) are made by Mike Mortimer. ;o) 

The potion's room...I have lots of stuff for all the rooms, this is just a little on show here.

The knoll sofa etc (the ties need tidying up!)I bought ages ago for another project, I think I'll have this in Gryffindor's common room despite being more opulent! 

The table that came with the house.....it's a shame I can't use it for its proper purpose, but it matches the cabin and our garden furniture perfectly!

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

Michelle xxxx

Mr Mulpepper's Apothecary, and dentist - update

I've been quiet, but I've been busy! ;o) I've been working on 3 project's simultaneously and Mr Mulpepper's is one of them! 

I've decorated the inside, I've had the wallpaper's a while and the top rooms are tiny!  I decided that I didn't want a complete continuation  of a theme upstairs in all my Harry Potter projects, namely my Diagon Alley shops, so for a while I was trawling all through the type of businesses that could be upstairs. I decided upon a Dentist, called Rinz & Spit and the Dentist is Professor Fetor Oris (thank you Mags and Jayne!). The other room will be a combination of a waiting room come storage area. I really is in its raw stages of planning, so lots will change from what you see here today. 

As always the building got turned upside down so I could work on the ceilings and lighting.  I also completed the wallpapering too!

 The nice clean and erm shiny paper wasn't there for long.... lol lol 

 Ta da! Nasty and horrid...what a rotten hole one might say! lol

These rooms are still work in  progress and the light shades need dirtying up and dust added... and I'm not sure how to do the latter yet and to make it look realistic. I've seen artisan's pull that look off with aplomb....I have lots to learn! 

The tongue and groove for the dentist's office. I did an undercoat of grey and top coat of a horrid brown!  Again photo's show work in progress. 

This building is 1/12th scale,  but the doorways are smaller than normal. Rather than attempt to make my own, I decided on false doors. This one isn't fixed in yet and it needs its door furnishings etc.  

The hallway. I didn't redecorate this because it was impossible to remove the staircase without breaking it, so ageing and distressing was a work around...it's okay but not how I would have done it working from a clean slate again. 

The opening front panel needs all the window glazing and frames adding as well as door architrave and furnishings. The shop window shelves aren't fixed in yet either, on the real shop the slop towards the front and mine may do too.

Still work in progress as I want to try and blend so all the tongue and groove panels look like one piece...most will be covered up thank goodness, as my floor at the back was a tad uneven where it used to allow light wires through. 

 Trying the false doors for size...

 Still  lots to do.... 

There's a space here between the dentist's unit and filing cabinet....unsure what to fill it with....stacks of files and books...who knows! 

All the furniture  throughout will be distressed and that filing cabinet will not be shiny etc and maybe not mahogany either!!!

It's only a practice run, no serious dressing etc yet! I still need to buy loads and commission's being completed as I write.

Not sure if the lamp will stay red...it may change to grey or black. It has the shortest wire I've ever seen on a light! I also pull down the wire and attach it to the back of the desk with masking tape. 

 I'm going to paint the oxygen tank black with a white top (if I can!) I still need to fit the main light which is attached to a fan....unsure if I'm going with that idea...

The waiting room come storage room for the apothecary....,the chairs need some work done to them and I may take the back off that wall unit, or I may not have it all! This room has been the hardest to envisage! It needs clutter!

The shop part...there will be two back wall units, one I have taken apart already to change and distress. Again, lots will change in here...or it may not. Unsure of the final layout yet. 

I have two counters like this, but I will only have one in here. This is a vintage piece made in 2001 made by The Miniature Display Company.  

The side wall unit is German made and I have a long counter too (for another shop), again both vintage pieces. 

Playing with layouts....I think it will be more rustic than this kind of look...it all seems too Muggle like! lol It needs to be cluttered and stuffed! lol

I also added the lead roof to Slug & Jigger's bowed window! At long last! lol All my bays and bowed windows will have a lead roof. It took a while to work out a neat and tidy way to do it, I found it wasted a bit of precious lead, but I can use this around chimney stacks etc.

 It just needs a bit more dirtying and damp added!

I have a few comments to reply to on previous posts, it will get done I promise! ;o)

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

Michelle xxxx

Jelli and Finn and time to finish what I started!

 Meet Jelli and Finn! Jelli being the creepy nanny...! 

Jelli and Finn have spent a very long time on the back burner..since around 2010-11!!! They were made by amazingly talented Jain Squires of The Giddy Kipper. ;o) They were always destined to be lurkers of Knockturn Alley and are extremely creepy! Jelli has one eye larger than the other and has one almighty hooked nose not to mention a rather large protruding chin! lol 

 Finn is the creepy toddler with his toy zebra!  

 He has the most amazing pointed boots and stripy stockings! lol The parasol is a big favourite of mine!!

 Jelli has wonderful buttoned up boots with her very witchy stripy stockings!

  They make a great pair as they go shopping down Knockturn Alley! ;o) 

I am so delightfully thrilled with them both, Jain has surpassed herself yet again. As creepy as they are they are so wanted and much loved and admired! 

Finn's wonderful pram was made by Colin and Yvonne Roberson, not the first pram I own by them, my second one and it won't be the last! It was based on the real pram used by Prince Charles and they duly sent a photo of the real one with him in it. ;o) 

I have decided it was time to go back and finish what I started....and so I am having a break from the terrace to resume work on my other almost or nearly completed projects.

Today I started to age the lights for Mr Mulpepper's apothecary. 

I'm pleased with how they have turned out...it's a bit of a mouldy hole so these will blend right in! 

The three projects being completed and revamped and dressed! After these I think I will go back and finish Mrs Puddifoot's tea shop and Flourish & Blotts! ;o)

Slug & Jiggers has had some repairs work done to the plaster...it just needs to be painted and aged. It needs a few little jobs doing and its shop light fitted!  

Mr Mulpepper's is upside down because I'm decorating the ceiling and will be fitting lights!!! ;o)) 

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

Michelle xxxx