Work in Progress--The Rhemuth Castle Dollhouse Project

[Evie]

This is somewhat related to my Mini-Deryni Action Figure Project, but since that thread is already so long, I figured this side-topic could have a separate thread.

I have recently turned my son's former bedroom into a guest room / craft and hobby room, and during that process I also moved my old entertainment center into that room.  This piece of furniture is one of those deep cabinets meant to hold an older style of television set along with VCRs, videotapes, etc.  In short, the sort of special-made cabinetry that is now obsolete in this day of flatscreen TVs and DVD players that play discs that won't fit in sliding racks specifically designed to hold VHS tapes.



So after replacing our entertainment center with a row of bookcases in the family room, I decided to repurpose this obsolete piece of furniture into a 1:6 scale doll castle. I am thinking of turning the central space (formerly used to hold the old, non-flatscreen TV set) into a castle Great Hall, and the three large cubicles on the left side into other rooms. The closed cabinets and shallow shelves will provide storage space for various doll props and craft supplies.  I will need to create some sort of wall covering in the open space behind the cabinet to hide the very non-medieval wallpaper.  All in good time.



This is one possible means of concealing the wallpaper behind the Great Hall.  I could use the textured wallpaper to cover the wall above the chair rail and hang a tapestry or curtains below the chair rail to turn it into an architectural feature in the room.



This woven tapestry trim will work well for a narrow tapestry wall hanging in one of the smaller rooms.  The pattern repeats every foot, so one repeat should be the perfect size to suspend from one of my 1' long dowels, leaving some extra trim to create matching accessories such as bench cushions.



These chairs are on the small size for 1:6 but will do fine for my Barbie or smaller 1:6 dolls. The table was a gift from KK, so this seems a fitting use for it.  This room could eventually become Meraude's solar.



The finished wall hanging is a surprisingly good match with the stained glass colors in the table top, which was sheer coincidence considering I wasn't even thinking about this table when I bought the trim.  I will eventually need to paint or cover the dark wood walls to make this solar brighter and more room-like, but first let's get some idea of where the furnishings will need to go.



Above, I've got a bedchamber in progress, and below the solar is getting more fleshed out with the additions of a floor cloth and some wooden benches.



The solar is beginning to come together now.  I added a platter of grapes, bread, and cheese to the table, along with some wine glasses. There is a table runner on one bench, although I will probably replace that, since I have enough leftover trim from the wall hanging to make a horse bench cushion and a stag bench cushion to echo the tapestry theme.  The floor cloth helps make the space start to look more like a room rather than just a furnished cubicle.



I spray painted this formerly pink and white Gloria bed a few years ago.  The pink curtains and bedspread are not here to stay, but I wanted to get an idea of what size the replacement canopy will need to be. I want to replace the sheer pink curtains with dark green velvet to coordinate with the canopy trim. The trim around the top of the canopy is just long enough to create a snug fit around the top of the bedposts with a small 1" overlap.  I bought the trim because I loved the acanthus leaf motif, and it was pure happenstance that the merchant I bought it from only had that design in a color set that matched a place mat floor covering I already had almost perfectly.  Eventually, I plan to repaint the small wooden chest with a medieval design.  The Savonarola chair was an old salesman's sample that I found on eBay several years ago, with a replacement back made from polymer clay because the original wooden chair back was missing.  In the background is a harp shaped, nylon stringed Christmas ornament that I figured would work for a small lap harp.



I had forgotten that I had this "gold" set of accessories.  I think they came with a doll that KK gave me to use with the Mini-Deryni Action Figure Project.

I still have not decided what to do with the third room (below the solar).  I could turn it into a miniature chapel, or perhaps the Royal Library.  Or maybe it could be a medieval kitchen.  I'll need to check the props I've got on hand to see what option would make the most sense.  Does anyone out there have a preference?

[Jerusha]

What lovely beginnings and so much potential!

I think my preference would be for the Royal Library or a chapel, someplace where Bishop Duncan might hang out while visiting the castle.  That's not to say he and the Duke of Corwyn would not raid the kitchen on occasion.   

What are the two creatures guarding Kelson and Araxie in the first picture?

[Evie]

I think Kelson was practicing summoning spells, since I'm pretty sure dragons aren't indigenous to Gwynedd.

[DesertRose]

I think Kelson was practicing summoning spells, since I'm pretty sure dragons aren't indigenous to Gwynedd.

That, or he was polishing his illusion-casting skills. 

[Evie]

I think Kelson was practicing summoning spells, since I'm pretty sure dragons aren't indigenous to Gwynedd.

That, or he was polishing his illusion-casting skills. 

He must be pretty skilled, then, because I definitely see two dragons. 

[DesertRose]

I think Kelson was practicing summoning spells, since I'm pretty sure dragons aren't indigenous to Gwynedd.

That, or he was polishing his illusion-casting skills. 

He must be pretty skilled, then, because I definitely see two dragons. 

Maybe he and his lovely bride were practicing together.   

[Elkhound]

I think Kelson was practicing summoning spells, since I'm pretty sure dragons aren't indigenous to Gwynedd.

That, or he was polishing his illusion-casting skills. 

He must be pretty skilled, then, because I definitely see two dragons. 

Maybe he and his lovely bride were practicing together.   

Perhaps they got into an "anything you can do I can do better" (Cue "Kiss Me Kate") situation.

[DesertRose]

I think Kelson was practicing summoning spells, since I'm pretty sure dragons aren't indigenous to Gwynedd.

That, or he was polishing his illusion-casting skills. 

He must be pretty skilled, then, because I definitely see two dragons. 

Maybe he and his lovely bride were practicing together.   

Perhaps they got into an "anything you can do I can do better" (Cue "Kiss Me Kate") situation.

Why can I see a not-very-serious argument between Kelson and Araxie ending in a contest of "Who can produce an illusion of a cooler-looking dragon?"

Richenda and Alaric might pull a stunt like that too, come to think.  I thought for a moment that they might not, being older than Their Majesties, and then I thought of myself, as goofy (or more so) at age forty as at twenty, and said, "Nah.  They'd totally settle an argument by casting illusions, if the circumstances were right."

[Evie]

I have added quite a few more photos to my Flickr album here:  https://flic.kr/s/aHskwon83b.  Here are a few highlights:

Ladies present by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Sick room by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Royal stables by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

And because no dio is complete without feline snoopervision:

Spellwork gone awry by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

[DesertRose]

Looks like that illusion-casting got out of hand!

Kelson:  "Oh no!  I meant to cast an illusion of a dragon.  How in the world did a giant cat end up there?!"

[Laurna]

Looks like that illusion-casting got out of hand!

Kelson:  "Oh no!  I meant to cast an illusion of a dragon.  How in the world did a giant cat end up there?!"

Love love the spell casted giant cat. Looks like the littles are enjoying their new home.

[Jerusha]

Araxie looks at Kelson in mild alarm.  "Kelson, what is that rumbling?   Is it an earthquake?"

"No Dearest," Kelson replies, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders.  "It's just our giant, conjured cat purring."

[DesertRose]

Araxie looks at Kelson in mild alarm.  "Kelson, what is that rumbling?   Is it an earthquake?"

"No Dearest," Kelson replies, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders.  "It's just our giant, conjured cat purring."

Now I want a recording of a mountain lion purring to add to this!  (Fun fact: Mountain lions are the largest felines that purr.)

[revanne]

Love the pics! My preference would be for a chapel - but then I would say that wouldn't I

[Shiral]

I have added quite a few more photos to my Flickr album here:  https://flic.kr/s/aHskwon83b.  Here are a few highlights:

Ladies present by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Sick room by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

Royal stables by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

And because no dio is complete without feline snoopervision:

Spellwork gone awry by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

"Even a cat can look at a king." (Especially when the cat is BIGGER than the King.) 😏