à table!


For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you might remember the tiny little Dining Closet that I originally created for Daviot House.  Charming, yes, practical... not so much.

The problem is that a dining room has such great potential in a Dolls House, from furniture to tiny accessories.  A bit like the kitchen.  

And a long time ago I purchased a lovely sideboard made by Ken Kirkbright.  It was lovely, but it didn't fit into the Dining Closet.

So a proper Dining Room was required!  Whenever I am back in Scotland, I take the opportunity to visit some lovely old houses for inspiration.  My favourite dining room was in Provost Skene's House in Aberdeen (currently closed for renovation), and I used this room as a departure point for Daviot House.  




I liked the dark panelling, but didn't want it all around the walls, as this tends to make a miniature room with low ceilings incredibly dark.  It looks great on large models with high ceilings, but Daviot House has very low ceilings (which are authentic for Scottish vernacular 17th century houses, but difficult for this miniaturist!)

  The solution was to make only one wall, the fireplace wall, panelled, leaving the others white-washed.  I even managed to add two columns either side, which adds an element of gravitas.




The fireplace was made by Malcolm Hall - I have three of his fireplaces to date, and they are just wonderful - not too heavy, or over ornamented.  For a medium-sized house this is very important, and I like the austere, simple grey against the wood panelling.

                  


I made the chandelier with a red tassel - one of the features I liked about the Provost Skene dining room was the lovely chandelier hung from the ceiling with red silk.  I mimicked this by making a red silk sleeve to go over the bulb wires, which is a useful way of hiding them!

The original chandelier was very big, so I scaled mine down to suit the room - a three arm is more than enough.

           

There are so many stars of the show in this room, but I am especially pleased with the dining table and chairs.  They are by Masters Miniatures and are just the right size for this small room.  I am considering reupholstering them, as I am not sure about the blue colour...something deep red might look better.



I painted the dinner service myself.  It is very difficult to come by a good dinner set without breaking the bank.  Stokesay Ware has become ridiculously expensive, as they have limited their production immensley.  I couldn't manage that, but I did buy a good quality, plain white set and used porcelain painted with an Imari pattern.





The glassware is by Glasscraft - including this lovely fruit bowl, filled with the best fruits I have ever seen in miniature.  Sadly the maker disappeared from Etsy, but I am so glad I have this arrangement.  I'm just looking out for a well-made pineapple to complete it.


(We are going to ignore the death trap doorway at the back for the moment... I haven't finished the stair tower yet!)


And here is the sideboard that started everything off!  The room next to the dining room has now been transformed from Dining Closet to Music Room, but more of that to come...


                                                 Jonquil





Comments

  1. What a great dining room, with a lot of treasures. You did a wonderful job with the plates. I agree with you that another colour for the chairs would be a good idea. I always admire your work.
    Geneviève

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    Replies
    1. Coucou Geneviève! Thank you for your input on the chairs, I think they are just too blue for the room...but I really don't want more upholstery to do! I hope you are keeping well during these strange times..

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  2. Una preciosa habitación con maravillosos detalles.
    Un saludo

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  3. Very impressive, Jonquil. The room looks very stately and you have some lovely choice pieces. I'm especially impressed with your china. That can be tricky in miniature - either high end or chunky! I've been pretty lax of late responding to blog posts and that has got to change! I hope you and your family are keeping well.

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  4. So lovely! Elegant and impressive without being too ornate.

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  5. Wow! What an Amazing up-grade this Dining Room is! I Loved the little one... the Dining Closet... it had charm and felt like a perfect "Breakfast Room"... but this Dining Room is truly Stately! And all because of a special piece of furniture! LOL! The porcelain dishes you painted are Amazing and beautiful. There are so many details in this room... like the iron "fire-back" in the hearth that really make a statement. I will need to "explore" some more! Stay well, and keep making minis! :):)

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  6. Your hand painted china has Always Impressed me but what incredible talents you have in making a matched set of plates then setting a Gorgeous Table with them! I love the glassware you've paired the plates with as well as the silver charger and the cutlery- Perfect!
    And I remember the artist of your Fabulous fruit plate as I went crazy for her peeled mandarins, which you featured on your blog some Christmases ago- Her work IS Superb!
    But I would like to find out more about how you constructed your chandelier! I know it must have been a lot of fiddly bead work when constructing but I would LOVE a STEP BY STEP Tutorial if you ever decide to make another one Jonquil
    - HINT HINT! 😉

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  7. A lovely elegant dining room all ready to impress any guest. As for hand painting your dinner service you deserve a gold medal. Such patience. I have drooled over Stokesy since I began this game but don't own a single piece. So hard to find good looking dishes.

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