I just don't know where to start.
The Gatehouse is pretty much two buildings joined together:
Here's a picture of the shell as it is right now, fastened with an elastic band, in hopes it helps you understand my problems and where to start.
If I just do the build as it is, I just don't see how I get in there to decorate. So it seems sensible to decorate the walls and floors before building. If I decorate and then build I still have to manoeuvre all the household goods in place - but I suppose that might be doable?
But I still have a problem with that plan - I can't put floors down because I want to put in lights. I can't buy them and haven't made them and don't really know what I want where until I furnish. I also have to have the exit holes through the walls for the wires sorted before I build as drilling little holes might be an issue once it is three-dimensional. Theoretically I want all the wires to exit the wall on the left and run down the chimney between the two buildings. For example I have a kitchen on the ground floor with all kinds of grandiose ideas of lighting all over the place, none of which can be marked up until the furniture is in place.
I seem to be at some sort of impasse.
Right now, and increasingly as I am typing this, I am inclined to do the work in this order:
- crack on with making all the cottage furniture I have and standing it in place and marking up for lights
- make the lights (wish I could buy them)
- decorate walls
- thread lights in place
- add floors
- then assemble and glue cottage together
- add coving and skirting board and doors (should this be done before building?)
Can anyone see a better way or, even more importantly, can you see a fatal flaw in this idea?
I would decide what each floor/room will have in it. I typically don't have all the furnishings, but go for it you want to go that route. Once I know which direction a room/floor goes then I can plan my lighting. I can also think about the wallpaper. I typically print my own. I do wallpaper as I go. I also add the trim as well, but that is often easy to add later as well.
ReplyDeleteI have never completely furnished a floor before moving to the next one, but I have seen where other people do.
When it comes to lighting I use the small led's. I don't really buy much in that way. Now I make a false ceiling and have a small punched hole for the light to show through. If needed can add several in a room area.
Yes, lighting really should come as you build it. This allows for adding the false ceiling or at least drilling holes in the floor for the light to come out. some beads make really nice 'fixtures'. When I plan lighting I do just that draw a simple plan on paper. I decide which wires will come out to the left or right and think how I will cover them on the outside. Knowing which direction the wires go will help with whether lead wires have to be added to the regular wires.
Also think about where the switch or power supply will be. Using led's that is a battery and a switch. That needs to be part of the wiring plan.
As I said above, I don't usually furnish as I go. So that means tweezers for putting things in place. I turn the structure this way and that to get things in place. This means I don't usually attach to the base until I have to.
Be glad to chat more if you like - smallpackages@comcast.net is my preferred email.
Huge thanks. You seem to have it covered but I may email you when I am in process. I have really tiny LEDs from True2scale (chips?) and bits and bobs of findings on hopes of making lights and lamps that look real!!! If not I will take up your suggestion of little down-lighters here and there just so there is some light in there. Thanks again.
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