# 43, THE PARLOR (unfolds)

The Parlor

at 

#43 Green Dolphin St.

Okay, I guess you are thinking that this is finished.
No, everything is still in a state of flux.  I spent all day yesterday and all of last night, trying to decide on what to do about the walls.  I had originally opted for red wallpaper and had it all ready to install and found to my dismay that by using that particular color,  the room was becoming way to contemporary and all the cottage charm was sacrificed for something that was beginning to look like a designer show house and so out it went.

NOW WHAT DO I DO?

I must have tried out 10 different prints all taken from scrapbooking tablets.  I have 4 books of papers that have some usable prints but I confess that much of it is wasted as the prints are far to wild and big for what I want to do.
But out of the various tablets there was enough variety to keep my mind in a whirl!
What about this one, or this one ?  Each pattern had its plusses and its minuses.  What I wanted was something that would read "Victorian", something that would allow the contents to be easily viewed, as well I needed something to go with the printies of the carpets that I still have yet to transfer onto fabric.  Just when I thought I had found a suitable wallpaper, I would load it into the room and my face would fall and I would become disgruntled all over again.  I was a frustrated artist and my muse was NOT COOPERATING with me.
The rooms were pretty but.....

I want pretty but I also want some "history" and so I ended up with this creamy beige wall paper that has a repeating squarish print in it.  It is a tone on tone and keeps the walls light enough but also warms it up visually. There is a pattern but it is subdued and very discreet when viewed at a distance.
 I think that you can see how cosy this tiny room has become with it propped against the walls.
I also painted the frosted glass wall sconces with Amber glass paint by Gallery Glass and then while it was still damp I went over it with a Black glass paint by DecoArt which I picked up at the $1 store and although it was black it was so thin an watery- looking that it gave the globes a thin greyish wash that gave the shades a more antique-look, not so
 "See what I bought at the home improvement store" look. 
***
 This lady hunted high and low at every flea market that she could find to secure these lamps and now they look as though they have always been there.

You can see them clearer in this photo.  The wires are hanging down the wall or sticking out
 'higgley -piggley' in some of the photos because they have to wait a wee bit longer for me to drill the holes through the walls an draw the wires through to the outside.  I didn't want to do any of that until I finalized the choice of wall paper...... and so it goes.
***
You can see that Nate the Great Dane has commandeered the lady's slippers!
She better return Quickly!  These are her favorite pair!

Nate seems to be preoccupied by "Tai" the cat,  named after another character from the novel.
Tai is perched on the arm chair that I have stuffed temporarily with the fabric that I THINK that I shall be using to cover it.  I chose it because it is dark and I needed dark to off-set the really dark chest of drawers next to it.  I may have to do something with the hardware on that chest because I think it reads heavy but that will have to wait a while longer.  I wanted a pattern for the chair and this works also because of the lighter tan in it that continues the color that is in the walls.  I moved Janines, orange roses to the tea table which I raised up onto some ball feet which will need to be painted. I did this because the kitchen will not be able to have a table and chairs in it at all.  The staircase will be preventing it and so this wee little table will serve as a eating space and also hold the typewriter  for when inspiration hits.

Here you can see the progress of the Parlor in relation to the kitchen space next to it. The doorway is covered over with wallpaper but you can see the edge of it.  The staircase that used to run up the middle of the house is going to be re-located to the left outside wall and make a two step return right under the kitchen window.  I have never tried this before so it should be interesting.  I will probably mess it up as it involves math, but I shall press on anyway.  If I just allowed the straight run it would not give me enough room at the top of the step to the second floor landing.  As it is, I will be using the ugly stringers from the kit but I shall refinish them and MAKE them useable and pretty.
That's my job!
haha

Tai the cat 

Tai is actually looking at the cage of  lovebirds  that are on top of the sewing table directly opposite and in his line of vision.  What was that lady thinking!?  She better get back soon or those two little birds are in danger of becoming "chicken dinner".  Maybe that is why Nate is not moving on the slippers.  He is guarding the lovebirds.
***
next up
FIRE!

I purchased a lucky find at Wal-Mart this past Christmas season.  This is from a package of battery operated grain of rice LED lights that are on ULTRA FINE wire on a straight 6 ft run!  The package cost $8 and puts out a lot of light.  I made them red with glass paint and then darkened them more with orange fabric paint in red and orange and then let it dry and bunched it up and placed it into a cut down empty CASE PACKAGING of ORANGE FLAVORED TIC TAC.  I saw this used on a tutorial blog site and as soon as I get the name I shall post it for all to see because I thought it was clever and it makes a wonderful fire!

p.s.
(I found the name of the blog and it is posted in the comments below as a reply printed in CAPITAL LETTERS)

When the lights were painted I took half of the Tic Tac case cut in half  to fit the firebox and stuffed the lights into it.  Because the case is orange, it intensifies the color of the painted lights.
 Results in a
 ROARING FIRE!

Keep Warm Marisa of Steinworks! 

***
Silver Serving Trays

Here was another "Find" for $2.99 from the thrift store
A 'silver' locket that i bought to make into 2 silver trays for the Parlor.

The Before and the..

AFTER
***
ROOM WITH A VIEW!

This was a fun shot with a view of sailing ships in the distance.  I like to have a backdrop when I am composing a project because it keeps me focused on the feeling that I am trying to evoke and not get so distracted.  It works for me.
You can see the little silver tray on the tea table and Janine's roses and Fat's umbrella on the hat rack which I decided to move from the corner so it is more in the entry.  The doorway will make it more accessible when I cut the wall to allow more traffic flow from the Parlor to the kitchen.

After much hesitancy about the size of this picture I think I have decided to keep it after all and when the wall paper is installed I shall HANG it on the wall rather than have it leaning against the wall is it is now doing.   I have made some minor changes to the top of the dresser and it will probably be revised again before I am done.
 Playing with doll's houses is
 WORK!
but
still fun
 even when it is frustrating

What can I say about the curtains, except that for the first make-over of the parlor they were not wanted.  Once I got the wall paper up I had a change of heart and so the lengths of tea stained toile that are temporarily bunched on either side of the window will be informal curtains with a soft swag valance above.  I will keep as much of the window available to allow maximum light and I shall hang the swag as high as I can to visually elongate the window.  You can see what I mean in the picture below

An overview of the PARLOR with the temporary curtain panels propped against the wall and the lace swag valance high on the wall to make the window look bigger than it is.

HEY?
Tai the cat must have fled through the open front door!
It seems that Nate is pretty good as a guard dog.

GOOD BOY!
*********

elizabeth