Friday, January 11, 2019

King size bookcase

In Ramsay House one of the rooms is a hommage to Sir John Soane ( I am repeating myself here ) and I wanted one wall to be about shelves and include a hidden door. It sounded easier to do before I began but as with miniatures this is a huge learning curve. The room will measure 32 cms wide x 45 cms deep and 30 cms high so the bookcase had to be big and of course higher than the hidden door within. This room has an egyptian sort of theme as Soane was a great collector so I bought some brass finding of different sorts to include in the finished bookcase. I began as usual with a scale drawing, here in foam board. 
 Here I have blocked up the gluing process using the drawing as a guide. My blocks are just childrens building blocks found in a Junk shop.
 At this point I realised that I had to put on a backing to keep it square as I added the shelves and detail so out went the foam board and in came some Canson board. This bookcase will be integral to the wall of the room so the board will be glued to the back wall where a second doorway will be cut to match this one. This allows me to totally finish the bookcase, paint and trim and then insert the finished piece into the house. I am doing this also for the stairs, fireplaces and doors and eventually windows. 

 Here I added some base boards and another above the doorway to give it visual weight.
 On the top I added some simple strip detail as there will be moldings on this piece. I included a bought piece of furniture in the photo for scale. These furniture pieces always seem to be dipped in thick varnish. I once tried to strip one back to wood and it took forever with the dust feeling noxious.
 I used some tongue depressors as shelving and here I added some small trim to finish off the shelf.
 More shelved addes, each with edge trim and side trim also to again give it visual weight. I began to cut away the door.
 Here is the almsot finished bookcase with the door cut out. Something wasn't pleasing me here so ,,,
 I had bought some lovely old brass findings but when they came they were cast and not stamped and their rigidity made them difficult to affix so I made a mold and used some airdry clay to cast them. I bought this clay in a factory store for 2 euros and its supposed to immitate stone. Not the best choice therefore as it contains flecks of paper to enhance the stone/concrete effect. I pressed in the clay into the mold using some thin plastic and a roller and extracted it at once and put aside. this allows me to make several without waiting for them to dry before unmolding. 
 I made the door here but cannot decide yet on whether to make false book spines to glue on or a mirror, or ? 
 I decided here to add a brass rail to fix a ladder against to access the top shelves. I think that I am going to end up living in this house one day! I began making the lower bookcase cupboard doors and was trying out the diamond losange theme as a trim.  
 I saw this top trim in a book on antiques and decided that it made sense to add it, making of course the whole thing much higher ! I used two brass leaf stampings as a way to fix the brass ladder rail bending them into shape easily. There will be a central brass trim eventually on the top section.
 A detail of the leaf stamping. When I bought them I had no idea what to do with them but voila ! 
 If you say ladder rail, you also say ladder so I decided in the middle of it all to make one. Here some limewood strips and a much narrower strips cut roughly for now as step supports.
 The almost finished ladder with steps proud of the uprights and a small dowel glued to the top end to hold onto when reaching for a book ! Crazy yes ! But I am getting older and need to hold on more ! 
 I still have to make the brass holding hooks to top the ladder and keep it on the rail. I decided to glaze the upper part of the door with the usual technique of spray mirror. Still not sure if this will stay yet. The problem is in deciding whether the door opens inwards or outwards. If inwards then the door has to be slim. Outwards gives more possibilites. This doorway will lead to a small butlers pantry complete with cupboards, sink and shelves. 
So another major item done to install when the frame of the house has been built. I am in the middle of the staircase and still debating whether to add a third floor. When the stair is finished I will make all the fireplaces and internal doors before starting the house. The reason I am doing it this way is because the house is going to take up so much space when built and I need the space now to make things on, usually a big mess ! When the house becomes reality it will take over everything. 

8 comments:

  1. This looks wonderfully intriguing and like so much fun to work out! Looking forward to more installments in the "Building Ramsey House" saga!

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    1. Thank you ! I do go through a lengthy process in my head first but after years of making patterns for couture and sewing it helps ! Just received the wood flooring this morning ! happy like a kid at xmas! best wishes S

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  2. You make it all look so easy! Very clever idea re the brass leaf to affix the ladder rail.
    My ability to leave comments seems to change every day, so I am hoping this will reach you. I have enjoyed discovering your blog.
    Regards Janin

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    1. Thank you, its so much fun and I am so happy to have found this passion/hobby, everything is a new challenge !

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  3. It's FANTASTIC!!!
    And I must comment on the order you are building your house; of internal components first and then the carcass.
    You are ONE BRAVE LADY! :D

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  4. I see myself more as mad than brave ! When I do anything in life I tend to buy or find all the components and then begin the job in hand as there is nothing more frustrating than running out of something or being stuck in the middle. The bookcase will allow me to proportion the room rather than make the room and then realise that it should be taller/wider etc. The staircase I made first because so often in real houses the height of the steps depends on floor coverings so having it made allows me to do all the finish, stain/varnish/polish/paint then build the rooms around it. I have already had to widen the hallway by 2 cms during the build to have room for coat racks, console table, umbrella stand, dog bed and wellies ! I did Nothing today except go to charity shops and diy shops ! Tomorrow will progress upstairs to the third floor ! In the beginning I really didn't want to do a stair and looked at houses without them but the challenge kicked in. When I worked in couture I always preferred the really complicated pieces, the kind when you lose sleep and hair ! Thank you for your comments !

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    1. Everyone finds what works best for them, and so what feels natural and easier for you appears heroic to me! ;D

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  5. If you saw how I work Elizabeth ! I get on my own nerves when looking for this or that tool ! I decided to take a short break from the stairs and make the drawing room fireplace, thinking it wouldn't take long. Will post some pictures tomorrow as today I am cutting up egg boxes for bricks !

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