A new project

Though the quill shop isn't totally finished, and Draco Malfoy still needs a room for his fourposter bed, I've been thinking about a new project for a while now :)
I've been changing my mind back and forth between different idea's but couldn't decide. I wanted to do something bigger than a roombox, but smaller than a dolls house. I wanted to do something Harry Potter related, but couldn't think of the right project, and also I wanted to try some of Julie Warren's tips about decorating a dolls house.

So ... I combined all those things and this is what I'm going to do;
I'll build (yeah, right, build x'D) a little cottage for a new Hogwarts teacher who rented a little house in Hogsmeade with her ten year old daughter, Penny, for the summer after Voldemort was defeated.
Her name is Bianca Versteeg and she's a character from my Dutch Harry Potter fanfiction 'Wentelende Wereld' (Turning World) and she's a forty year old witch with lots of secrets, who has been hiding from the Wizarding World for the last eleven years.

Once I figured out what I wanted, I could start making plans. The idea of building and decorating  a house still  sounds a bit scary if I think about it for too long, but that's where Julie Warren's tips might be very helpful. Probably even lifesaving ;)
She shares lots of great tutorials about making furniture on her Facebook page, but what convinced me that I'd be able to do it, was the way she showed how to decorate a room.

Photo from Julie Warren's Grosvenor house

So, based on that I made a plan last week. Living room and kitchen on the ground floor and a bedroom with two single beds and a bathroom upstairs. The way I described it in my story, so have to stick with that.

Hogsmeade was designed with very tall narrow chimneys just like a lot of villages in Scotland village. So for the outside I want the look of a Scottish cottage. 

Friend and fellow miniaturist Kim thought the Hogsmeade houses were based on the granite stone buildings that are very typical of Scottish houses. This one reminded her of the top two floors of the Grosvenor house;

 

 

I talked with my dad about my plan drawings, since he's a really handy guy and I wanted to go over the wood meassurements I need. Because that's a big step, right? :)

He give me some advice and made some suggestions. Next day I went to a DIY-store and bought wood.

I got 2 sheets of 4 mm Poplar plywood, 122 x 61 cm and they did saw the two floors for my house at the store, so that's something I don't have to do at least ;) 

Because I'm anxious for when I'll have to use my Jigsaw for the first time!

I also ordered Julie 's book, Step by Step Dolls' House Furniture Projects in 1/12th Scale, and that arrived today. So exited XD

For the home decorating I want it to have the kind of feeling of:

Weasley's boho chic Burrow

With a gaggle of seven hot-tempered red-heads to look after, Molly Weasley hasn't got the time for formality. That's why the eclectic boho chic look works so well for eccentric family.

Comfort and function are absolutely essential when selecting pieces to capture this look, but so is uniqueness. Forgo the cookie-cutter options you'll find in furniture chains and scour flea markets instead for one-of-a-kind pieces. Look beyond the current appearance of each item to find tables and sofas with a bare-bones design you like, since you can always paint or reupholster. Select a palette populated with jewel-tone reds, blues and purples, and incorporate plenty of patterns for a rich, gypsy look. This look demands diversity in design styles, so forget finding matching sets or patterns and instead pick pieces that complement one another.

While the number of people packed into the Burrow necessitated a plethora of stuff, clutter will quickly kill this look. Avoid styling like a pack rat and remember this simple design law: Less is more. Arrange accessories in groups of three to create a magical balance and banish all unnecessary bric-a-brac.

Source