I bought a whitewood bed and display cabinet from Vilia Miniature some time ago, intending to turn the cabinet into an armoire. (I highly recommend Vilia Miniature, by the way. Beautiful details, well-made, somewhat less pricey than Bespaq, and ideal for collectors who prefer to customize dollhouse furniture. I will be making quite a few more purchases when my budget permits me to do another house.)
Staining the furniture was easy. Delicately plucking the brass knob out of the cabinet and replacing it with a Swarovski crystal "knob" was easy. Dressing the bed involved a lot of sewing (I prefer not to use glue), but was not difficult. I even managed to scratch-build a decent bed crown (so far, all of my other attempts at scratch-building furniture have been disasters).
But...an armoire needs a mirror.
The mirror sheets I bought from Dolls House Emporium look exactly like real mirrors, but cutting them did not go well. Even with a jeweler's saw, the sheet cracked and splintered all along the cut line.
I test-fitted the sheet behind the cabinet glass anyway - no luck. It's simply too thick. If I glued it in place, I wouldn't be able to close the door. (I attempted to remove the glass, to no avail. It is to Vilia's credit that their furniture is VERY sturdily made, in spite of its dainty, delicate appearance. Oh well, at least I know the glass will never fall out.)
So...back to square one. I am determined to have a freestanding armoire in my tiny bedroom, so hopefully I'll be able to find some sort of mirrored paper that can be cut with scissors or a sharp knife. (I also tested some silver paint on the backside of the glass, just to see. It did not look good.)
Anyway...the bed is done, the crown is fixed in place (with curtains), and I will figure out the mirror somehow. (Any ideas, readers?)
The bed and armoire, finished in pecan satin.
My scratch-built bed crown.
The furniture in situ. I'm still undecided on the artwork, and haven't found any bedside tables I like yet. (Also, I think this room needs a chair somewhere.) The wallpaper is a scaled-down Cole & Sons "Woods", and I painted the ceiling.
A better angle on the bed (please forgive the blurring, I am a lousy photographer). The pillowcases are embroidered to resemble a pair of Louise Bourgeois pillowcases I bought at the Tate Modern three years ago (but only on the front, as the back would be mind-bogglingly hard to do in 1:12 scale and won't show anyway).
Happy New Year, and THANK YOU for reading.
