Project management.....

For lo....

Today I did post off the latest batch of orders.

And it was good.

 Thus, verily, I did say.... "I'm taking the rest of the day off".

Thereupon I surveyed my project... all tempting on the desk.  And so it came to pass that I spent all of this afternoon planning and doing.

Despite the fact that I haven't yet decided on the exterior colour, the window frames, skirtings, covings, fancy bits etc are to be Old White, so I whiled away a few hours this afternoon painting all of those, while mulling over how to progress the project.

You see, I have a conundrum (don't I always?) in that this particular little cottage has to actually look like a doll's house.

For those of you who aren't miniaturists, and have no clue what I'm talking about, every house I've ever built (and there were A LOT!) I tried to make as realistic as possible... both inside and out.  They may TECHNICALLY have been called doll's houses, but their ambitions were much loftier.

Having been a miniatures enthusiast and collector for nigh on 30 years, I have inevitably developed a discerning eye, and over the years have amassed an encyclopaedic knowledge of classical and vernacular architecture through the centuries.  The same goes for interior decor and furnishings, window treatments and flooring, fixtures and fittings... the list goes on and on.

But this project is different.  It's not in a specific style or period.  I won't be striving for miniature perfection.  It just has to look like.... a doll's house.

For the first time ever, I'm making a doll's house.  And it's shaping up to be much more complex than my massive 10 foot wide, 15-room Scottish baronial mansion, complete with be-gargoyled Gothic chapel ever was.

I'm having to stop myself wanting to add guttering, and ridge tiles.  There will be no real stone, slate or wooden floors.  No ornate ceiling roses or decorative mouldings.  No flickering fires or real porcelain tiles.

I can't quite desist from adding lighting.  I couldn't possibly have a doll's house without lighting.  Equally I will be adding wooden skirting boards and ceiling coving in all the rooms.

After all... I'm not a complete philistine.

Also, I might change the front door, which is a bit clunky.  And maybe add some quoin stones down the sides.  Possibly some moulding below the roof line... just to add interest.

Oh, and some climbing plants, clambering over the porch and up the front.  That's quite doll's house-ish.  Not painted on though.  Proper handmade plants.

Hmmm come to think of it.... maybe some  little window boxes filled with colourful flowers.  I suppose while I'm at it, I could landscape the base board.  Add moss and soil between the paving stones, with the odd weed pushing through.

*sigh*

See what I'm up against....?