Saturday, January 7, 2012

1: 144 Scale French Townhouse



This is a new French townhouse kit that I just finished by Keith Bougourd. He has once again done an absolutely beautiful job interpreting a 1: 1 design into 1: 144 scale. He tells me he will start offering the kit for sale in March, 2012. www.small-time.com/

Several months ago I wrote to Keith and asked him when we could expect a new 1: 144 scale house kit. He wrote back and told me he was looking in books for a new Georgian design. I was excited because I loved working on his last 1:44 scale kit.

I spent the next three nights scouring the Internet looking for something that might tempt him... but I was looking at French townhouses. I thought if I could find one that could be constructed basically the same way as his last kit was, he might like the idea of a French house. I was looking for one that would open from the front and was full of architectural charm. Finally, I found something I thought he might like and lend it self to his 'style use' of building materials and construction (he uses wood and photo etched brass). It was the end wing of a hotel, Chateaubriand in Saint-Malo France. I knew if he liked it....Keith had the skill, talent and the vision to make it into a townhouse.


He was so nice during the process! He sent me his drawings and several pictures while he was developing the kit. I was thrilled to bits he shared this with me.

Thank you so much Keith!!!!!!! I am sure you are aware of how much I LOVE the house!!!

Keith also knows I enjoy making changes to kits to make them my own. That is part of the fun putting together kits. For this house I cut up tiny elements of brass findings using a jewelers saw. I wanted to add three dimensional architectural additions to the windows and capitals. Added to those elements were a few 1/2 mm no hole beads. I found an art nouveau brass fence in my local model train shop and used it on the house, just for something different. The townhouse has a closed attic room. Because I was adding LED lights to the other three floors, I cut sections out of the roof so that light would shine through the windows on the fourth floor.

Here is the French Townhouse assembled and finished by Keith. Lovely, just as it is!

42 comments:

  1. Catherine you have outdone yourself! This house is stunning-absolutely gorgeous!!!! Your embellishments are such a great touch as is the wonderful paint job---

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  2. WOW,this is amazing!!! I think,if I say that I'm totally in love with the work you have done, you know what I mean! Chapeu ,Jeannette x

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  3. Awesome!! great idea and so beautiful job!
    Magda

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  4. This house is amazing. I love it.
    Hugs Maria

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  5. Love it! It`s a beautiful house, and you did a great job!
    Mona

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  6. Oh, stunning!!!!! Love your re-model!!!!

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  7. Oh Catherine.....!!!! It is stunning, all those hours of work have certainly paid-off.....it is simply GORGEOUS!!!

    Linda x

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  8. Whaou!!! Elle est vraiment magnifique! On a du mal à croire qu'elle est au 1:144...Bravo! Nathalie

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  9. Another precious little house! Nicely dressed out. How fun for you to be the first to see it realized. You must be thrilled!

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  10. Beautiful work! You have the magic touch!

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  11. No words, I haven't words enough to say how much I love it. Pure beauty.

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  12. Out of this world, wonderful work x

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  13. Your petit maison is gorgeous!!!!!! Your detail work is wonderful as it enhances the beautiful work of the builder!! It looks perfect in the room..

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  14. I love this. So many details. Do all the little details usually come with the kit or do you add them?

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  15. One again, im lost for words, so amazing!! I have no idea how you get so much detail into this scale???

    Jenn

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  16. It's another beauty Catherine. Great collaboration between Keith and you and a wonderful bit of kit bashing!

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  28. I never meant for any of these comments to be deleted! It happened as a result of my Blogger issue problem. I am so VERY sorry to have lost them.

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    Replies
    1. well it's pretty obvious that Google is messing everything up! Just can't leave well enough alone.....

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  29. I will try and restore them when I have time. I think it is possible.

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  30. I've ordered one, it is a birthday present to myself. I know I will have fun with it.Love what you did with yours.

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  31. I absolutely LOVE this little house which would look just perfect in a new project I'm working on.
    I'm going to see if they are available on Keith's website yet and perhaps I'll be able to collect a kit when I go to KDF in a few week's time.
    Thanks for sharing this lovely project.
    Regards
    Sandra

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  32. Forgot to ask, did the lovely interior papers come with the kit?

    Sandra

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  33. Sandra, Welcome to my blog!!!
    It was very luck Blogger thought your comment (on an old post) was spam or I would never have found it.

    I don't think Keith has ever posted about this new kit on his website. You can email him and ask for a price. I know he is selling them now.

    Yes the wallpaper came with the kit. I changed my kit quite a bit. Look at how Keith finished his. That is they way the kit comes.

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  34. Thanks Catherine....

    I've been in contact with Keith and he says he has just enough components for one kit so I'm hopefully going to pick it up at the Kensington Dolls House Fair in a few weeks time.
    I will probably want to adapt the kit too.
    Where did you find the tiny decorative finials above the windows? They are absolutely perfectly to scale.
    Regards
    Sandra

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  35. I made the decorative additions over the windows by cutting apart brass stampings/ findings I ordered on ETSY. I also used a few 1/2 mm no hole beads on those brass pieces. Good luck with your kit.

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  36. Sandra,
    This is the link to the finding I used on ETSY. You need a jewelers saw to cut them apart and some needle files. However... You can just look at earring findings. There will be something you can use. http://www.etsy.com/transaction/27887040

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  37. Just catching up with your reply.... thanks for the link, I'll check it out.
    I'm picking up my kit from Keith at Kensington this Friday... I'm soooo excited!
    Thanks for all your help.
    Sandra

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  38. Wow! I only just saw this, it is fantastic! My dolls are very jealous right now ;)
    Hannah

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