Friday, April 4, 2014

It feels so big!!!

I am not used to thinking big. Big being a 1: 12 scale room/house. I am very comfortable with making many of  the tiny elements that go in a house but this seems huge to me. haha

I have watched with fascination and admiration as so many of you have built your houses. I am only just beginning to fully appreciate how much thought you have put into them. And frankly I am more then a bit intimidated. There are so many things to consider. So many measurements that all have to tie into everything else.

So I am just going to play with some cardboard mock-ups and interior schemes.  I know what I want, I just have to figure out how to get there. It may not be possible.
For instance...
I really want to use this stove I cast in bonze. The look is so different in metal then it was in plastic. Even though the rest of the kitchen may have been updated to some degree. If I later I change my mind and want to have a more modern stove, I want to be sure it will fit in the area I build for this one. The stove will fit inside the surround.

Does anyone know the measurements of a small AGA stove by Hearth & Home? They have not put them on their site.

Between the Sue Cook brackets, I want to have a brass rod to hang all the copper pans I have made from hooks. Looking at this I see the brackets need to be lower so someone would be able to reach a pan.

I want lots of textures in this room. Wood beams with baskets and herbs hanging from them. There might be cabinets built in above the mantel with hinged doors.  The bricks in this photo are clay fired on a mesh backing. I bought them looooog ago. They can be aged very nicely.

I am going to try to design a house from the inside out rather then the outside in. I want  to see if what I want will work with the sort of exterior I have in mind.

22 comments:

  1. it sounds so exciting and I had a difficult time getting measurements for the Aga that I made (I had to fudge it and base the measurements on a GE from 1920) I will be watching with interest :)

    Hugs
    Marisa

    ReplyDelete
  2. A successful doll house takes as much thought and planning as a success home (in my opinion)!! There is so much to consider at this stage, be prepared to be flexible and enjoy your house....as much as we will enjoy watching it evolve.....Good-Luck!!!! Linda x

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just checked on miniatures.com because if you click on the pics, you get the measurements. The green aga stove they have by Reutter Porzellan measures 3 1/4 wide by 3 1/4 high by 2 deep. Hope that helps!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lucille. I just looked at one stove which didn't have the measurements. You are so kind. :-)

      Delete
  4. Es tan divertido y emocionante comenzar una casa... Espero que disfrutes mucho y nos enseñes los avances

    ReplyDelete
  5. Starting with cardboard is a great idea and one I wish I'd used when I built my pub. I was so caught up with fixtures and fittings that I didn't consider all of the structural gubbins.
    I think next time I'll approach it like Josje and build it a room at a time.
    Good luck! Love the stove btw =0)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Pepper,

    That is what I am going to do. I just don't have room to do it any other way. Like you... I like to work on projects in my kitchen. I always need a sink, so that is the reason.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the sound of your plans, especially with beams, baskets and herbs. I just know you will do a fabulous job and look forward to watching progress.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Catherine, your antique stove is Gorgeous! (I lived with one like that when I was younger... hotter than the Dickens to cook on in the summer! I also lived with a real old Aga for many years... LOVED it! They are large in RL probably about 40 inches wide by 32 inches deep and 32 inches tall to the cooktop (a little lower than our modern conventions).
    When I am planning the scale layout of my self built homes I always use graph paper and tape as many pieces together as necessary to get an actual to-scale floor plan. Cut-outs of the footprint of the furnishings can then be manipulated to see how they actually fit. I am sure you will figure out what you need to do.... sometimes even just a cardboard box for temporary spacial arrangements is helpful. I really look forward to seeing what you come up with.... your workmanship is so precise and beautiful.... I have no doubt your house will be the same!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Awww thanks for your encouragement and the great tips. I really appreciate it.

    We had a wood cook stove (like the one above) in our cottage. Everything else was fairly modern. No one was willing to get rid of it despite the trouble and the heat it put off in the summer.

    I have never seen a real AGA stove. I am sure they are wonderful. I think Josje has a real one, she seems to love it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Have fun planning and designing, a cardboard structure is a good way to figure out size. An empty room can look so big, but look crowded very quickly if it turns out to be too small, a doll also helps to figure out the height of shelves or even how low a chandelier can hang. The best thing I ever did was to build a mock-up of my new house, it quickly showed me that it was too small for the way I want to display the furniture. And, oh, I just love your stove!

    ReplyDelete
  11. We have talked about AGA stoves on the mini groups so I may be able to help, let me know if you need more info than what you have gotten here so far.
    This sounds so exciting! And fun, and inspiring :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yes, it's a bit daunting trying to make sure you get all the planning right when you building a whole house. Good idea to do a mockup, that's for sure. I love the details on this stove....so intricate....it looks great!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Had to modify the posting. I found all the manuals that give very good dimension on their website. But you will need to figure out which model you wanted as there are old ones and new ones. This is just one of the pages of manuals they have available but I thought it likely the one you want will be in this list.
      http://www.rayburn-web.co.uk/DirectoryList.asp?SD=Rayburn%20Discontinued%20cookers/

      Delete
  14. Hi Catherine, I have both the real life AGA and the miniature one, so I can give you the exact measurements ;-) Width 3 1/4 inches, depth (including rail) 2 1/8 inches, height (including lids) 3 inches.
    For the real dimensions, here's the link to the AGA website: http://www.agaliving.com/our-products/aga-range-cookers/traditional-aga-cookers/2-oven-aga-gas/
    Oh I just spotted you comment above, you remembered correctly! I have a large 4-oven AGA in my RL kitchen and yes, I love it. Would not be without it if at all possible. Mine runs on natural gas, so no hassle with putting in wood etc.
    I love that you have taken the first steps towards building your dollhouse. And doing it from the inside out with a cardboard model is very helpful. It is more or less what I did too.
    If you have any questions regarding the AGA, you know how to contact me. Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wonderful plans! Measurements are always difficult but important. I am sure you'll soon show us more progress: waiting for that!
    Hugs
    Kikka

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Catherine! I am so Happy that you are starting to actually build you doll's house At Last! With all of the tiny little acorn homes and the more recent 144th scale that you made from scratch, I don't imagine that you will have any real difficulty when going Bigger! Granted, there are more things to consider: ie, the electrical but I know your skill level and what you can do and Do So Well! I have enjoyed all of your vignettes of your room sets, which are such a Feast for the eyes and so I anticipate a Wonderful Doll's House from you in the future. Watching its progress will be a Great Pleasure :))

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your (ambitious) projects sound very promising and already expect a masterpiece :-)
    I can not wait !!!
    The idea of ​​this large kitchen, with an Aga stove, it is fascinating, especially when, like me, you have only a stove top at home :-(
    Love,
    Flora

    ReplyDelete