Beautiful Opened Staircase in my first Glencroft House

[Bogie]

This is my first doll house. When I was a teen/twenties I used to make high quality doll furniture and sell it at local doll museums/shops. But I never had the room for an actual doll house. I saw the Glencroft at a friends house and she bought me one for Christmas. Of course, I had to add my own touch:

I'm changing the roof line. I don't like cropped roofs. I like the height of full roofs.

I love the architecture of stairs. A great set of stairs can make any small space look bigger. So I took out the wall and opened up the staircase. I just love how the railings came out. And also I enlarged the shelving beneath the stairs to make it look more custom. I love how grand it all looks. I would totally want to live here.

I added a window between the living room and kitchen. I plan to put a stained glass window in it.

I started the stone work with vinyl spackeling in the kitchen. It came out great but took forever to carve. And the dust it created was ghastly. Then I read about Paper Clay here on the board. OMG. I love, love, LOVE this product. It was so much easier to do the fireplace walls. I'm really looking forward to finishing the fireplaces and using PaperClay on the stair case wall too. I think I might even add it to the exterior.

These are my current images. I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's images so I hope you enjoy mine too!

Happy New Year,

Bogie

[bluestarpixel]

What great fireplaces! I love how you have all the shelving around them so that later down the road you can fill them up with fun things.

[kellyannmo]

the Glencroft is my favorite of all my houses... mine is not finished yet... I keep dragging my feet on finishing it, I think just because I don't really WANT to be finished with it... ha ha. Yours looks wonderful, I really like the fireplaces... you are doing a beautiful job

[havanaholly]

Christina, I "carved" all my "stones" while the spackle was still wet; that way I just wiped the toothpick on a paper towel from time to time to remove the build up, and went back with an old credit card to smooth the edges and texture the "stones" better. I love how it's turning out.

[Bogie]

Havanaholly,

I wish I had seen you do that. I tried it and just ended up with spackling all over hands, face, clothes, table... even the pour cat ended up getting some on her whiskers. I was using a wood carving tool which made it difficult. I never thought of a toothpick. That's brilliant. and I'm suspecting you must have let yours dry and bit first (which I foolishly didn't). Thanks for the tip. I think I'll try it on a spot and see how I do.

[havanaholly]

Actually I start carving as soon as I get a layer spread, usually about 1/16" - 1/8" thick; it dries as I go along. I prime the wall first, and the primer that shows through is my "grout".

[dooder85]

love the open staircase, that really makes it I think

[Carolee]

This was my next choice of house....I love the staircase position...You have done a wonderful job of it!!! Funny...I always imagine living in my Lily House!!

[lauker]

Great work! The Glencroft was my first house and was quite challenging! I love seeing what others do with it.

[labrown]

Beautiful. I'm getting ready to start rehabbing my Glencroft. It was built from a damaged kit that I built for my grandchildren to play with. And it's been played with a lot Now it's time to fix it up but it isn't telling me what it wants to be yet. But I do love the staircase you've done. Makes the room so much more airy and open. And your fireplace treatments are inspired. Just love it.

[NanaJ]

What a beautiful house this is turning out to be! I can see why you'd want to move in! Keep us posted on your progress.