The construction phase has begun but first, we needed to "Bash" the house. Say what??? Babette said that is the term used by those who do this all the time to deconstruct, or temporarily remove pieces which may or may not be used later. All will be set aside in case any are needed in the remodel.
Once the bashing was complete; don't know about you, but that term makes me think of someone taking a hammer and literally destroying the house --- oh well, it was time to make a prototype of the Gothic tower and fireplace.
Since Luan wood is more expensive, we decided to make our prototype pieces out of foam core board we purchased from the dollar store. It's easier to work with, and if you screw up, no big deal; just cut another until you get the shape and size you need. Guess what, that is exactly what we wound up doing. The 1st tower initially looked great but, and that's a heavy but, when it was placed up next to the house, it looked out of proportion; it was too big. So we cut it down to a size we both gave a 2 thumbs up. 👍👍 It was now more in proportion to the rest of the house.
Since we're 1st timers in re-making a doll house, and there were no instructions anywhere, we were not exactly sure about the appropriate sizes. First and foremost, everything had to meet with the look Babette had inside her head, plus it needed to be in proportion to the rest of the house. The open side of the tower did not need any form core board since we're only sizing the structure, and that area butts up to the left handed side of our house. The completed tower will have wood on all 4 sides. We also cut out a sample window since a total of 3 more will be needed on the new tower to match those on the house. It's important that all of the windows be in the same proportion. They also need to be in alignment with the windows on the house.
Next came the roof for the Gothic tower. Babette said she plans to add a Widow's Walk around the top which should make this tower look really good. I also cut a flat piece of foam core board (Black) which fits inside the bottom of the roof. It will be used in attaching the roof to the tower.
The last item for today was the fireplace. We decided it needed to go on the opposite side of the house to help give the structure more balance. Since we're basically shooting from the hip on this project, I like working that way, I played with a couple different sizes before settling on the one shown. Babette gave her blessing, so who am I to argue. That means, today's work is done. Again, the foam core board is easy to work with in getting the sizes you need.
So, with our 1st construction day done and in the books, here is how the Halloween house currently stands; she's starting to take shape. When the tower is attached to the house, I will notch out the roof where the tower meets so it will fit flush with the house. Of course, we still have a lot more to do before this project is complete, but I am confident Babette and I, that is if I pay attention and follow her directions as I should, will have this baby finished in time before Halloween rolls around. One thing I do know for certain, not only is it going to look great in our home, but once my little granddaughter Madi sees the completed house, she is going to go nuts! And folks, that alone and seeing her face light up, makes this project all worth doing. 😁
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