Sunday, May 19, 2013

Oh Deer...

 
I put together a restaurant dining room scene in the Bennett House. My oldest child and I cobbled together the awful "swanky" restaurant name = Sky Stag. It makes us chuckle.
Putting together the Bennett House was a bit of a challenge. Not because the parts weren't labeled. Not because the diagram of parts didn't always look like the parts. The only real issue I encountered while building this dollhouse was removing the paper mask from the acrylic windows. The stuff just would not come off. I first used professional remover...then I used standard sticky residue remover...then I had to just let the stuff soak in a bath of shea butter baby oil. And it was the oil bath that finally got the mask to relent.
After the oil bath, I was able to peel/roll the mask back in large sheets, but not all of it would come off completely. There are some places where the mask came into contact with the glue used to adhere the acrylic windows to the frame. I used tweezers to try and remove those stuck pieces. In the end, I was not able to get the clean finish that I would prefer. The local plastics shop said they could make me all new windows. If I keep this house, I may have to take them up on that offer.

The Goods: Stag head is Dotsan; seating pieces are Urban Girl Dollhouse and Brinca Dada covered in Restoration Hardware's Italian Vintage Baroque fabric; tables are Re-Ment and MegaHouse; all accessories are LiLu, PRD Miniatures, and common finds from hobby and craft stores.

19 comments:

  1. That seems like a design flaw in the windows. Did Brinca Dada decline to replace the windows?

    At any rate, how exciting to have that house! Does the restaurant serve venison? Does it cater to stag parties? Are the prices so deer that you need a lot of doe? (Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist.)

    Cheers, Neen

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    1. I never asked brinca dada for replacement windows, but I'm sure they would have sent them if I did ask. Honestly, I think I still would have had to deal with the paper mask issue even if I had new windows--so I'd be back to square one and bathing windows in a chemical and oil bath.

      And--HA! You crack me up! Yes, the restaurant's menu has a "game" plan...

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  2. Dang! What a bummer about the acrylic, that blows! I'm glad I didn't buy the house that would drive me crazy! The deer art and stag are AWESOME! I would love to dine here! Brilliant per norm.

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    1. Thanks Mini Dork!
      Yeah, I wish the manufacturer had selected acrylic with a vinyl mask. I like how the house looks when it is closed. It looks very stunning among the rest of the house collection. I don't know how long I will keep this dollhouse. I purchased it for a STEAL just so I could experiment with the rooms a bit. I struggle with 3/4 or 1:16 scale. My collection has a limited amount of pieces that fit that scale and so I hesitate to keep the structure in my collection. I seriously love Tim Boyle's home designs though. I hope we get one of his designs in 1:12 someday.

      I have you to thank for the art--I was totally inspired by the stag head you found on Shapeways. And you can dine at Sky Stag anytime...we'll keep your table available. Ha!

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    1. Thanks Mandy!
      Oh--is this a good time to say that the kitchen you got from Mad for Mod (Cyd)is steal-worthy? I prefer to warn people so that I don't look quite so guilty with swiped items hanging out of my pockets as I attempt to leave. There's value in my honesty, right? Smiles!

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    2. Ha-ha there sure is! but I’m sure you could convince Cyd to make you one as well

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  4. Great Pics! Sorry about the paper on the Bennett. We almost strangled our manufacturer over those.

    LOVE the Stag House! Will you send us pics so we can share them with our FB friends?

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    1. UH OH! I'm BUSTED for naysaying the window mask!!! Ha! Ha!

      ...Well, I'm glad you dig the restaurant in there. Yes, you can pull images from this post to "get your Facebook on". Let me know if the right click feature does not let you pull them, etc.

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  5. Hey, where's the food? I'm all for sitting in uber-cool restaurants just to absorb the atmosphere but if they don't have cheesecake on the menu, I'm not coming!

    Seriously though, loving the style of the place =0)

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    1. Ha! Okay, they'll serve cheesecake--a different one each month! Thanks Pepper!

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    2. Oh!AND they'll have chocolate chip brioche on hand too...

      Chuckle! Chuckle!

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  6. Love the restaurant! I am having the same issue with the paper on the acrylic windows on Waterside Way - I used Goo Gone and soaked it as well, but it is driving me nuts!

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    1. Thanks Penelope!
      Re: Waterside Way = Really? So they (DHE), too, used paper mask? Man. I'm sorry, friend. I've always wanted to see the Waterside Way house in person. Let's hope that future modern dollhouses with significant glazing will be manufactured using the vinyl mask which removes beautifully.

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    2. Yes! Well, if you are ever in Manhattan on a visit, come on by. Given that I have only removed the paper from 1 door, and I have 5 more doors and 6 more windows to go, I would say that it should be ready in late 2014. Sometimes I feel like it's as much work as a real house :)

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  7. Love it love it love it! Your 'SKY STAG' restaurant is 5 star! I think all the features and fixtures are spot on and it looks swanky enough to charge a lot of money just for the pleasure of taking a look inside! Wonderful both inside and out!

    elizabeth

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    1. Your praise makes my cheeks burn rosy. Thank you, Elizabeth.
      ;)

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  8. Very slick. I like it! What if you designed restaurants in real life? You'd be fabulous.

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    1. Thanks Studioseven! Ha! I don't think that I would be fabulous---but I'd sure have fun. Course, I'd probably drive the contractor and tradesmen crazy with my "ideas"...

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