Bonus post!

While I was looking through my photos for a house to pick for my other post, I came across this photo:

This house was one of the projects I took over from Tom O'Dea when I bought his shop.  The woman who owns it lives in Charlottesville and she and her husband had spent THIRTY YEARS building and decorating it.  And you thought your project was taking forever!

She and her husband would open their home each year for an annual Christmas tour and this dollhouse was a highlight for many visitors.  Unfortunately, her husband had passed away and that year was going to be the last year she planned on opening her home for the tour.  The dollhouse was in the shop for some electrical repairs.  The main problem was that not all the window candles would light up.  

Now here is a secret: this was my FIRST electrical project!  And let me tell you, I was flummoxed.  Thankfully, my now very good friends, Betty and Paul, who were long time customers of Tom's, happened to come into the shop one day while I was working on this one.  Paul, an honest to goodness electrician by trade, took pity on me and asked if he could give me some advice.  Basically, he solved the problem and explained what he did.  To say I was thankful is an understatement.  We got all the electrical working, replaced the broken candles, and on its way out the door it went.

I wish I had thought to take more pictures of this house but it was the very first one I worked on after I had bought the shop and I didn't think to do so.  But I hope you enjoyed it all the same.

 Happy April Everyone!  

I'm sorry it's been a few months since I posted, but I did start a new non-mini job and that takes up a lot of my time.  I decided today is the day to post another past project!  This one was a restoration that was basically in good shape but needed windows, a door, paint, and some interior finishes.

Here is what it looked like when it came in...

See?  Not bad, just needed a little of this and a little of that.

Here is the finished house...

Fresh paint, some windows and shutters, and wallpaper. As I recall, this house was being refurbished for someone's birthday.  Let's see it room by room.

The kitchen is a pretty good size.  Quite often kitchens are small and it's hard to place the furniture in them.  This one has wallpaper from Itsy Bitsy Minis and also tile from World Model.

Living room!  The wallpaper is by Jackson Miniatures and is Birds & Berries, Green Background.  It also comes in a beige background.

Master bedroom.  This wallpaper is a William Morris design by Itsy Bitsy Mini.

Hallway.  This paper is also from Itsy Bitsy Mini and is one of my favorites.

Child's room. This is also an Itsy Bitsy Mini paper.  If you look closely you will see birds in the design.

Nursery.  

Office.

Bathroom.

I was quite excited that the owner didn't want wallpaper in the attic rooms.  Why?  I really, really do not enjoy papering dormer windows and slanty walls.  To do it right takes an inordinate amount of time.

I selected this house for today's post because I wanted to show what a big impact a few simple changes can make to an older house.  Paint goes a long way!  Even the floors and roof were simply painted.  Later, if the owner would like, she can very easily add shingles, flooring, and molding.  Not everything has to be done at the same time.