Dollhouse Blogs

Monday 7 December 2015

Library panels and bookcases, new renovation and vacation.

Hello my friends,

I hope you are all well and getting ready for the holidays. Thank you for your lovely comments about the ballroom in my last post. I was ready to start work on the ballroom floor, but 2 things happened: First, I made copies of the medallions I had designed and put them into place for a test run...


 
 
What was I thinking!!!

...I hated it! I felt it was completely wrong for the room so decided to go back to the drawing board. At this point I decided to keep the floor project for cold winter days and to work on the second floor of the wing because it will all be faux walnut finish. The finish is made with oil paints and I'd rather paint now so I can leave it outside a few hours to dry... the smell is really strong. So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you part 1 of the second floor.

Library panels

The panelled walls for the library will all be cut out of illustration board and backed with leftover MDF strips to give it the depth I want. The first step was to draw elevation plans for each wall.

My inspiration was a French Library from the Thorne Rooms
 
 
The library is inspired by 2 Thorne Rooms and libraries made by friend Ray Whitledge. When I had an idea of the direction I wanted, I cut out double thick illustration board templates for each wall.
 
All will be walnut with an off-white plaster ceiling

The mantels are from Sue Cook
 
When planning the panels I took into account the thicknesses of every molding piece, down to the last doorframe, to make sure everything lined up properly. When I was satisfied with my plans, I spend a weekend cutting out all the panels.
 


Since I was cutting illustration board, I also planned the earls office which will be to the left of the library


The furniture was in the gallery, but will be moved to the office to make more room for sculptures

The panel over the door might become a transom glass to let the light through

The painting on the left wall is from a book of one of my favorite painters, Nicolas Poussin. I will use more of his paintings for the panels each side of the fireplace, which will be marble with a niche incorporated into the over mantel.

Bookcases

With the panels done, it was time to work on the bookcases which are all made to look like built-ins. In the past, I simply glued shelves into place. however, each time I have to clean I am afraid they might come undone under the pressure of my fingers. This time I decided to cut grooved into the side panels for each shelf. this is really easy to do with a craft table saw...but I don't have a craft table saw. So, I did it the good old fashioned way!


I used my metal square to draw lines for each shelf, then scored half way down the thickness of the wood with my utility knife. When that was done, I used a jewelers screw driver to chisel out the groove


I had to do this for 30 shelves, which means 60 grooves. It took half a day, but was well worth it. In the next picture you can see the bookcases and compare with my original drawing.

The sides are 1/8 bassewood, the shelves are 1/16 bassewood, and the backs of the bookcases are double thick illustration board. They were assembled with The Utlimate Glue and dots of gel Super glue

The bookcases will be quite sturdy. Also, I plan on making glass doors for the top of the bookcases (you can see this in my drawing above) so the shelves should be safe. Before I glued the sides, top and bottom of the bookcases, I had a test run to make sure the shelves looked straight and that I liked the spacing of the shelves.


It looked good, so I decided to put the furniture I am thinking of using in place to see if the room worked.


I love a successful dry run. I then glued the bookcases except for the shelves. It will be easier to faux paint the back of the bookcase before the shelves are glued in place. The last pictures were taken on Sunday. This evening, Monday, I cut and glued down the bottom panels of each bookcase. Now you get a real feel for the finished library:


The under the bookcases is to accommodate the flooring. Any remaining gap will be covered with baseboards

Jo really loves window seats, so these are for him.



And that my friends is all I have in terms of progress. And now...

New plans (another room to be gutted)

Jo and I had a wonderful trip. we were with my in-laws and we had a great time and saw incredible places. My favorite stop was the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. I could have stayed there all day. It is one of the top 3 buildings  I have visited (sorry, we could not take pictures. Naturally, this gave me many ideas and I did a lot of drawing on the cruise ship.

The first renovation plan has resulted in dirty looks from most of my family...I am redoing the kitchen.
 
 
 
Don't get me wrong. I love my kitchen and thought it was great for a smaller house, but since the Manor will now have a banquet hall for 14 people, I can't see the chefs cooking an elaborate meal on that small Bodo Henning stove. So, the new kitchen will look like this...


It will be 7 inches deeper. The left wall will have, from back to front, 4 baking ovens, room for a hutch, a centre range 8 inches long, room for a second hutch, and finally at the front of the room will be a 4 1/2 meat roasting range. The opposite wall will have a wider scullery and maybe a mezzanine style store room. The door on the back wall, which was a fake in the current kitchen, will become a working door to the Tudor hall

The other room I worked on is the banquet hall. After the Royal Pavilion, I have had a million ideas. I have not finalized my plans, no where near actually, but here are my first sketches of the direction I am going in:



 
Trip to Europe

Before I show you pictures of places we visited, here is a picture of items I purchased for Dewell Manor:


The tall statue at the back and the pewter pieces at the front were purchased at the British Museum and will go in the art gallery. The two thuribles are key chains from Santiago de Compostela which will hang from the arches of the prayer room. The rest of the miniatures as well as the red wallpaper for the new banquet hall came from Ananda in Barcelona.

I visited 2 miniature shops in Barcelona. First we went to Evolve. I was there for 45 minutes. the entire time I was there the lady at the cash said 2 things to me. She barely answered me when I came in and said ''hola''. I did not find much but then on the second step of a staircase which clearly led to a private loft above I saw molding strips individually packaged and priced which was exactly what I needed...yay! I went up the 2 steps and the lady yelled ''Hey...No''. I guess she thought I was going upstairs but when she saw me looking at the molding she didn't say anything. When I went down the 2 steps, Jo told me the woman had been glaring at me for the 15 minutes I was looking at the moldings. I put them back and walked out of the store. I cannot remember the last time anyone was so rude to me in a shop. I will never set foot in Evolve again.

Luckily, When I went to the second shop, Ananda, I was greeted by Felicidad who was kind, welcoming, and very helpful. They have beautiful pieces, many of which they made themselves, and she took my to the back room and let me go through all the wallpapers and building material they had. They can count on my going back the next time I visit Barcelona!

And now, since some of you asked, here are just a few pictures of the places we visited:

Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela

I was enchanted by this side of the building

Queluz Palace in Lisbon

A reception room in the palace. It felt like a cozy Versailles.

Cathedral of Murcia in Cartagena

A beautiful building in Cartagena

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

A view of Barcelona from the museum

We saw some incredible places, the sea was calm, the weather was good, The Royal Pavilion blew me away, but this trip just confirmed that our favorite city in the world is Barcelona.

And that is all I have for the moment my friends. My house is decorated and my Christmas shopping is done, but I think miniature time will be limited till the holidays.

I hope you all have a lovely month of December. I have a week off for the holidays and I hope to spend a good portion of it on the manor.

Until next time, thank you all for your great kindness and support. It means a lot to me and I hope I give it back,

Giac







 
 
 

69 comments:

  1. Hi Giac,

    So lovely to catch up with you again and see the amazing work you are doing - love it.
    Enjoyed seeing your lovely photos of Barcelona and thanks for sharing.
    Don't you just hate rude people in shops and glad that you were treated nicely in the next one.
    Enjoy the Christmas holidays
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  2. Hi Giac,
    Incredible detailed work again! You really know how to do this:)
    Regards from Finland!

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  3. You're back! Yeah! We have all missed your graceful eye candy!
    As I am looking at your ingenious drawings and harmonious execution, I find myself wondering if you listen to music, and if so, what character? I like to listen to podcasts with people's bigfoot encounter stories, and am thinking this may be negatively impacting my work! :O)
    Can't wait to see more! Welcome home!

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  4. I am glad you are back, so nice
    to see all the photos from your trip.
    And the manor! I am speechless, what a
    great job you are doing.
    Hugs and love/AM

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  5. Hola Giac,encantada de leerte de nuevo,saber que habéis disfrutado en vuestra visita por Europa,me han gustado mucho las fotos.
    Que desagradable tu experiencia en Evolve,menos mal que ,por lo general la gente es amable,pero éste tipo de situaciones dan mucha rabia!!!
    Estoy viendo el trabajo que estás haciendo en la biblioteca y me parece soberbio,esas librerías son fantásticas!!! no puedo esperar a verlas terminadas y con los libros colocados,será increíble!!!
    Cuando he leído que ibas a rehacer la cocina,me he asustado!! pero al ver los planos y tu razonamiento de que resulta pequeña para una mansión tan grande,me he quedado tranquila,se que resultará mejor aún que la anterior!!!!
    Disfruta de la semana amigo!!
    Besos.

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  6. Hi Giac, your plans for the kitchen are great, the little cooks will have so much more room for all the food they will prepare for large, chic soiree parties! I also love how you made the bookcases, not only does it look very realistic, but it's also very handy. The window seats are lovely, it will be a perfect spot to read books or dream away :-). Great to read your holiday was so good! Big hugs xxx

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  7. Bonjour Giac, voila de quoi occuper vos longues soirées d'hiver. La bibliothèque est bien partie, je l'adore déjà et je suis impatient de voir le faux-bois.
    Vous avez fait un beau voyage, l'Espagne et le Portugal regorgent de trésors.

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  8. Giac Hello! As always your work is wonderful and a superb track. I am glad that you visited my area in Murcia. The two buildings are in Murcia Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace. Cartagena is 50 km by road from Murcia capital. Cartagena by being landlocked is a strategic port since the days of the Phoenicians, Romans until today. In this city predominantly Roman art, and also has beautiful Modernist buildings. The most important architect at that time was Victor Beltri and you can inspire your wonderful creations. In Murcia predominant Baroque architecture, Renaissance edicicios in whose interior there are similar to the Alhambra (Casino de Murcia, has baroque dance hall and a courtyard with mosaics and Moorish tracery) decorations. There is a mix of styles from different cultures that have passed throughout history. In my blog is a label of architecture where you can see a small sample of buildings. a hug, Marisa

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  9. It's great to see an update about your wonderful dollhouse - your talents are awe-inspiring:-) Though it gives me a heart-pain to see that amazing, sweet kitchen to be redone, I can't wait to see what you'll turn it into. Thanks for sharing your creations with the world.

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  10. Celebro que tu viaje haya resultado tan agradable :)En cuanto a tu Palacio...Dios mío! Es tan maravilloso! Miro las fotos y el tiempo se va sin darme cuenta... puedo verlo en todo su esplendor, me asaltan mil historias que bien podrían sucederse en esas estancias... es un sueño y siento que se está haciendo realidad... Quizá es un poco pronto, pero aprovecho para desearos Feliz Navidad! :) Un abrazo!

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  11. I love this stage in the build, where you can already see that it will be wonderful, but it still needs so much doing to it!
    You're very clever using simple hand tools, keeping true to how the carpenters at the time your house was built did it. ;-)
    You've got all this done and decorated your house, I am impressed! Have a wonderful December, Christmas and holiday!

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  12. Giac,
    As always, your vision is amazing, and your workmanship is fantastic! I enjoy your blog so much! Thank you for sharing your work and travels. Have a blessed holiday!
    Thank you,
    Deri

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  13. Fantastic! As your work always is. So beautiful interior decorations and lovely colours.

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  15. Beautiful trip.
    Your work is always perfect and detailed.

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  16. Hi Giac! I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed your trip/cruise and that you've visited many places to get inspired again for even more miniature works ;)!
    The plans you now have are awesome, I really can't wait to see more. The dry fitting of the planned rooms are very promising and even your miniature kitchen gets an update. Your plans for this new kitchen are innovative and they promise to be gorgeous too.
    Enjoy your Christmas holidays and the rest of the month December together with your beloved ones.
    Hugs, Ilona

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  17. I think this new library room may be my favorite room in your fabulous house. Thanks for taking the time to do the tutorials, they are really helpful.

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  18. The new library is already looking fantastic. I love all the shelves and the way you made them.

    I am rather sad to hear you are gutting your beautiful kitchen but I know I am going to love the new one. Kitchens have always been my favorite room in any house.

    It looks like it was a wonderful trip!

    I look forward to seeing more progress on these rooms.

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  19. Hallo Giac,
    wieder einmal sitze ich staunend vor dem Bildschirm und bewundere ihre fantastische Arbeit. Die überaus detailgetreuen Handskizzen in Isometrie mag ich ganz besonders, da man sich schon dort ein Bild von der Realität machen kann.
    Und das Haus braucht definitiv eine größere Küche. Die Pläne dafür sind wunderbar.
    Unfreundliche Verkäufer gibt es überall (nicht ärgern).
    Liebe Grüße Veilchen

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  20. Fantástico viaje Giac, los lugares vistos son maravillosos, me alegro mucho que hayas disfrutado con la familia.
    Tu trabajo es espectacular, estaré impaciente en ver la estancia totalmente terminada y la reforma de la cocina, si ahora es preciosa , ampliada será fantástica.
    Mal ojo tuvo la señora de Evolve no distinguir a un miniaturista como tu, te imagino mirar con entusiasmo las cosas y eso se nota, ella se lo pierde pues nunca hay que perder la buena educación. Tus compras muy bonitas. Felices fiestas, besos:-)

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  21. Hi Giac!
    Yes, you really give it back! Your blog is so great all the way.
    New kitchen will be awesome - like the whole house is!
    Nice to hear about your European tournee. You two have seen lots of interesting places, lots of history. Great!
    Have a nice day and hugs!
    Tiina

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  22. Great post and as always, great drawings. The library looks like it is going to be spectacular. I too love the Brighton Pavilion. There are several pics online and some walk-thrus on YouTube. Sorry to see the old kitchen go, but I am looking forward to seeing the new one. Have a Merry Christmas - Troy

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  23. Hi Giac! Your drawings are always so beautiful: Art! I love them! The new library will be stunning, the shelves look fantastic! The plans for the new kitchen are fabulous!
    And thank you for sharing your trip to Europe with us! ...sorry for the ecperience in the first shop, luckily the second was so much better!
    I enjoyed the photos! Merry Christmas to you!
    Hugs
    Kikka

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  24. Bonjour Giac,
    Merci pour toutes ces nouvelles avancées que j'attendais avec impatience... La bibliothèque est tout simplement fabuleuse. Je l'espère très "française", avec ses rayons vitrés et ses boiseries simples et élégantes. Quelle merveilleuse idée que de réaliser une bibliothèque, temple du savoir, lieu qui magnifie les connaissances. Vous avez du apprécier les trésors baroques de la péninsule Ibérique!
    A bientôt,

    Vincent

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  25. Bonjour Giac,
    Quel beau voyage, en miniature et en taille réelle. Je suis sous le charme.

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  26. Good to see you works again Giac! You always make me ashamed I do nothing of bigger projects lately.:)
    Can't wait to see more of the progress in all the rooma and where will you use all the new miniatures. :)
    Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
    Big hug,
    Ewa

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  27. Hola Giac. Hace tiempo que no vengo por los blogs y me apena llegar al tuyo y leer lo mal que fuiste tratado. A eso se le llama hacer clientela y cuidar su publicidad. Cuando se enteren que cliente tenian se tiraran de los pelos.
    Celebro que Ananda te quitara el mal sabor que te dejo Evolve.
    Entre tus maravillosas fotos veo que has estado en Queluz; lo conozco y me encantó. Aunque esta un poco abandonado, entre sus paredes parece que estas en Versalles es cierto. El salón de la foto, magnifico y la habitación de Don Quijote sensacional.
    Sobre tu maravillosa obra que voy a decir.....pues eso MARAVILLOSA.
    Cada extructura que diseña supera a las anteriores.
    La cocina te quedará de lujo pues la que tienes ya es preciosa.
    Espero poder seguir tus avances con tiempo y sin dejarme nada. Ahora tengo trabajo atrasado en tu blog. Me recuperaré.
    Un abrazo.

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  28. Hello Giac,

    Zoals altijd bij jou FANTASTISCHE posten is er inmiddels een uur verstreken alvorens ik tot een reactie schrijven ben gekomen.

    Je kan alles zo prachtig beschrijven, ik kruip als het ware even in jou huid. Weet niet of deze geschreven zin als je het vertaald begrepen wordt maar in Nederland is dat een gezegde, als iemand je enorm boeit, en dus is het zeer positief bedoeld.

    Al jou ontwerpen die je maakt, de tijd die je neemt om alles tot in het kleinste detail te perfectioneren en tot een einde te brengen zoals jij het voor ogen hebt, een bewonderengswaardige eigenschap, in één woord GEWELDIG!!!!!

    Al die groeven in de plankjes met zo'n kleine beiteltje, ongelooflijk gewoon.

    De ideeen voor de nieuwe keuken, zie er prachtig uit, net als alle boekenkasten die je aan het maken bent.

    Prachtig ook om je foto's te bekijken van steden waar jullie zijn geweest in de vakantie. Al die monumentale gebouwen, om gelukkig van te worden bij het zien van al dat moois.

    En wat een onaangename ervaring in die winkel met
    een zeer nare dame, met een onbeleefde behandeling.
    Inderdaad in zo'n winkel kom je NOOIT meer.

    Lieve Giac, voor jou en je gezin wens ik ook een mooie Decembermaand en Kerstfeest om nooit meer te vergeten.

    Liefs,
    Josephine

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  29. Hola! Has realizado unos bonitas estanterias aunque hayan costado tanto tiempo. Quedarán estupendas llenas de libros.Me gusta mucho los asientos en los ventanales.
    Veo que has disfrutado de tu viaje y has visto partes de España encantadoras.

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  30. Hi Giac! Love the room! Your skills are phenomenal! Loved the pictures of one my favorite cities, Barcelona, as well. Sorry you had a bad experience at Evolve. I heard that one of the three miniature stores had closed there. Glad to hear Ananda is still operating, isn't she the most friendly lady at this store?!

    I visited your lovely city of Montreal just last week. Lots of inspiring architecture there as well, plus the food!

    Have a wonderful Christmas!
    Wanda

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  31. As always, your creations look absolutely amazing and your attention to detail is wonderful. Glad you enjoyed your travels. Merry Christmas from KT Miniatures and Happy New Year. Celia

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  32. Oh wow your new kitchen is going to be fantastic! I love the drawing of it. Grand! Thanks for sharing the trip photos---

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  33. As always it's great to see a new post from you - as always so full of miracles and opportunities to shout "ah" and "oh"... I can hardly imagine the effort you put in these shelves with not only gluing but carving the holding lines but I understand this was worth it... so much better than thinking "Aaahrrrgggg... why didn't I fix them better!!!" for a lifetime... *LOL* It's always amazing to see how structured you go into this - from sketch to drawing to dry built to a miracle. Wonderful, amazing work as always - and although it's somehow a shame to redo the kitchen but you're right... it's not big enough for a manor. Well, you have the work and we have the fun looking at your progress. - Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures and your story about that shop made me grin. I remember a student friend of mine who once said aloud when leaving a bakery where we were treated really unfriendly "And excuse us for buying here!" - I saved this well in my mind in case I should need this again. *grin*

    Hugs
    Birgit

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  34. Just gorgeous as always Giac, The bookcase shelving is so wonderfully done in the space. The hall already looks so grand! I can already picture wondrous gold lined books in those spaces ;)


    your kitchen plans are just stunning, I love how you've placed the work space along the wall and it draws the eye along the space.

    Great work so far sir, wondrous plans to come!

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  35. Hi Giac!
    Good to hear from you again and to learn that you've had agreat trip also.
    That kitchen is going to be so awesome no doubt, but I love the "old" kitchen as well, so I can understand reactions to the plan.
    As always it is a pleasure to learn from you how you are handling a room and tackling any upcoming difficulties.
    It shows that you give each room a lot of thinking, they are beautiful, each one of them.
    I was wondering, if the backs of the bookcases are illustration board and the front is glass, aren't the bookcases going to tilt forward?
    You both and family And friends have a great december+Christmas!
    Hugs,
    Gee

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  36. Just what I was looking for...a library and bookcases. My daughter and I went to Palermo a few days ago and came back with about 10 books, as we cannot get English language books here in our town. Wonderful work Giac! Hugs!

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  37. Just what I was looking for...a library and bookcases. My daughter and I went to Palermo a few days ago and came back with about 10 books, as we cannot get English language books here in our town. Wonderful work Giac! Hugs!

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  38. Hola Giac! Esa librería te ha quedado espectacular! Cuanta perfección y ahora la tendrás que llenar de pequeños libros supongo, me alegra mucho que hayas disfrutado en mi país, España está llena de bellas ciudades, la próxima escapada anímate a venir a Granada, un abrazo

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  39. Welcome back, Giac! Your trip sounds wonderful (except for the unpleasant shopkeeper) and all the photos are beautiful. But most of all I enjoyed seeing all your new plans. The library will be amazing - the bookcases are already amazing and not even finished! The window seats are the perfect thing. I am so looking forward to seeing the completed room. And I would like to live in that new kitchen, even though I don't cook. (Well, I barely and rarely cook.) I want to just sit and admire the huge range! As I've said before, your work reaches such perfection that it's sheer pleasure to read your posts and watch your progress. I hope you have lots of time to spend on the manor during the holidays. Enjoy!
    Marjorie

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  40. Hi Giac,
    Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and let your instinct lead you. It doesn't matter wich rooms you work on, they all turn out beautifully.

    I'm pleased you enjoyed the wonderful city of Barcelona, the architecture there is mind boggling.

    Have a wonderful Christmas.
    Hugs,
    X

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  41. Hello Giac,
    How lovely it is to see a post from you. I am glad to hear you both had a lovely holiday and the work you have already done to your manor is fantastic. Your dry run looks brilliant, and is a tempting teaser for what's to come!!
    Looking forward to more.
    All the best
    Vivian

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  42. Bonjour Giac, Je découvre, je reste "bouche bée" devant tant de merveilles, j'apprends aussi sans oublier, je voyage !
    Que de délicieux moments passés à chacun de vos messages.
    A bientôt! joce

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  43. Wow, Giac, das ist ja großartig geworden, Sie sind ein ganz großer Künstler, ich liebe all Ihre Werke, man sieht selten etwas so detailgetreues wie bei Ihren Arbeiten, ein ganz großes Lob! Die Bibliothek ist ein Traum, auch all die Entwürfe, der Wahnsinn!!!! Super, fantastisch :-)
    Ich wünsche Ihnen ein schönes Weihnachtsfest und freue mich schon auf weitere Werke von Ihnen!

    Hugs

    Uschi

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  44. Me maravilla la forma tan minuciosa en que trabajas. Esa biblioteca está quedando maravillosa. Le pones mucho tiempo e interés, pero sobre todo, arte y buen gusto.
    Me alegro de que lo hayas pasado bien en mi pais.
    Un abrazo fuerte

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  45. Wow your library is looking magnificent already.Another feast for the eyes :) I love your kitchen but you must follow your dream and I know that I will love your new kitchen even more. Thank you Giac for sharing your beautiful pictures. Have a wonderful Dec and may Christmas bring you and your family all you wish for.
    Hugs Maria

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  46. Hi Giac!
    Nice to see you back and I hope you have had a nice trip to Europe!
    The room is already amazing and I see forward when it is ready.
    I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas.
    Big hug
    Titti

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  47. Ciao Giac i tuoi lavori proseguono e sono sempre speciali. Grazie per averci mostrato questi bei posti.
    Un abbraccio!

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  48. Hi Giac, what fun you are having with refurbishing and expanding your "mini house"! Frustrating too when what we envisage does not equal reality.
    It will all be worth the effort and we enjoy watching the details of your process. Love the settees wondering how you will upholster them. Hope all will be revealed in due course.
    All the best for the Christmas season and New Year to you and yours.
    Regards Janine

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  49. Thanks for all your great pictures and descriptions, love following your work. I am sad to see the kitchen go, however you are quite right and I look forward to see progress on the new one. I have been to Barcelona twice and enjoyed it a lot. A lot to see. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas. Blessings, Pam in Norway xx

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  50. You work so hard on your beautiful rooms, it is no wonder they look so perfect. Thank you for showing how you did the bookcases, you give me inspiration. Sorry the lady was so rude to you. The next shop panned out just right. Sometimes there is a reason for things that happen. Barcelona is beautiful. Have a wonderful Holiday and will visit again soon. Hugs, LJ

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  51. How MARVELOUS your plans for the Library and the Kitchen are looking Giac!!! I am in 100% agreement that that tiny Bodo stove could NEVER satisfy the needs of the cook OR the master of this Grand Estate, and I fear that the end result would eventually lead to your cook, taking his/ her skills elsewhere, because an unhappy chef is a unhappy household.
    And I think that your MANOR is developing into a MUSEUM PIECE, Giac. Your work may be inspired by the Thorne Rooms but now it appears that they are also the equivalent of them too!
    SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!!!!

    elizabeth

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  52. Wow, Giac! You are expanding the renovations? WOW!!! The kitchen plans look grand.... very properly Manorial! And the library is looking wonderful too. It is a good idea to add the durability to the shelving... the more I build, the more I want to make sure that my creations will endure the upheaval of use! As for the ballroom floor.... well, it does look rather busy like that....but now I can't wait to see what you are going to do!
    Your visit to Europe sounds like it was heavenly! Great weather, calm seas, and fantastic places to see! I remember seeing The Brighton Pavilion many years ago, and I was completely unprepared for the exotic magnificence of it all!
    I hope your Holidays are peaceful and fulfilling and that you have plenty of time for building! We all want to see these plans come to fruition! LOL!

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  53. A post with a lot of interesting things. What you've already done for the library is really great I can't wait to see more. the drawing for the kitchen is very appealing.
    Geneviève

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  54. Amazing job Giac! that's a true artist! haha

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  55. Hi Giac,
    Love the current kitchen, cannot wait to see your new vision. Thank you for the lovely updates. Happy holidays.
    Ceme

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  56. I'm always speechless when I visit your blog.
    It annoys me that I have to explain me in a language other than my main language.
    I would like to express my admiration for your skills. It seems that you can do everything. EVERYTHING.
    The fine shelves, everything is always so complete. What exactly is your background to make this accomplished craftsmanship.
    I am again impressed and would like to see it in reality, when you're done you should try to get your house exhibited in Europe. That would be amazing.
    Hugs
    Wyrna

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  57. Absolutely amazing, as always! Your work is such an inspiration!

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  58. Hi Giac, such a pleasure to hear from you again! I'm glad to read you've had such a wonderful vacation and it sounds amazing! Beautiful places you've been, I think the Bristol paviljon is indeed an extraordinary building, quite un-British too :D. And I've been in Barcelona once and from what I've seen, it was quite a remarkable city. Mmm.. that sounds very unpleasant how that woman of the store treated you, I don't get that.. not as a person, to another person, but as a store-owner not very smart either.. Anyway, luckily the other experience was much better! :D. I think your bookcases look wonderful and smart to make the grooves! Aah... the kitchen too?! Well I do get it, it makes sense ;). Good luck with all that and I wish you the best of holidays and I look forward to your progress next year!!

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  59. Glad to hear you and Joe had a good vacation.
    The renovations are stunning, as always. I'm really looking forward to your plans for the kitchen. It's one of my favourite rooms to decorate =0)

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  60. Your talent never ceases to amaze me, Giac! Beautiful work. Love your pictures of your trip to Europe too. Now I want to visit Barcellona!! Happy holidays and hugs

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  61. Hi Giac, you're a NUMBER ONE!!! Really a wonderful ARTIST!!! Whit ammiration, bye and great week! NI

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  62. Hey Giac, the new plans for the kitchen are amazing. I agree with you that Barcelona is one of the best cities in the world. The food, the city, the people, the culture, it is really one of the best places to visit in Europe. All the best for the Christmas season and New Year to you and yours.
    Hugs AM

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  63. omg! is all a masterpiece of architecture, Giac! an impeccable job.
    A big hugs :0)

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  64. Hi Giac, I've been looking out for an update !
    It all looks fantastic and so real. I love your 'dress rehearsal' - such a good idea. This really is a labour of love ^_^ xx

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  65. Hola Giac, que maravilloso trabajos haces, siempre es un placer visitar tu blog. Me alegro mucho que hayas disfrutado de tu viaje y hayas visitados tantos sitios estupendos.
    Te deseo unas Felices Fiestas Navideñas.
    Un abrazo
    Isabel

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  66. Hi Giac,
    You definitely give your kindness back..twofold! I loved seeing your vacation photos...I have never been to Europe, but someday I will and I'm sure be in awe over the amazing architecture and energy that is there. My cousin currently lives in Barcelona and he raves about how incredible the city is.
    It's so cool to see your drawings come to life. I am so impressed by the bookshelves and your plans for the new kitchen. I am with Jo when it comes the window seats! It's great to hear from you, as always and I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas. :)

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  67. Hello Giac, glad you had a good holiday, it’s good to have you back. As ever I am so impressed with your work, your bookcases are amazing, you are so dedicated to doing everything authentically, my library is just a room with bookcase wallpaper, I am going to put a medallion floor in though, but it will be a ready made one. If I get another dolls house after I finish this one I will attempt to make as much as possible, inspired by you :-) I haven’t been to Barcelona, everyone says how gorgeous it is, I must get round to it soon. Very best wishes for a Happy Christmas

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  68. What a fantastic post that was to read. (I read it more than once) and I'm pleased to see that you enjoyed your holiday so much (shame about the shop assistant though!). I love your plans for the Manor and can't wait to see your new kitchen evolve.

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