Typically, when I work on a new room in the Allison Jr. Farmhouse dollhouse, I blog and take you through each step of the way, but for the living room, I was just so excited that I totally forgot! Although I have not yet completed the room, I do want to give you an update on how the process began and what is complete so far. It is a lot, so get comfortable, as this is a longer post than usual.
Before wrapping up the foyer, I began to shift my attention to the 2nd-floor living room. It is the largest room on the second level, and I knew that it needed to be unique. I have always wanted this farmhouse to feel cozy, warm and inviting, and that is what I kept in mind as I created the design plan.
As always, I began with an inspirational picture, and this one is from a remodel that Joanna Gaines did (The Carriage House Rental) and featured on her show Fixer Upper. I remember that when I saw it on television, I knew right away that I wanted to design a room that felt similar. Her skillful renovation included gray built-ins that flanked a unique fireplace with white shiplap, black accents, and different textures. All of these served as the inspiration for the room that I am now creating in this dollhouse.
To begin, I knew that the built-ins were a priority, so I ordered two of these bookcases and sprayed them in Rust-Oleum’s Inspire Paint + Primer in Winter Gray. This shade is darker than the other gray tones I’ve used so far in the house, but the bookcases stand out now against the white on this wall.
Speaking of shiplap, Yay! This wall came out better than I could have hoped. I added the shiplap in between the bookcases and on top so that it would be visible behind the fireplace. The fireplace originally came in a dark brown color, but I sprayed it white (it took a couple of coats), painted it’s trim in the same color as the bookcases and painted the bricks black. In the future, I plan on adding realistic-looking wood logs and inserting a blinking red light to simulate fire.
To continue to tie in this level to the first floor, I added more shiplap halfway up the walls to the entire room. To add that cozy feel, I chose a blue-gray toned wallpaper that has the texture of grasscloth and it is made with wool. It was an inexpensive find at Michaels that felt very sturdy and that I knew would look lovely in this space.
Since this room will serve several functions, I wanted to differentiate the wall where the door is from the rest of the space. In keeping with the neutral tones and natural textures, I added cork to the top portion instead of the blue wallpaper. This space will be the future musical corner, and so I wanted to make it feel unique. It isn’t yet finished, so it looks bland at the moment, but imagine this beautiful french door in white and dark walnut wooden beams on the ceiling. I cannot wait!
Speaking of the ceiling, I still went with the same boards that I used on the first level, but I did not want to paint them in white since there is already so much white shiplap in this room. Instead, I stained them a warm oak color that reveals all of the details in the material.
To conclude what turned out to be a few weeks worth of work, I added matte black lights to the room; installing a picture light above each bookcase that I think will highlight the pretty pieces, and adding a five-arm chandelier that has a rustic feel.
I have yet to install the light itself completely but have connected it to the power source to make sure it works. I can already envision the space once it completed and I am very excited.
Thank you for following along on this journey and until next time!
Mildred
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