First flight

The floor of the second half of the shop floor is complete. Here it is part fitted with just one coat of stain.



I've also assembled and stained the staircase which will be secured into place once I'm finished decorating this room. The next step is to decide on furniture and fitments, inkeeping with a vintner's, and add cornicing and skirting boards.

Posters and cheese

I've placed some of the cheese in the shop. And the victorian posters are simply printouts of internet images. And check out the cornicing!



Here's the left hand side of the shop, painted and ready for woodwork. I'll be laying a floor, adding cornicing and skirting boards, and of course building the staircase. The latter is already cut, requiring only glueing and staining.

Half of the shop is nearly finished

I've just about finished half of the shop. The fixtures are now glued in. All there is to do is cornicing, and painting the arch. Of course I'll need more shop goods to sell, so will be making miniature cheese and looking to buy Victorian groceries.

Shop fittings

The shelving unit was easy other than the curved edges which took a couple of tries as the wood split. Wood used is lime, although the backing, and side shelving units are made of balsa, much easier to cut but not as durable.

Next step is to stain the wood.

Shopfitting

A food shop, that's what its going to be. Selling exactly what I'm not sure, but I've learned that there were wine shops and cheese shops in Victorian times, so I'll merge the two with some upmarket groceries.

Pictures of old Victorian food shops show intricate fittings and shelves to the ceilings: an overall efficient use of space.

Today I decided that I'd fit out the shop as well as use my freestanding furniture. I bought some basswood which is fairly easy to cut to shape (and would likely be even easier if I wasn't using a hacksaw).

Newly acquired skirting boards and cornicing came in very useful. The skirting board, backed with lolly sticks, fixed to a length of basswood makes a great frontage to the fitted units. Some cornicing has enabled the shelf to sit neatly and squarely on top.

I've cut out two strips for the shelf side supports, and three shelves. The lights will sit either side of this centre unit. So as not to have the centre shelves too dark, I'm shaping the bottom of the supports.

Next I will cut a facia to give the impression that the unit and shelves are fitted, rather than freestanding.

The rough plan:


The skirting fitted (with modification to fit over a raised floorboard):






The cutaways on the supports:


These glasses are made of real glass:

Chimney breast

A fireplace is just a feature if there isn't a stocky chimney breast to make it stand proud. If you've been looking carefully you will have noticed that the left chimney on this house isn't well placed: it lines up with the staircase. That's been bugging me for a while and its something I'll be looking out for with my next house.

I've built a chimney breast tonight out of strong card. It will be wallpapered as part of the main wall. One of the photos below looks remarkably realistic.

Second coat of shop paint, and lights!

This morning I gave the shop a second coat of green paint, it now looks great. Small, light brushes of paint have helped to keep it as smooth as I can.

I fitted the two shop lights, very fiddly stuff. I've fitted a socket at the back of the house that will connect to all the light fittings.

Straightforward photo:


Camera setting changed to suit the lighting:


With some of the furniture and a doll:



Technical stuff:


Lolly sticks topped and tailed, ready for staining for the remaining floor section downstairs.

Sandwiches, books and a grocer's box

Tonight I've made more sandwiches, which need 'filling'.



I made two books from scratch, using balsa wood and paper, plus a leathery-type of paper for the sides.



I made a grocer's box and lightly varnished it. Here it is filled with some polymer clay fruit I made a while back.

Bricking, and painting walls

I've started to brick the left wall, but it is taking ages!

Also gave a first coat to the shop wall, a light green. More of a Georgian colour than Victorian, but no matter, it will suit a food shop. I've left space around the edges for the cornicing and the skirting boards (the glue doesn't stick as well to paint).