Inside the bookstore

I've had another productive week in the workshop.  Finally did more work on the interior walls. You've seen the wall that the book shelf lays against, but I have yet to show you the window wall. This wall will not be seen from the outside, so I didn't bother wallpapering it to match the back and right side wall, also didn't have any more of that paper!  But I did paint it to match the background of the wallpaper.  I had drawn the lines for the stones on the outside wall on the wrong side initially and painting over these lines with this colour took about four coats to completely hide these lines.

You can also see I built a ledge under each window.  I thought about building low bookcases under the windows, but since you can't see them once everything was in place, I just filled in the space with beadboard that helps stabilize the recessed door.  It didn't stain well, but I think when I fill the ledges with more books, documents and maps, the variation will be hidden and again it won't be seen from the outside.

I cut the floor incorrectly, and I still need to detach this floor and fix my mistake.  I still have the piece I cut out and more of the floor tile, so as long as I can pry the floor from the walls without too much damage I should be able to fix my mistake!

I also still have to add the window trim in the coming week, and I have to distress everything with a little bit of dirty wash!

I attempted to distress the book shelf from last week's work.  I found the shine on the book covers made it difficult to age those covers.  I find that you see what you missed when you take photographs, and you can see what you need to add.  Here's the shelves before I aged them.

 

And this is afterwards.  I still think I need to do more, but it's a start.  The whole look I am trying to achieve is definitely a little unkempt and disorganized and also neglected.  Don't know if I am there yet.   Marisa, you asked if this was a shop belonging to a world traveller, great question!  I've been thinking a lot of my great great grandfather as I've created this project.  He died in 1936, the same year my father was born, so a man I've never met.  But I've heard so many wonderful things about him.  He was a bit eccentric, not formally educated, but had a fantastic memory and was a great storyteller.  I have one picture of him taken when he was in his later years.  I am thinking of reducing it and hanging it in the store.  I've decided to use his name in the store name as well.  He was a trapper, and probably never used a map to get him anywhere, but he knew his way around his hunting grounds.  So this project will be a combination of my two hobbies, miniatures and genealogy.

 

 

 

 

Here's the front on view from before the aging.

 

And this is afterwards.  You will see that the books on the top are a slightly different.  Once I glued everything in place the top got rearranged a little.  I also curled up the map that is over hanging on the edge of the shelf to give it a more worn look as well.  I think more aging is definitely required.  I've been using chaulk pastels, and this is my first time using these to age a project.  It's a little bit of trial and error on my part.

 

I have still not been brave enough to start the lighting.  It's always an area that scares me!

 

Work as continued on the wisteria and leaves, but that's just too boring to show right now!!  Thanks for all the feedback.  It's really appreciated.

 

Until the next time.....

Wanda