Showing Ugly the Door

I showed ugly the door today and a beautiful thing happened. It left!

I have started to work on the Citadel. There's a lot to do, but the first step is to strip off the wallpaper and then flooring. Lolly referred me to the excellent stuff called Dif, which is a thick blue gel that you spray on wallpaper to remove it. You score the paper and then leave it on for 15 minutes and poof! AND, you don't have to pay the price with stinky, noxious fumes or caustic chemicals that will flay the skin off your fingers. :)

So, this made my job pretty pain-free. I started with one of the swinging doors. Here's the before pics:



Note the stuck-on, unappealing hanging beads...



Plus, there were two, not one, layers of the offensive paper.

Here's during the Dif..



And, the result:

Still have a ways to go, and I am wondering how difficult it will be doing the harder to reach rear walls. But, I'm pleased with this start. Now I just need more time...sigh.

When I do get to the point of actually wallpapering (I assume I'll wallpaper and leave painted walls as well), I need to get my hands on unique styles. I LOVE this paper used in a skater couple's house on the west coast -- it was featured in the NYT last week:




By the way, I couldn't resist placing some dolls in precarious situations in the Citadel. There are two central stairwells missing, but the fiesty tween thought she could manage, to Mom's horror.




Credit: Dolls are Bozart

Spotlight

This is my first attempt to introduce a working light into a scene. It's actually more glitzy than I usually like, but I figured what the heck. Also, this marks the first time I got a clue and (very easily) took out the sliding doors on the Villa Sibi. I almost did not know what to do with the middle space behind the panels that normally obscure things.



The credenza was created in a moment of desperation. I wanted something like a credenza there, but don't have one. I fear that my trademark will be turning refrigerators on their sides (I've done it before), but I think this works here.

I did how the Lucite chairs both disappear and reflect. Such a simple, effective design.



This is a "pregnant pause" moment in time -- the bongos are front and center, ready to be played.

Credits: Couch, white tables, wooden sculpture, and painting by Bozart; chandelier by Calico Critters; small lamp by AG Minis; accessories are from Ebay, Re-ment and Manor House Miniatures; dining table is vintage German; "credenza" is from Lolly's; Lucite chairs and rocking chair are Ebay finds; orange vase is vintage Fiestaware and its base is from the Villa Sibi; awesome wooden wenge stools are Paris Renfroe.