Hello my dear friends,
It has been quite a week changing the routine as the older kids where off to school. Firstly I wanted to welcome a new follower of my blog. Welcome Leena!
I have worked a little bit more on my Toll House and I am really enjoying it. I am also thinking of writing a short story to go with it. It adds more meaning to the property especially when trying to create something which was truly built and used in the past. Here is the first part.
"The Old Toll House"
It was an early morning
when Lord Gilmore was passing through the toll bridge gates returning home from
his long trip. His carriage stopped at a halt to pay the toll. The coach man
turned to his master. "Sir, one of the Turnpike Trust members would like
to have a word with you."
Lord Gilmore climbed down to see what the matter
was all about. "Lord Gilmore, pardon us for keeping you from proceeding
but we would like to speak to you privately. As you might have heard the late
owner of this particular toll house has passed away and now it is for sale. We
are looking for a responsible man like yourself to take it under your
wings."
Lord Gilmore being a great man of principle
and a very wise merchant looked at the old toll house. The toll house stood
there as long as his mind could remember. It was a personal marker to show him that he
was close to home. The toll house looked pitiful. Very evident the previous
owner neglected the two roomed dwelling. He was lost in his thought and without
thinking he simply said. "It does need some restoration."
"Yes my lord it has seen better days....but,
I am sure that it can be renovated in no time in your power. Sir you are the
only one that the Turnpike Trust can see fit for such a task."
Lord Gilmore nodded and wondered what his
children would think especially his youngest daughter."So be it, we will
meet again tomorrow for arrangements"
The deal was done and after several weeks the renovation
works started on the old Toll House. A new extension was built to one of it’s
sides and the inner walls where plastered and covered. Tiles where laid and
from the shabby looking toll house it turned out to be warm and glamorous. The
only original feature that the new land lord kept inside the old toll house was
the slab flooring in the upper room. Lord Gilmore was so
pleased with the new look of the Toll House that now belonged to him.
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| The New refurbished Toll House |
So after finishing the extension which is now a pantry. It was time to go for the other two rooms. The only part that I didn't change from the ground floor room was actually the stair case that I have added myself to the kit. I have removed the paper from it and painted it in dark brown paint. I then high lighted it with some light brown shading. I have also added a wall to hide the staircase as I didn't like how it looked. You barley could see what was underneath the stair case.
I have scratched built the book case which is found in the wall underneath the staircase. I wanted to add something a bit more special to it. I have gone through the histories of toll houses and their use. Toll Houses where easy targets for robbers and pirates. Everyone knew that they kept a good amount of money and they where on the outskirts of the villages. Most toll house owners kept two stashes of money. One stash with a small amount of money was kept in a safe which was visible for anyone who came and the other stash which would consist of a big lump of money would be kept in a secret compartment. I have made a secret passage door behind the book case which also serves as a secret compartment. You can also see a book case inside the secret chamber which I have printed.
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| The scratch built book case that I have made |
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| The Secret room behind the book case |
I didn't find the right wall paper that I imagined this room in. I wanted something Victorian but with a masculine touch. I found this real wall paper pattern, downsized it and printed it from my home computer. Then I decided that I wanted to add some wood wall paneling to the walls. Looking at the pattern of the pantry's door a simple idea came to my mind. I have used some strips of wood and lolly sticks which afterwards I have wood stained and varnished matching the book case and the pantry door. And this is how the whole drawing room looks like.
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| The Drawing room |
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| The door leading to the pantry |
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| The stair case behind the wall leading to the upper room |
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| The hidden room behind the book case |
After the drawing room was complete I started working on the upper room which will be turned into the bedroom. I have used cobble stone effect tiles for the room's floor. Probably you will be asking why I used floor slabs and not Victorian floor tiles like the other rooms. I have done some intense research on toll houses. Toll Houses where firstly built in the 18th Century which thinking about it goes way back Victorian times. At that time floors where made out of stone slabs and not tiles. They even had the Gothic style windows which my toll house actually has.
I have also found another real Victorian wall paper, downsized it and printed it from my computer for this bed room. I have re painted the ceilings and the wooden beams. And this is how the bed room looks like.
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| The Bed room |
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| Wall paper, ceiling and wooden beams |
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| Floor slabs |
I hope you all like what I have done so far in my Toll House. I still can't believe that it looks like this. I am really happy with then new style and the outcome of these two rooms.
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| The New Toll House |
There is still so much to add and do. I am working at the moment on the outside of the toll house before I start decorating it inside.
I have two new hand painted miniatures which you can find in my etsy Shop
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| Candle sticks, ink well and quill |
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| Edison Phonograph / gramophone 1899 model |
Will be updating you very soon with my progress on the refurbishment of my Toll House so make sure you keep tuned.
Wishing you all a very Happy weekend and see you soon. Take Care.
Hugs
Rebecca xxx
