Making the Palace Interior (1) - The Basic Room

I am currently working on a new room, the Library, for the King of Wittenberg's palace. I thought you might like to know how I am making it so I will do a short series of posts on the subject. The main materials I use are paper and cardboard.

Firstly I obtain a suitable sized cardboard box. I decided on a standard room size using a CD storage box [approx size 27cm (L) x 13cm (w) x 13cm (H)], these come in a variety of colours.

The next phase is to get the basic shell of the room ready,
- cut one side of the box out (save the card it is useful for basing figs)
- decide on the wall colours. If the box interior is a suitable colour then I leave it as it is otherwise I use some 160g computer paper and cut it to size and stick on the walls
- to show the start of the celing, some 160g white computer paper is added along the top of the walls with a bit of moulding using some white mounting card
- the floor, use a tile paper (which you can buy from a Dolls house supplier); or for wooden flooring I scribe some mounting card, paint it brown and then put some satin varnish on top.

Here is the basic shell of the library...

I then add the door(s) to the room. For the pediment of large doors I use a Dolls House window pediment, for the library I wanted something smaller, so I made up one from cardboard. I make an outline with cardboard and then the individual parts. For the columns you can scribe some thick cardboard or use suitable sized wooden dowelling.

Then I add a door, simply a piece of cardboard with a paper hinge - this painted brown with the panelling outline in black pen; for a door knob I use a pin top. To complete the door I inset a picture. The library room shell with the door added ...

The King and Brother James have come to discuss how best to lay out the room and where to place the book shelves etc.

The next installment will be windows, pictures and furniture.