The posts in this series are (or will be):

• Introduction
• Survey of the exterior of the box
• Plan of the space inside the box
• Exterior prep
• Exterior finish
• Interior prep
• Windows
• Fireplace
• Walls
• Ceiling
• Floor
• Finish trim
• Shadowbox scenery

This project ties in with Captain Stone’s Study. The study is in an ell off of the family home and this bedroom is on the second floor of the house. The room will have two windows on the back wall that look out onto the street, and one window to the right that looks out on the side yard, carriage house and the neighbor next door. The left wall will have a fireplace in the foreground and a door to the hallway further down the wall. Wainscoting below and wallpaper above the chair rail and a finished ceiling tell that this was not a room intended as a nursery, but rather a guest room pressed into service.

I hope that this series inspires you to do a detailed project of your own. If there is anything I can do to help you get started or keep going on your projects please contact me anytime.

Now, on to part 1! Let’s meet the box…

This is the third roombox I have purchased from this same manufacturer. I really like the designs and this one is a special request by me for a wider single-room version. These boxes are made one-by-one in a small wood shop, so each one has its own character. This one has joints that are a bit sloppy and a few other blemishes that will need to be filled. Do I sound a bit critical? Sorry. The problem is me, I’ve gotten picky. Things that I hardly noticed in the past jump to my eye, now. Probably time that I start making my own boxes.

This is what the box will look like once assembled. The drawer is three inches deep so that it can hold most furniture items that I might seasonally swap out of a room. The room is about 10″ deep and 15″ wide on the inside. For a pine box it has decent details on the edges. The walls a 1/4″ plywood that has a finished birch veneer on the exterior.

My biggest disappointment with this design, and it is my own fault, is that the drawer front is plywood. I should have specified a solid pine face with detailed edges for the drawer.

Perhaps I’m a little different from the average person, but I really like the character of pine, especially the knots. This is the floor of the room and it will stay much like what you see here. It will be stained and I will impress some lines on it to give the appearance of wide, pine floor boards, so the size of these knots is just about perfect.

Here is a close up that shows a couple of the shortcomings of my design and the use of pine. See the edge of the drawer? It will be more noticeable after staining because the stain will darken this end grain more that the rest of the wood around it. And see the chips at the corner of the floor? Pine is too soft to hold detail, edges, and corners well. Trade offs. Pine is lighter and less expensive. You save on materials and shipping, but you have to compromise.

The drawer on this model is deeper than previous models, as I mentioned above. Going from 2.25 to 3 inches makes a big difference is useability, but not much difference in price or looks. The overall height is a little taller, but the wider box can handle it.

The walls fit into the base pretty well and will be plenty snug enough for wallpapering and fitting wainscoting. The inside surface of the plywood is a little rough for gluing paper, so we’ll need to prime and sand for a smooth surface.

The top of the box will have a bit more character than I would like, but this unit will probably have another box on top of it when displayed, so it won’t often be seen.

So, there’s our quick flyover. This is going to be a fairly lengthy project and I will likely not finish it before Christmas, but I hope you can follow along and maybe join in with a similar project of your own. Let me know what you think of this plan and help me make an even better piece by sending your suggestions!

One parting shot of the assembled box with the plexi front partially open. Kind of an action shot ;-) Stay tuned for the next installment of this project where we plan out the use of the interior space and start cutting holes in the walls!

Articles in the Bulfinch Bedchamber series:

• Introduction
• Survey of the exterior of the box
• Plan of the space inside the box
• Exterior prep
• Exterior finish
• Interior prep
• Windows
• Fireplace
• Walls
• Ceiling
• Floor
• Finish trim
• Shadowbox scenery

For instance, Captain Joshua Stone, proprietor of the shipping agency depicted in Capt. Stone’s Study has a time (1790), a place (Boston area), a name, a career, and even a family. He is not a historical figure, but everything about him, from his name to the maps in his office, is detailed in my story of his life. Stone is a family name, and that branch entered America at Boston during Colonial times and lived in the environs for a number of generations. There were a number of sea captains who lost their ships and their livelihoods during the War for Independence, as Capt. Stone did, and I just imagined a new career for him after the war. I also decided that he did not start a family until later years, due to his busy early life, so he has a young child, now.

This story gives me parameters in which to work and a window of time and place where I can research interesting historical facts, art, architecture, furnishings, clothing, materials, and modes of life. These facts do restrict some my options somewhat, but the extra effort that I will put in to historical accuracy makes the settings useful as tools for teaching as well as for decoration and enjoyment. The first one that they teach is the maker. After that it is up to me to share the story of the scene with others, whether in passing as they happen to see the piece on display, or on purpose by teaching my children, grandchildren, and my communities about the historical setting and the realities of the time period.

With the idea set, now I have a bit of work to do. I don’t know a lot about fashion in Boston bedrooms in 1790. Time for some research! I already have a couple of books on furniture that will help me to figure out what would be available in Boston in 1790. Both “modern” (to the time) pieces and older furniture items and art would be in the room. As a former sea-captain, the master of the house would have access to things from around the world, but since at least one small child is inhabiting the chamber, nothing of great value would be lying around, most likely.

There is an amount of research that can be done online. Children’s articles of clothing, toys, etc. will be easy to learn about through Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, etc. When it comes to room interiors, however, books are my primary resource. My first choice would be to pay a long visit to a museum display, like what they have at Sturbridge. That may happen at some point, but first I need to get some basic knowledge and a boat-load of questions so that my (rather expensive) visit to that living history museum west of Boston will pay real dividends. I’ll also go to the OSV web site to really target a specific couple of rooms in the village for further study and discussion.

Do you do research before creating? Or do you just work with what you have? Make it up out of your head? I’ve tried a few methods, but the way that is truest to my personality is this delving into historical detail. I enjoy the learning as much as the creating. How about you? I’d like to hear about your favorite experiences with making miniatures!