Under construction...


This is the first of hopefully several little Imari plates I have painted for a new room in my canal house Herengracht.  I took this photo when it was nearly finished, but not fired yet.  


The idea for the new room came to me when I finally started work on the staircase I wanted for my house. The space behind the staircase was intended to be a courtyard, but as it would be almost impossible to see it without sticking your head into the kitchen, I decided to do something different and make a little tea room or tea cabinet. 


I built the staircase from oak following a template I designed.  It wasn't easy but I now have the bare bones of the staircase.  Next I have to build the sides and make stair furniture.  I want to try and make it myself, maybe do some metal casting or have it cast for me.  That may take a while ;-)  


Next to the staircase is the entrance to the dining room.  I made two sets of double doors for this room, which of course means twelve hinges to fix.  Never a job I look forward to.  But this time, apart from losing a hinge (and despite the crawling on hands and knees with a flashlight I didn't find it again) hanging the doors went well.  I have few more jobs to do on them. 


Nothing is finished or attached yet as you can see.  


View from the dining room to the hall with the staircase.  To the left of the fireplace is the second set of doors, leading to the tea cabinet.  


In Dutch houses however, a cabinet was a little or secret room used as a work room or to house an art collection and could be anywhere in the house.   My room will be filled with oriental porcelain and be used as a little tea room.  


The wallpaper I used was given to me by a friend.  I think the colour is perfect with the Imari porcelain and forms a nice contrast with the colour in the dining room.  

The floor was made by me years ago for another house and with a tiny adjustment, was a perfect fit for this room.  I think the wood I used for it is walnut.  


View of the tea cabinet from the dining room.  It really is a tiny room.  It will just about hold a table and two chairs.  It will be lit by candles or wall sconces and maybe, I'm still thinking about it, I will make a roof light in the ceiling.  

But, lots af work to do yet.  And paint and collect more porcelain.

Comments

  1. Me gusta mucho la pintura del plato.Tus escaleras encajan y lucen perfectas,el roble tiene un tono muy bonito!
    La idea de la pequeña habitación de te,es genial,me parece perfecta,todo va encajando perfectamente y los tonos combinan muy bien!
    Besos.

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    1. Thank you Pilar! I think when everything is finished, all the colors will go together beautifully.

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  2. Votre assiette en porcelaine est très belle. J'adore les deux papier peint et je suis persuadé que votre future collection de porcelaines sera superbement mise en valeur dans cette nouvelle pièce.

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    1. Thank you Jean-Claude! I hope you are right ;-) In my mind it will all look wonderful.

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  3. Your plate is exquisite and I like your wallpapers very much, especially the blue/green one.
    Geneviève

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    1. I agree Geneviève, the blue/green one is my favorite paper as well. But I think the Chinoiserie paper is a great contrast to it. Thank you!

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  4. Wow, je Imari proseleinen bordje ziet er schitterend uit, Josje. Jouw idee om een kabinet, i.p.v. een trap te plaatsen, is een mooi plan. Het behang van beide kamers ziet er zeer luxueus uit en is zeer toepasselijk voor dit huis aan de Herengracht.
    Fijn weekend gewenst!
    Groetjes, Ilona

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    1. Dank je Ilona! Het kabinet is niet in plaats van de trap, maar een extra ruimte achter de trap. Het is dus en en. Nog beter ;-)

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  5. Independently do stairs very difficult and requires a lot of mathematical calculations. Your stairs are very good and will be even better later.
    The tea room is small and very cozy. Wallpapers are very good!

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    1. Thank you ЮЛИЯ! For some reason stairs always boggle my mind, but this time I did get it right. I don't have a mathematical mind, but with drawing and logic I came a long way ;-) Now the challenge is to continue this to the upper floors.

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  6. Ooooohhhh Josje!!! I Adore this tiny room!!! A Tea Cabinet! (I live on tea!) The red Chinoiserie wallpaper is Gorgeous and makes such a brilliant contrast with the cooler tones of the Dining Room walls! It looks like a little jewel box tucked in there! The herringbone floor is so lovely and rich looking with the brilliant walls! Oh, this room would be such a divine place to sit and have a cup of tea! What an inspired idea!!! And not to forget your stairs! Beautiful Beautiful work! That curve is so eighteenth century! I really look forward to seeing what you choose for the stair rail and balusters! And the china painting you do I think is Masterful!(I envy you the classes!) The colors and the patterns will look absolutely perfect in your Tea Room! And lastly... your hinges are so perfect! I Love doors that hinge and really work... and your hinges are attached in the true and correct manner! (A thing I still need to master!) As always, your posts are a feast for the eyes and the imagination and inspire me greatly! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Oh thank you Betsy! Your comparison to a little jewel box is perfect and exactly what I am after. I am also a tea drinker and would love a little tea room myself.
      The hinging is never something I look forward to, but with careful measuring and cutting the slots which hold the hinges it is not too difficult. A cup of tea and some patience helps too ;-)

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  7. Hi Josje,
    There is no way I could say it any better then Betsy has (DAYDREAMER). I am so in awe of all the skills you have learned in the classes you have taken, along with your talent. It is going to be a truly magnificent house. It always thrills me to see you have a new post up.

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    1. Thank you Catherine! Yes I must say I am thankful to have the opportunities to take these classes. I have learned so much!

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  8. I always love looking at your work. :D The plate is marvelous!

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  9. What talent you have for so many of the necessary skills required to create an exceptional miniature house! Love the painting on the tiny plate and think it will look splendid against the wallpaper colour and design you have selected. So looking forward to seeing further steps in the construction process....very inspirational! Cheers, Alayne

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    1. Thank you Alayne! I hope to paint many more plates and maybe some vases and figures, if I can find the blanks for them.

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  10. Me encantan los colores y motivos de los papeles utilizados en la paredes. La escalera es magnífica.

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  11. Heel mooi! This is beautiful, everything is perfectly done, can't wait to see what it will look like when it's finished. I love the wallpapers you used and think it really matches perfectly with the floor & decor! Fijn weekend!

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  12. It's absolutely gorgeous. I love the wallpaper and the colour of the panelling below. Just stunning!

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  13. The perfection of everything you do just leaves me speechless. Oh, to have a fraction of your talent!!! Love watching your progress, so thank you for letting us follo.

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    1. You're welcome Shannon, and thank you for your kind words!

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  14. I ADORE your color transitions from room to room and the way in which each space although individual, ties in with the others by incorporating hints from one into the other!
    The coral red looks Amazing through the double doors and your Marvelous Imari Ware will be set off to perfection once the rest of this "secret tea room" is firmly established.

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    1. Thank you, you're observant as ever Elizabeth! Yes, I do include hints of colour from the other rooms to tie them together. Here the green is quite obvious, but the coral red can also be found in the blue/green paper and the fireplace.

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  15. What an exciting project! It is beautiful. And your plate is a wonderful perfect match---

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  16. El plato es una maravilla, me encantan los colores. Y la escalera y los papeles son perfectos. Un gran trabajo. Un beso

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  17. I love the style of the stairs. It's one of those elements that can take up a huge footprint in a house but yours looks compact and functional. Do you fire your own plates? I'm intruiged by the process. Love the wallpaper :0)

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    1. Thank you Pepper. It was quite a struggle to keep the footprint of the stairs compact and yet make it look like a grand staircase. Or that's what the staircase going to the top stairs should become.
      This plate will be fired by Cocky Wildschut, a lady who taught us porcelain painting. But I have bought a very small kiln some time ago, so the plan is to fire my own plates. I don't make the actual plates myself, so my Imari production all depends on finding the right porcelain blanks.

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  18. Betsy said it all. I cannot add anything apart from how your posts make me feel: projected into a fairy, perfect, beautiful world. Thank you for sharing your work, it's more than inspiration, it's the stuff dreams are made of.
    Rosanna

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  19. Really admirative... especially about the plate. I adore Imari plates, I would like to be able to make my own porcelain plates too.
    Yosh

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    1. Thank you Yosh! If you have access to a kiln, I would say have a go! Maybe there is a potter or porcelain painter in your area who is able to teach you the basics and do the firing for you. I do enjoy it too and should do it more often!

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    2. By the way Yosh, I love your work and tried to follow you, but as I don't have a Google + profile (and don't want one either) it is impossible. Do you have another site, or Instagram or Facebook perhaps?

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  20. Your work is perfection. Your doors are beautiful and those stairs are amazing. I love the blue wallcovering.

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  21. Hello Josje,
    Firstly, your imari painting is beautiful. They will look beautiful in that lovely room! Secondly, Your staircase is beautifully designed. I can't wait to see more.
    Big hug
    Giac

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    1. Hello Giac! Thank you for the lovely compliments! I would love to go forward quickly on this part of project, but with so much I want to make myself (and some new techniques to learn), I'm afraid this again will be something which will take a long time before it is finished.

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  22. Hallo Josje,

    Wat een prachtig bord! Ooit zelf op keramieken gezeten en ik weet wat een precies werk dit is.
    De trap is ook erg mooi! Zoals altijd inspireert jouw blog mij zeer!

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    1. Dank je wel Veronique. Het schilderen vind ik leuk om te doen, het porselein maken doe ik niet zelf en wil ik ook niet doen. Maakte jij zelf keramiek/porselein en doe je dat nog steeds?

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