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I'm very anxious to get this project up again...it was hastily taken down when we had a flood. Basically the entire doll room was packed up in less than 2 hours, I had 5 helpers...and well...life, the dollroom got really scrambled.
I'm doing an overview to show you the project's inception and some finished bits, before I unpack the "Grand Hotel" which I renamed the GrandView.
This takes up so much space, an entire 6 foot table with the bakery kitchen extension that no one has even seen yet, just some posts on working on it.
The Grand Hotel I found for $10 was faded in poor condition with dead electrical, doors missing, no accessories, but the elevator worked.
Wood laid out to increase the height of the first floor. Blue tape is where the new wall will be constructed. Pillars are Cake pillars which will support the new second floor.
I wanted to make a couple of condo's upstairs and two shops and a small office downstairs, also a lobby area across from the doors.
Since all Mattel structures are stingy on space, I started to plan a deeper building. Here you see the structure opened flat out with some of the existing floors removed. I built new floors to make the floor 22" deep instead of the barely 12" it was.
I added a wood 2"x4" wood foundation made to look like concrete to raise the main floor and increase the height to the ceiling. The new outside walls were to be created by foam core. the entire piece rests on a plywood base.
To keep the construction process entertaining I had Lara as overseer of the project and Russell the contractor participating in the design and problems.
I even had guys working on the building...that post is actually FUN!
I even did posts of the dolls...on and off the job. LOL.
Adding that 'footing' of wood made all difference in the height.
There was tons of measuring and lots of trial and error...here the floor is laid out before gluing to the new plywood floor. The wood 2x4's are trimmed and painted to look like concrete.
The small white blocks are for the pillar bases to make pillars line up to evenly support the second floor.
This shows you what had to be added to create the lobby of the building. The blue tape defines the open atrium area on the second floor.
Of course I made poster board patterns...the elevator had to be left open to function. The right side would become a 'studio' condo.
Russell and Lara checking out the new floor. Note how the elevator levels to the new floor---WIN!
Which ended up looking like this when 'tiled' to match the downstairs.
The atrium was filled with plants windows and railings on the second floor.
The condos were restored with cobbled parts from thrift store Barbie structures and windows.
Side and back walls were foam core and secured with velcro as well as the pillars. This is still early in the construction...the hole in the wall is for a built-in cooler for the bakery.
my tile...I tweaked until I got just the shades of color I wanted.
Bakery window and outside eating area.
Old Mattel counter redone....and lit with battery lights. The upper shelves are a makeup organizer from a thrift store.
A two story stained glass window was 'uncovered' in the demolition..a supposed restyle that was covered it up in the 1920's. The 'window' was printed on pieces of vellum and mounted on plexiglass which filled the back atrium hole with a planter and an added settee.
The atrium becomes a meeting place to share a cup of coffee and some delicious bakery from Sindy's Patisserie.
The Grand Hotel restoration into the GrandView. BMR Ltd. decided on a refined palette of colors... lengthy posts on painting are available at the end of this post.
Salon Jacquie before finishing the remodel. All fixtures were from thrift store finds and redone.
Nail station...repainted from YUCKY Barbie pink.
Remodel of chairs was simply a repaint of acrylic mixed with lots of medium to 'stain' the fabric.
Sadly the opening of the GrandView coincided with the shut down of the US from Covid and all the ramifications of no business operations in Chicago at that time.
Since I have many young viewers...I did stories with dolls masked...trying to solve their life's problems.
If you are interested in the actual DIY construction and the planning process...simply search Hotel or follow these links.
These are all mostly construction information posts, there are lots of story posts of the residents, events, holidays...so enjoy my Doll world surrounding
the Grand Hotel...renamed the GrandView.
As, you can see...I can't wait to put it up again!
Any questions, or comments I will be happy to answer, just pop it in the comments or send me an email.
Thanks so much for visiting,
I will post at the following Link Parties, I hope you visit them.
BarbieOldNewGreenRedo, is an ad-free blog.
I do not endorse or receive any $$ for any products I may use. I enjoy showing how I use products,
but I do not receive any $$ from anywhere I shop.
Sandi
