Day 5 and I’m still working on the engawa which I will now call the “front room”. I decided to not make little shoji (paper doors) and to leave a sort of “arch” leading from the front room to the hall. It makes the front room look bigger and I put so much work into the hall I don’t want to hide it.
A pot holder from the ¥100 shop
Just by chance, I have been working on this house right by our own engawa so I can just look at the construction as I go along. I was set to make window frames based on my own western image of a “window” but realized that Japanese window frames look a little different. they are actually easier to make in a dollhouse, so in no time at all I managed to cut and glue on the “window frames” and remaining moldings.
The sunlight makes it look great
The finished “engawa”
I had only to paint the wall I had removed but I put that aside for DD1 to paint at a later date. She did it the next day but DD2 insisted on painting too. DD1 did the more “tricky parts” around the windows and edges while DD2 was allowed to paint a large corner bit. They took about 5 minutes but seemed pretty satisfied to have been active in the renovations.
I nailed the whole wall back in place once it had dried. I debated gluing moldings and frames onto that wall but no one will ever be able to see it so I left it at that.
The stones on the outside are in rough shape in parts and I debated taking them all off and putting a blackened wood on there similar to our own house. When I consulted the girls, true to their every decision they both chose DIFFERENT options. Now I am left to come up with a decent compromise.
Until then, onto what looks like a workshop. We are going to make it a tatami room. I’m thinking a tea room but (again a different opinion) DD1 wants to make it a piano room…
Now I have to get that button off somehow, paint it and make tatami. Again, the internet is a wonder. After lots of searching and squinting at strange kanji to find the right “tatami” kits to buy (they seldom write scale in Japan) I found a perfect DIY dollhouse tatami video here!
