Upgrading a building on Sweethome Chicago

[Jon Grant 4472]

When I first built Sweethome Chicago in 2005, I was modelling to an exhibition deadline, so had to make the buildings quickly. This meant that a lot of the detailling had to be left out.

I have now revisited one of the first buildings 'Val's Country Kitchen', which sits right at the front of the layout in the most photographed area, and am finally adding some detailling




I've pulled the building off the layout, pushed out all the windows, hacked off the roof, and scraped off any uneven paint to get it ready for a make-over.

The first job was to build an interior, which was done with cardstock. I have attached some cut-out interior photos (resized) from Railroad Graphics http://larcproducts.com and added a light bulb - no point in doing an interior if you can't see the darn thing.

Here's the progress so far








I am still trying to find some photos for the store window displays and will post some pics when I get them done.

Jon

[P5se Camelback]

... The first job was to build an interior, which was done with cardstock. I have attached some cut-out interior photos (resized) from Railroad Graphics [url="http://larcproducts.com"]larcproducts.com[/url] and added a light bulb - no point in doing an interior if you can't see the darn thing. ... Jon

Jon ... I have a feeling that the "quotation marks" around the URL part of your intended link is what's causing to not link. If you were to Edit what is there and remove the quotation marks, I think you'd have a usable link.

Just a thought ...

[Jon Grant 4472]

Sorted, Bil. Thanks for the heads up

Jon

[nachoman]

What is the origin of the building? Is that a standard kit?

[Jon Grant 4472]

What is the origin of the building? Is that a standard kit?

It's one from the DPM range (#113) Carol's Corner Cafe

Jon

[nachoman]

I thought it looked DPM, but the some of the details around the windows look different.

[Jon Grant 4472]

I thought it looked DPM, but the some of the details around the windows look different.

It's not part of the modular range, but a 7 part kit in it's own right - 4 walls, a roof, a chimney and a pole that fits under the overhang outside the door (which I forgot to put on when I originally built the kit).

They also do several other very nice distinctive buildings in the range

Jon

[P5se Camelback]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!

Really fun avatar, Jon!!!

[Jon Grant 4472]

I have been doing some further work on the interior insert.

The basic walls are made from 1.5mm card, with the photographic interiors stuck on.

I trawled the internet for 1930s window displays. Naturally, the best ones I found were in black and white, so I coloured them in after cutting out the parts I wanted and making a collage.

The store itself looks like it will be a general goods, jewellery, candy and drug store - something of everything (is the phrase bric-a-brac common in the US?)










Next task is to repaint the window frames and add the glazing.

Jon

[Jon Grant 4472]

I added the glazing after painting the windows and woodwork in 2 shades of green - the blue looked a bit garish next to the colourful window displays.










I will be redoing some of the green, as these photos show up some areas of blue. I'll also be adding some lighting above the displays and some white writing on the windows, before fabricating a couple of awnings and working on the upstairs.


Jon

[Gary S]

Very nice work, Jon. That's gonna look grand once it is back in place on the layout, and we are looking through the windows. That's alot of detail in there!

[ocalicreek]

Jon,

Yes, bric-a-brac is a common US phrase. I built a Carol's Corner Cafe a while back (one of my very first DPM kits, if not the first I ever asssembled) and seems to me I left off the corner post also. I think it looks better without it.

The interiors are nice! Your window display has an almost 'python-esque' animation feel to it, if you know what I mean. I think it's the older graphics colored so vividly. Nice.

Galen

[Jon Grant 4472]

I started to repaint the bricks and redid the green woodwork, before adding lighting to the window displays.










Now for the upstairs, complicated a bit by the wiring for the lights


Jon

[radivil]

I thought it looked DPM, but the some of the details around the windows look different.

I did too, and I'm curious about something. I don't know how to ask it without coming off as being mean. But when I look at the Carol's Corner Cafe I have and the one on the woodland scenics site, its different than this building in a lot of ways. Is it modified or some other structure? Like I said, I don't want to come off the wrong way but it looks different than any DPM kit I've ever seen.

[P5se Camelback]

I thought it looked DPM, but the some of the details around the windows look different.

... when I look at the Carol's Corner Cafe I have and the one on the Woodland Scenics site, its different than this building in a lot of ways. Is it modified or some other structure? ...

There are some minor differences, which could easily be explained away by when the kit was purchased and who owned the tooling at the time and also if the tooling had been modified to more coincide with the look of the tooling of later products in the range or even if it had been totally redone for some reason.

The most obvious difference is up at the cornice ...
... this from the Woodland Scenics Web Site (current owner of DPM) ...


And Jon's version of Carol's Cafe ... where the window lintel trim is also different ...


Those two details make a considerable difference in the overall appearance of the structure as you ncan see when you compare them ...

... Hmmmmmm ...

... Geez! Now that I can see them side-by-side (well, above-and-below each other) ... you are right! They each have four walls, three windows across the front and five along the side ... beyond that ... not really much in common as far as architectural details go!

I don't know ... I'm perplexed! Could it be a U.S. version and a diiferent one for the UK and Europe?