More and more of what I now create is hand-made. For this project, I wanted to make some kind of upholstered furniture. This and my love of mid-century decor led me to create this miniature scene. It is based on a recent IKEA advertisement because the mid-century design had again become popular.
It took hours and a few attempts to create the sectional seating and the chair. The IKEA advertisement included the "real life" measurements for the sectional, which I then converted to the 1:12 scale. This part of the process was much easier than the upholstery. The chair was created in the same way.
The cabinet behind the sectional was made with 1.5mm balsa wood using measurements provided in the IKEA advertisement and converted to the 1:12 scale. It was then covered with a wood stain. For the shelves, I found the measurements from a shelving unit that was being sold in Brussels. Again, I converted the measurements to the 1:12 scale, made the unit using 1.5mm basswood, and painted it black.
The hanging art was copied from the Internet (artist Harris G. Stone), reduced to the 1:12 scale, and attached to a wood backing. The clock was challenging but fun! to create. It was made using stick pins with a black bead at one end and wood pieces cut in a shape used in popular, mid-century wall clocks.
For the curtains, I bought the panels in "real-life" sizes, cut them down to the 1:12 scale, and used a process to make them look like real curtains. The process involves pinning the fabric to foam board in the shape you want the fabric to appear, then spraying it with clothes starch. This process was also used to make the blanket lying on the sectional.
As with all my miniature projects, this was a lot of fun to make!
Completed Project
Inspiration & Measurements from IKEA
Other Inspiration & Measurements
The measurements were used as a guideline to make the chair.
lay across the sectional. First, the foil is placed on top of the
sectional, and pins are used to keep it in place, then spray starch
is used to keep the fabric in place. After the starch dries, the pins
and foil are removed, and the stiff fabric is placed on the sectional.