I'm now back in the living room. I started assembling the fireplace, which is straightforward and easy to put together. I chose to paint it all white to match the white woodwork in the dollhouse's interior. The fireplace requires a lot of finishing work.
First, I assembled it and applied the first coat of paint. Painting helps reveal gaps and imperfections that need attention. I sanded the fireplace on all sides and used spackle to fill in the gaps. After lightly sanding again, I applied a second coat of paint. To customize the fireplace, I used spackle and stencils to create raised designs that mimic carved wooden inlays. I explain this process in detail on The Gloucester Dollhouse Blog.
I printed brick paper from my computer to cover the fireplace hearth. I will dry fit this hearth into the fireplace without gluing it permanently for now. This way, I can slide it up when I install the flooring. Once the flooring is in place, I will push it down and glue it. I want the hearth to sit over the flooring, but I need to install the fireplace before laying down the flooring.
While the fireplace dried, I wallpapered the front of the staircase since that needs to be done before installing the fireplace. Getting the fireplace in place is just as challenging as positioning the staircase. I recommend sanding both the top and bottom well, then placing the top edge in position and using a rubber mallet to tap the bottom into place. It’s okay if the floor gets damaged because it will be covered, but be careful with the ceiling, as it is already wallpapered. Any damage to the ceiling paper cannot be fixed, and once the staircase is in place, you won't be able to remove it for repairs.
I placed the dollhouse on its back and used handheld weights to hold the fireplace in place while it dried. Once it was dry, I continued wallpapering the living room.
