Today, I opened the kit and confirmed that it was complete. This is a laser-cut kit, so there's minimal sanding needed, and the edges are mostly smooth. Now that I've checked the kit, I can prepare it for assembly, but I want to focus on the shingles first.
In my previous Rosedale Dollhouse build, I used a "basket weave" shingle pattern for the roof and painted them. This time, I plan to use natural-looking shingles, similar to the box photo, which will require some planning. I have leftover laser-cut hexagon shingles from my last Rosedale Dollhouse build, but not enough for the entire dollhouse. Therefore, I'll need to cut octagon shingles to size.
The basket weave pattern in the box photo uses a mix of dark and light shingles. However, veneer shingles are usually very light in color, and finding darker shades is difficult because they are typically made from birch wood. To achieve a darker look, I will stain some of the shingles. My plan is to stain the leftover laser-cut shingles to serve as the "darker" ones and leave the non-laser-cut shingles their natural light color as the "light" ones. When working with laser-cut shingles, it's important to ensure the right side is facing up. You want to avoid staining or using the backsides, which tend to be blotchy due to the laser cutting process. The backs often have darkened edges and yellowish watermarks. Since the laser-cut shingles come in strips, they are easy to paint or stain.
Currently, I'm cutting shingles into a hexagon shape using a hexagon shingle as a template for the octagon ones. Octagon shingles are simple to cut into various shapes. I need to match the darker hue of the "dark" shingles in the box photo closely without making them too dark. I have two brown stains to test on sample shingles to see which works best. I've decided on a diluted dark brown paint because it looks better and resembles the picture closely. I want just a hint of stain so that the wood grain remains visible and enhances the basket weave design. Staining laser-cut shingles is straightforward since they come in strips with already dark edges. When stained, they may curl up due to moisture but will flatten out as they dry. After drying completely, stacking them with a weight will help them flatten more. It's essential to let them dry on both sides before stacking; otherwise, they might stick together and get stained unevenly.
