Thursday 11 April 2019

From MDF To This - Look At My Early 1900s German Style Kitchen A Year Later!

Followers of this journal may remember KT Miniatures' workshop prototype of an old German style kitchen. It featured on this journal a number of times last year. The whole project was inspired by the miniature German kitchens commonly seen around the early 1900s, and was the basis for KT Miniatures 2018 workshops. 


The kitchen project started off as four pieces of plain MDF glued together to create a floor, back and two sides. Then after some fun painting coloured squares on the floor it went from this...
...to this. 

And then after some arty painting on the wall plus construction of authentic pieces of kitchen furniture and accessories by simply using cardboard, wood, card, paint, etc. it ended up looking like this...
The German style furniture and fixtures were based on real antique dolls house items, plus the old style frieze created purely for this project, was inspired by some old dolls house wallpaper. 
The project also included replica lithographed plates, saucepans, utensils, jug, etc.all made from card and paint. In the photo above the dresser, jug and plates on the left are the actual genuine antique items. The dresser, jug and plates on the right are the replicas as reproduced for the workshop. 
Then at the time of running this kitchen workshop back in 2018, in order to help the ladies who were attending, I illustrated on KT Miniatures Journal how the prototype could look dressed with some actual genuine antique miniature pieces, alongside all the handmade pieces that were included in the project.  

And now, here we are a year later...

I am delighted to say that the kitchen prototype now looks like this...I absolutely love it!

Over the past 12 months I have had great fun collecting all kinds of antique bits and pieces to put in this little kitchen. 
In fact I have ended up with so much paraphernalia (you know what it's like, one can become obsessed once you start collecting) that I decided to create an additional long wooden shelf  that runs right across the top of the back wall. It is now perfect for displaying all the additional jelly moulds, metal food covers, etc. that I now seem to have.
The cardboard replica range, wall shelf and bench are heavily laden with all kinds of pots, pans, kitchenware, etc. 
At the other end of the kitchen more antique pieces adorn the replica dresser, kitchen side table and wall rack. 
Plus I have fixed to the wall an antique German wooden flour box and an Art Nouveau German soft metal rack from which a dustpan and brush hang. 
The heavily aged cream painted metal table and matching tin chair came in after I had made the kitchen and I just could not part with them. They look perfect in the centre of the kitchen floor. 
In fact, the kitchen is now literally bursting at the seams but I'm sure I'll be able to squeeze one or two more bits in, at the very least! 

Hope you enjoyed the update:)
Celia

Currently I have one of my handmade early 1900s German style kitchens for sale on the website, same dimensions as the workshop prototype above. 

The walls were inspired by a genuine antique German kitchen and the floor has been covered in antique wallpaper. All furniture and accessories as seen are included:
http://ktminiatures.com/early-1900s-german-style-miniature-kitchen/

3 comments:

elizabeth s said...

I am VERY IMPRESSED by what you have achieved Celia as your antique German kitchen could easily pass for the Real Thing!
I LOVE the yellow checkered floor and the little stove and may I say that I NEVER would have guessed that it was made from cardboard- it's simply Wonderful!
Also the filled cupboard and and all of the Marvellous kitchen accessories and most importantly, the way everything is arranged.... I'm giving it a BIG TEN out of TEN!

KT Miniatures said...

Aw, thanks Elizabeth. Yes the old range is made mainly from mount board and the hob rings are metal washers. The wall shelf is literally all cardboard with a barbecue stick towel rail. It is amazing what one can make from materials that are often readily available around one's real life size house:) The checkered floor is a bit of a fiddle but achievable with masking tape, ruler and paint, plus a bit of patience. Celia

Robin said...

Your kitchen is absolutely fabulous Celia!! I've been lucky enough to see it for real and can tell you all that it's a kitchen to die for!!
Rx