Wednesday 3 July 2013

Biedermeier Furniture for the Georgian Parlour

I realised the other day that the parlour of my Georgian house has been empty for too long. I built it and never actually got to furnishing it (I think building rooms and houses is my forte rather than furniture).


I didn't want to spend too much, but still wanted something nice which didn't look too factory made/mass produced. So I bought a Biedermeier living room kit from Mini Mundus


It was second hand off eBay, so it was a little old, but all the parts were there. The foam had long since crumbled, so I used some extra packing foam I had lying around instead.


I rejected the upholstery material from the kit because it was cheap nylon and chose instead to use some linen I had from an old shirt. It was the right kind of blue for my parlour. I also did some research and found that Biedermeier sofas often had stripped upholstery. 


The pieces weren't the perfect size, or the best quality wood, so some chamfering and sanding was necessary.





I finished the wood with many coats of french polish.


The finished product fits perfectly with the colour and style of the parlour. I am very pleased it worked so well. 




I am now looking for some little finishing touch accessories to make the room look realistic - vase with flowers, a tea set and cake, and maybe some papers for the writing desk!


This edited picture makes the room look real too, which was fun!

32 comments:

  1. It looks very elegant! I love the edited picture!

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    1. Thanks Lucille, I thought maybe it was too changed, but it is fun!

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  2. Very nice indeed. I really like the atmosphere of that room. You did very well with that kit. Did you build the desk too?


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    1. HI Patrick, yes, the desk and dresser came in the living room kit. There is also a display cabinet I have not yet finished. The blonde wood goes so well with the grey, I will have to do another room with a similar scheme. Thanks for your comment.

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  3. Hello Emily,
    Great job putting the kits together. they look beautiful and work really well with the room. Every detail in both the furniture and the room itself are highlighted by the pairing.
    Big hug,
    Giac

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  4. Oh it looks wonderful.
    The room is so nice and on the first picture you can see how wonderful the floor looks.

    Regards,Alexandra.

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    1. Thanks Alexandra, yes, I was hesitant to cover it with a rug, but in the end it looked more realistic that way. :D

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  5. wowser, that's some room! looks pretty darn real to me and that furniture really makes it come alive!


    Hugs
    Marisa

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  6. Looks terrific. I love the color and texture of the walls--perfect! And congratulations on the furniture. It looks beautiful!

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    1. Thanks Brad, these kits are quite tricky! I would recommend them though.

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  7. It looks so real! I made some of those chairs in 1992 or 1993 and was soooo proud of them. They were my first attempt at any kind of furniture. An 'aahhh' kind of memory, thank you!

    The whole room is just beautiful!

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    1. Yes, the kits are fun aren't they! Do you still have this furniture?

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  8. It is so well done Emily, as usual, the finished room looks amazing.

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  9. Fabulous! The room and the furniture look made for each other.

    Those piles of bits on the cutting mat is a bit terrifying - I'm so afraid of kits but I've got no problem making my own pieces from scratch so I have no idea why bits cut out by someone else should be so scary - makes no sense whatsoever!

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    1. Yes Norma, they look very complex when in a jumble like that! I like to be super organised though, and lay everything out nicely which helps me to get started. Thanks for following!
      Emily

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  10. Hi Emily,
    What kind of flowers do you have in mind for that room? I'll be happy to send you some if I have the kind of flowers you'd like. Email to me at patrickduclou@gmail.com.
    Have a great day

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  11. The kit furniture is very effective. Did all the pieces of furniture come from the same kit or separate kits? IndyPoppy

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    1. All the pieces were from the same kit, it was quite a good deal buying the whole living room in the one box. I haven't yet got adventurous enough to mix and match. Though I did trim down the sofa legs, because they seemed too chunky.

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  12. Una maravilla, me encanta el ambiente cálido que has logrado, felicidades:-)

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  13. Very nice! It does look just like a real room :)

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  14. Lovely Georgian room! Great set of handmade furniture. Mini hugs, Natalia

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  15. The parlour looks really cosy now. Lovely work on the furniture.

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  16. Hi Emily,

    Great job on the kits, the Parlour has come together beautifully. It looks like you have been busy with your miniatures, I have been otherwise occupied but am keen to get started again. I'm off to the Glen Waverley Fair tomorrow and should be there late morning. I will keep a look out for you and make sure I snaffle any mirrored wall sconces before you arrive...; )

    Hope to see you there, Fiona XX

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  17. You've created a beautiful room and great work with the furniture also. The striped fabric is just perfect.

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  18. This is really beautiful!!! My congratulations!

    Have a nice day. D.

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  19. Love your taste! These Biedermeier parlor set is just exquisite!

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