Where It All Started, Part II

Tags

Aslan's Tent, Dawn Treader, Grandkids, Narnia, Wardrobe

This is the second half of my previous post, a tour through Narnia, now that we’ve been living with it for a couple years.  Picking up where we left off, let’s head through the Wardrobe into Narnia proper.

Because we were working with a floor plan as opposed to having an entire world, certain elements of Narnia were treated with some artistic license.  Our Wardrobe is in Cair Paravel instead of Spare Oom, and our Narnia is a combination of Lantern Waste and the “Dawn Treader.”  However, just like the original Narnia, we have our resident Aslan!

The window lets in light for playtime and has blackout curtains for nap time.

The boys’ side of the room gives a glimpse of the portholes in between the berths as well as the crown-embellished “sail” curtains made of drop cloths.

A large hunt cabinet with a dragon reminiscent of Eustace holds farm clothes for when the grandkids visit.

The quote over the door comes from “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” and perfectly summarizes my hopes in creating Narnia in our attic.

The grandkids love staying in Narnia.  Whether it’s a new book to read, a dark berth for a nap, dress-up clothes in the Wardrobe, or simply room to let their imaginations run free, there’s always something here for them.  If it’s been a while since they’ve visited, they’ve been known to ask their parents when they can go to Narnia again.  We just love the fact that we’re making so many memories together!

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Where It All Started

Tags

Aslan's Tent, Attic, Cair Paravel Library, Spare Oom, The Lodge, Wardrobe

This blog started with us creating Narnia in our attic.  It’s been a couple years since then, and Narnia is well-loved and well-lived-in by our three grandchildren.  Now that it’s not brand new, it seemed like a good time to revisit it and see how it’s worn, so to speak.

Heading up the stairs–Aslan’s Tent is on the right, the rest of Narnia on the left.

The door to Aslan’s Tent.

I like to say that Aslan’s Tent is done in Rococco-Morocco style.

I had the builder add a small window at the top of the stairs to give a sneak-peek at Narnia, and I think the Gothic touch fits Cair Paravel.

Unlike the books, our Wardrobe is located in Cair Paravel because, after all, this is a floor plan in a house–not an actual world!

Although the books never mention it, I’m sure there was a Library in Cair Paravel, because every castle must have a library.

Around the corner of the left-hand edge of the above photo is the door to The Lodge.

Inside, The Lodge should meet the approval of any dam-building rodent!

Across Cair Paravel is Spare Oom, which is more in its craft mode now (meaning a mess) than its guest room mode.  But it does clean up nice.

Word Press seems to have choked on all these photos, so I’ll wait for the next post to go on through the Wardrobe into Narnia proper.

 

The Wardrobe Gets Around

Tags

Aslan's Tent, Cair Paravel Library, Dawn Treader, Decor, Design, Narnia, Spare Oom, The Lodge, Wardrobe

My niece, who works in the computer field, just had a post on our Narnia project published on the Homeketeers blog.  Be sure to check it out!  (It’s published under her nom de plume.)  For anyone who’s new to the story of how we turned our attic into Narnia, my niece’s account is clear and concise–and a good way to find out about it without reading through about 75 posts!

The Cair Paravel Library is Open for Business!

Tags

Cair Paravel Library, Decor, Design, Grandkids, Wardrobe

It’s taken awhile, but the Library is finally open for business!

This is the first glimpse of Cair Paravel as you come up the stairs and look through the Gothic window.

Just inside the window is this bookcase that I found in an out-of-the-way used furniture store that I popped into on a whim.  With the corner trim and arched top, it adds an elegant touch to Cair Paravel.  (I took this shot from across the room, inside the Wardrobe.)

Here’s the Reading Nook  with its new Billy bookshelves (Ikea was out of extension shelves so we still need one for that low shelf in the middle).  There’s a cushion on the floor for grandkids who want to read to themselves and a comfy, throne-like arm chair, well-lighted and ready for Mimi or Didi to hold a grandchild on their lap for story time.

Here’s another view showing most of the Wardrobe.  The little step stool is a handy Ikea find to help the little ones climb through the Wardrobe.  There’s a blue one inside for climbing into Narnia.

The OCD side of me loves alphabetizing books!  And making lists!  I have an almost complete list of all the kids’ books from when we lived in our Victorian house and I had my computer in the Library.  I need to update it since I got rid of a few and have added a few.  If you’re reading the titles, don’t worry, that empty space next to Little Men is for Little Women, temporarily taken down.

In case you were wondering how many books we have up here, I can tell you:  There are 807!  And that’s not counting my special favorites on the living room bookshelves right by my reading chair.  If you count those, we have 870.

Of course, the question that arises is this:  What is a “kid” book and what is an “grown-up” book?  That line gets pretty blurry.  There are a lot of books up here in Cair Paravel that dads and moms will want to read (like Lorna Doone, Ramona, Man-Eaters of Kumaon, The Three Musketeers, and the Bounty Trilogy.  And I’m sure they’ll find plenty of their old childhood favorites to re-read and to read aloud to their children when they visit.

Let’s just say that no one will ever say in this house, “I’m bored!  I can’t find anything good to read!”

A Royal Visit

Tags

Aslan, Grandkids, Narnia, Wardrobe

December 22 was a Red Letter Day for Narnia, the day the Grandkids arrived for Christmas.

Charis and Kol raced up the stairs, exploring their new realm with Dada and Mama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was lots to see . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. . . but they couldn’t wait to explore Narnia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We lifted them over the base of the Wardrobe at first, but it didn’t take them long to find their own kid-friendly way in and out of Narnia.

They soon discovered the royal treasure chest . . .

. . . bedecking themselves and Aslan for a royal photo shoot in front of the Christmas tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soon it was time for dinner, and everyone went downstairs leaving Alsan in bejeweled solitude.  He didn’t mind, though–a Son of Adam and a Daughter of Eve had once again returned to Narnia!

Narnia: Ready for a Royal Visit

Tags

Aslan, Aslan's Tent, Cair Paravel Library, Dawn Treader, Decor, Design, Grandkids, Jesus, Kara, Narnia, Spare Oom, The Lodge, Wardrobe

Here’s a glimpse upstairs after I finished getting Narnia ready for the first Royal Visit by the Grandkids.

(A word of explanation is in order about “Narnia.”  We call the whole upstairs “Narnia” because all the different rooms were actually in the real Narnia, and they are part of our whole Narnia theme.  We also call the Grandkids’ Dorm itself “Narnia” because you go through the Wardrobe to get there.  Hopefully the meaning of my use of “Narnia” will be clear from the context.)

Aslan’s Tent is the parents’ bedroom.  As you climb the red-carpeted stairs, Aslan’s Tent is on the right, across the hall from Cair Paravel.  It’s the only room that already existed upstairs.

There’s room for a sitting area in the corner of Aslan’s Tent near the French doors to the balcony.  (The large mirror is only here temporarily.)  I have plans to make Aslan’s Tent more Rococo-Morocco, but all in good time.

Step across the hall into Cair Paravel, soon to become the Library.  The doorway at left leads to The Lodge; the one on the right, to the landing between Cair Paravel and Aslan’s Tent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other side of Cair Paravel will soon hold bookcases, and the reading area will move over next to the Wardrobe.

The stained glass door that leads into Spare Oom contributes to the castle ambience of Cair Paravel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s peek into The Lodge as we call the bathroom (in honor of the furry friends who led the Pevensies to Aslan).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was delighted to find this Amish-made towel tree in a local furniture shop.  I was also excited to find the Bed, Bath & Beyond shower curtain that ties in the colors of the river rock floor, the Brazilian cherry vanity, and the log walls.  Who knew furnishing a bathroom could be so much fun?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every bathroom in our house has to be set up for reading, so an antique hook and a Victorian-era hanger were pressed into service as a magazine rack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kara found this reproduction sampler (made in China) at a local antique store, and we laughed so hard I had to buy it.  That’s one of the best $10 I’ve ever spent!  Kara thought hanging it across from the shower would be the perfect touch.  In case you can’t figure out why, here’s what the motto says:  “When this you see remember me, and bare me in your mind.  Let all the world say what they will, speak of me as you find.”  (The answer appears at the end of this post.)

I had fun making this toilet paper holder from:  a lion’s head pull I spray-painted bronze; a key chain ring; a piece of leather rein; a curtain rod hook; and a piece of an old broomstick that Herb cut down for me.  The rein is permanently screwed to the dowel on the right while the curtain rod hook fits through an existing hole in the rein for changing rolls of TP.

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s take a quick peek into Spare Oom as we call my craft room.  It’s a great place to read by a window with a view or to stick an extra guest, as long as they don’t mind a crafty mess!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally–on to Narnia proper!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aslan waits beside the miniature Christmas tree Kara decorated as a gift for her niece and nephew.

If you look behind you after you enter Narnia, this is what you see.  Some of the decorative features are (from left) a cross-stitch of Jesus and the children rescued from a junk shop along with the lion mirror (Aslan, of course!); an antique hunt cabinet with a dragon that we purchased from Kara; and next to the lion corbel, the quote that sums up our whole project, taken from C. S. Lewis’ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:

“I am [in your world],” said Aslan. “But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. That was the very reason you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”

(A future post will cover this vinyl wall words project.)

The berths on the boys’ side have fur throws for blankets and red velour spreads which can double as dress-up capes.

The dress-up capes on the girls’ side are purple.

At the foot of each bed is a crown hook for hanging pajamas or robes.  (A future DIY post will feature the hooks.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we turn out the lights, all is ready for the arrival of Charis and Kol, Daughter of Eve and Son of Adam, Queen and King of Narnia.

Ben’s Busy Day

Tags

Cair Paravel Library, Construction, Decor, Narnia, Spare Oom, The Lodge, Wardrobe

Ben’s busy day happened on Dec. 20, but I’m just now catching up after Christmas.  It was a long, busy day, and I’m grateful for everything he did because he got Narnia ready for company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He installed the brackets I had painted, turning the ordinary window in the wall into a Gothic-style arch.  It’s a suitably elegant peek into the curious world at the top of the stairs.

He mounted the lion drawer pulls on the closet door of Spare Oom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He mounted the antique French door knocker on the door of The Lodge so people can check to see if the bathroom is occupied.

He mounted my oil-rubbed bronze-painted lion head knocker inside The Lodge to serve as a place to hang a towel or a change of clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He drilled holes into the second lion knocker and mounted it on the wall by the sink to hold hand towels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He hung the driftwood mirror over the stone sink.

His final task in The Lodge was to enhance the river rock floor.  This seals and protects the stone as well as bringing out its natural color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day before, Ben had assembled the Wardrobe in Cair Paravel across the door of Narnia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On this long, busy day, he finished installing the Wardrobe.  He attached it to the wall with straight metal braces; bent angle brackets to reinforce the side panels to the frame; carefully removed the drawer fronts from their dovetailing and braced the now “faux” drawer fronts in place; and finally, removed the batten trim from the Wardrobe so he could hinge the door in place.  (I have to darken the stain where the batten was removed.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the top photo of the Wardrobe, you can see the center braces that the drawers slid along.  Since this interfered with us stepping through the Wardrobe, Ben removed and preserved the center brace, replacing it with a brace behind each side panel (see above).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a closer look showing how we can now step through the wardrobe while standing upright, something we could not have done had we kept the drawers and floor in place.  All that remains is to find step stools to help the kids climb over until they grow some more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to honor Ben with a photo at the end of the day because he did such a craftsmanlike job with the Wardrobe, respecting and preserving its status as an antique while making sure it would be sturdy and safe as The Wardrobe into Narnia.  Thank you, Ben, for a job so well done!

 

Busy As a . . . Flat-tailed, Dam-building Rodent!

Tags

Aslan, Colors & Paint, Decor, Lighting, Mimi's Cave, The Lodge, Wardrobe

This was the 45th day of construction, and since it was Saturday, I was the only one working.  I think you’ll agree, though, that I deserve to count it as a day building Narnia!

I got four of these decorative wood pieces at Hobby Lobby, then stained them with the same stain as the berths, followed by two coats of polyurethane.  The final step was applying the Rub ‘n Buff, also from Hobby Lobby.  They will decorate the sides of the berths when we get them built.

Adding the finishing touch to the ceiling light in The Lodge was a simple as climbing on a ladder.  I stuffed the light into the fish basket, then hung the basket from the chain with an S-hook.  Voila!  My version of Pottery Barn’s $99 light fixture for well less than half the price.

You may remember this lion corbel from Van Dykes’ Restorers.  When I first bought him, I thought Ben would be building a faux wardrobe, and I called him “The Wardrobe Lion,” thinking he would be the ornament on top.  Once Stuart recommended that I buy an actual wardrobe, I decided to put this handsome Aslan inside Narnia above where the Wardrobe opens into the room.  Two coats of stain and two coats of poly, and Aslan’s ready and waiting to be hung in place.

Most of my day was spent finishing The Lodge.

Well, not quite “finishing” since Ben isn’t finished nailing all the logs up–but I’ll let you peek, anyway!

This was lots harder than staining the berths, and the door was pretty tricky, too.  This Olympic Maximum Stain & Sealant Semi-Transparent wood protector from Lowe’s gives a mildew-resistant, water-resistant stain.  It’s meant for decks, and I imagine that would be fairly straight-forward.  Putting it on vertical walls with lots of joints and corners and edges was a whole different matter!  It’s meant to go on in one thin coat, but I found that a thin coat was impossible to brush on.  So I brushed one log at a time, then wiped it back with a lint-free rag.  I’m happy with the end result, but after two days of working on this, my right arm is about dead!

The door was extremely tricky, but so is staining a door.  There’s a certain amount of technique to always brush on and wipe off in the direction of the grain of each panel of the door.  A little at a time is definitely the way to go, along with frequent stirring of the product.  And have more clean rags on hand than you think you’ll need, because you’ll still need more!

One tip I learned is, don’t kick the bucket!  I mean, don’t accidentally kick your bucket of stain and flip the stirring stick out.

This is what happens when you do.  Of course it happened to the hall side of the door that is supposed to be stained with Minwax.  And Olympic Maximum does NOT come off once it’s on!  I’ll see if some sanding will help and hope my English Chestnut color is dark enough to hide a few sins.

This was the first wall I did.  Right after it went on I wasn’t too happy with the color, but I trusted the process–which means, stain a sample of the actual wood you’ll be staining, and then trust your choice!

The final task of the day (and a fun treat after the door!) was staining the wooden switch-plate covers I got at Ace Hardware of Chickamauga.  They need some poly, but they were a nice way to end my day.

One final thing I did before creeping painfully down the stairs to wash my brush was to check out the light coming in through the window of Mimi’s Cave.

Ahh, now that’s a view to warm the heart of a weary worker!  (And remind her that she needs to clean the windows!)

Operation Wardrobe

Tags

Decor, Wardrobe

Yesterday was the first chance Herb had to come with me to get the Wardrobe.  I wanted both of us to be there so the antique dealers I bought it from could be there to show us how to take it apart.

“It’s BIG!” Herb exclaimed.

Yep, but it comes apart.  Watch!

It takes three people, the dealers said.  She steadied it, he unscrewed the pins that hold the top on, and Herb steadied the heavy mirrored door.  He lifted the top off while they both held things together.

The door came off, followed by both panels on either side of it.  They have nice little grooves to slide in and out of.

Next went the two sides, followed by the two back panels.  All that was left was the bottom, easy enough for one person to carry once the drawers were removed.  When it’s time to put the Wardrobe upstairs, we’ll just look at this post and do the same thing in reverse.  (It’s going to be several weeks, at least, which is why I took pictures to remind us.)

Probably the trickiest part of the whole operation was loading it into the back of the truck and figuring out how to tie it down.

All I can say is, it’s a good thing Herb is so athletic!

And in case anyone wants to know what my job was for Operation Wardrobe, I was the official photographer, of course!

On Being Flexible

Tags

Construction, Decor, Narnia, The Lodge, Wardrobe

Reliable Heating & Air guys arrived this morning shortly after Stuart and Todd got to work.

Before long a pile of flexible ductwork lay sprawled like silver spaghetti on the attic floor.

With four guys hard at work on two completely different things, it involved some choreography to avoid getting in each others’ way.  But before long, some of the ductwork had been threaded between the peak of the roof and the ceilings and was dangling more or less where it belonged.

The one useful thing Herb and I could do was empty out all the stuff we’d stored in the other end of the attic–right where the new AC unit needed to go.  The only place to go with the stuff was my craft room–which is now a junk room!  But that’s okay, I can give up my craft room in the name of progress.

One subject that came up was the little wall that will separate the two bed areas on each side of Narnia.  The plan for the wall is to put a porthole in each side so that when the kids open them, they can talk to each other.  Stuart said it would be good to have the portholes on hand pretty quickly.  So I checked the website I had found earlier and called with a couple of questions.  A very helpful lady helped me decide which color and size portholes to get.  As we chatted, she told me about taking her four-year old granddaughter on their boat to an island where they had buried a treasure for her to find.  What a fun grandma!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the porthole from Seaside Treasures; four of them are due to arrive Wednesday.

The next thing I wanted to find out was how high to hang the portholes for the kids to be able to look through them while standing on the mattresses.  I wasn’t sure how tall our eldest GK is, so I googled “how tall is a four year old girl?”

This is what popped up.  Notice the bright turquoise type: “Girl 4 Year Old At Amazon” and below that “Save on Girl 4 Year Old Free 2-Day Shipping w/Amazon Prime!”  Gee whiz!  You can find anything on Amazon.com!

During one of my forays upstairs, Stuart and I talked about the Wardrobe some more.  He suggested that it might be cheaper for me to buy a real wardrobe and cut the back open than to buy doors and wood trim for them to build a wardrobe.  My original thought had been to use a real wardrobe, but then I shied away from destroying a perfectly good piece of furniture and moved in my mind toward building something.  Based on the prices I got at Interior Trim & Supply and Stuart’s estimate of building costs, it seemed I should consider going back to Plan A.

So I headed off on a wardrobe search.  Realizing such a quest could take days and require visits to countless antique stores, I committed the search to the Lord and asked Him to help me find the right wardrobe.  First I tried Reliks (where I had found one of the thrones), but their one wardrobe wouldn’t work.  Next I tried one of my favorite antique stores, East Town Antiques, and there I found a beautiful wardrobe!

It was 83″ high at the top (high enough to cover the open doorway) and 57″ wide (plenty long to cover the 42″ wide door).  In fact, its size was the problem!  We would NEVER be able to get it up the stairs.  I regretfully said so to Bob as I prepared to leave–and then he said, “But the wardrobe comes apart.”  What?  I had never heard of such a thing, but Bob said it was frequently done with large wardrobes so they could be gotten in and out of rooms. They were fastened together with metal pins inside, making them as portable as Ikea furniture!  As Herb said, that’s the perfect solution.

The final hurdle was the price.  When a phone call to the owner resulted in a nearly 25% discount, the wardrobe had found a new home.  It is now The Wardrobe!  A few minor adjustments will need to be made, but as Tim Gunn says, we’ll “make it work!”  Thank You, Lord, for this beautiful Wardrobe!

By the time I got home, work had stopped for the day with a lot to show for it.  The Lodge walls were completely framed with the shower in place.  (The vanity will go where the orange ladder is.)  The ductwork was in place in the ceiling, too.

Over in Narnia, the base plates were in place for the walls between the berths.  That’s where the portholes will go, one on each side of a wall.

You can tell the job isn’t quite done, but Aslan’s Tent has two air vents in place and the ductwork ready to join up.

Except it isn’t Aslan’s Tent anymore, but that’s another story.  Put it down to me being flexible–or maybe just plain scihizo!