A little kit bashing

I mentioned a little while ago that I had plans to add a bathroom on the top floor by building a partition. It will be a very dark bathroom unless I incorporate the window at the top of the stairs but then this leaves the top flight of stairs unlit. The obvious solution is a skylight and so I've been working out the best place to fit one.

This is a bit disorientating, isn't it? It's a view of the roof interior with the house balanced on the rear roof panel. That side wall is unsupported, apart from the tabs and slots connecting it to the roof and loft, which goes to show how accurately this kit is prepared because everything fits together very firmly (so far, fingers crossed!). From this angle you can also see the triangular loft space.

I'm cutting the skylight into the rear slope of the roof, quite close to the existing loft hatch. With a ruler and a set square, I've marked out a rectangle 5 x 7.5 cm (approx 2 x 3 in). That section of kit just visible on the right is the top floor, which I've lined up to make sure the skylight sheds light directly over the stairs.

After drilling a couple of holes in the middle of the rectangle, it doesn't take long to cut out the little piece of MDF with a jigsaw. This was done outside - and remember you should always wear a mask to protect against the MDF sawdust.

Like a proper skylight, this will be sealed with 'lead' flashing on the outside when I get on to the roof tiles. Inside, the 'glass' will be held in position with a frame of mini wood moulding. I found just the right frosted glass by chance, it's the inner tray of a pack of flatbreads - how's that for recycling?

Before I close today, here are a couple more pictures of the caboodle - both feature my favourite tables: a pine kitchen table with a drawer at one end; and a small gate-leg dining table in pale oak. I'm very fond of both. The kitchen table has a tiny squirrel trade mark stamped under the top. I bought it years ago in the dolls house shop in Fossgate, York. I wonder if anybody out there knows who the maker might be.

The wicker shopping trolley was made by C&D Crafts and the food and groceries came from Thames Valley Crafts, Chris-a-Liz, Trevor McAlister and Merry Gourmet. The trolley belongs to Edna, the 'help', who comes in for two or three hours daily (except Sundays) to keep the house in some sort of order.

This beautiful little gate-leg table was bought from J. Johnson at the Harrogate Fair back in the 90s. It opens and shuts perfectly and I'd love to have one or two matching oak dining chairs - with Rexine seats - to go with it. The retro electric fire is a Phoenix model painted here at home. 
Charlie's 'full English' looks as if he's using a whole week's rations up in one go, I'm sure breakfast was a lot more frugal in 1948. Items on the table are from Stokesay Ware and Thames Valley Crafts. Except the Fimo bacon, egg and sausages, which are served up on one of the original plastic plates from my Christmas dolls house all those decades ago. The plate's gone a little wavy with age but I still have the art deco teapot to match, which I'll show you another time. 

charliechas