Half-scale Garage Exterior

 

Stop by the garage!

Finally got most of the half-scale garage done on the outside. Oh, there'll be some changes or additions, I'm sure, but it's about done! Yeah, I know - it's a far "prettier" garage than usual. haa! (*click photos for full size.)

* See last post of lighting. Dollhouse kit is from Laser Dollhouse Designs.

I decided to do egg carton stones with moss for the driveway and the walkways, something different for a change. Now I keep looking at that big blank space above the big garage door. It seems so empty. What do you say? Add some signs or not?

Yes, it's not the "typical" garage, but I can't help myself. Unless I do it really dirty and abandoned, it's gonna look "livable." 😉 I do have a lightpost I might add, but I'd have to move that square planter with flowers. But it does need some kind of light outside.

Walking around that chair to the right side door:

He won't bite!

Since it takes up a bit of room, I decided to put the tire rack outside. I liked adding the vintage gas station signs for some character, and gotta have an old gas pump. This may seem "busy," but I've actually seen some garages in real life with this kind of yard decor. (But I like busy!)

I like the green with the yellow ochre color. I seem to use that green a lot. (Wedgewood for the walls; Hauser green for the window frames.)

Continuing on around to the back - I added some old "license plates" on the back outside wall. It seemed to need "something" (and it covers a seam!) The inside is still messy and being sorted out. I'll hang some plates in there, too, of course, like real life. Yes, there is a washer in the garage so he doesn't have to take his dirty work clothes upstairs.

The other side of the garage:

Here's the other side of the garage with the shuttered windows. I added a meter, which was fun to make, and hung a water hose, too. Thought this was the perfect spot for the dumpster since he can go out the back and around. 

The before: 

Before: Almost...

Had to share as I came across this neat 3D printed electric box and meter kit (see link below) which I almost bought and then I started thinking, hey, I can make something like that. So I did!

 It's just a wood rectangle, a thin slice on top, then I cut the refill from an ink pen (make sure it's empty!) for the pipe. Painted it all with a nice Chalk Gray paint I found marked down at H. Lobby. The dial is simply a shrunk down meter printie topped with a round slice cut from the crystal pen tube and a punched out plastic circle. Worked great! Fun to figure stuff like that out.

 I also added some signs, weeds, and flower boxes. The hose is bits and pieces - some painted cloth wire, a bead, a cut spring, and the end cut off a plastic lug nut wrench for the hose nozzle. 

I'll show the inside later when I add more stuff in. Got lots of cans, boxes, tools, etc. to get in there.

 The rest: I dirtied up the walls slightly, added vintage signs, and yeah, I couldn't resist putting in window boxes.

 Hmm, I think this side might need a few more clumps of moss on the roof. I might have to dirty it up more, too. Just a bit. I didn't want a really decrepit garage. ha! (I did pass by a really dirty real-life work garage recently. Boy, so much old junk and rusty stuff. A real mess. (And the worker looked like he needed to hose off outside before he went home.) I just didn't want to go that far.

Some cool stuff on Etsy:

Made some parts and car manuals/guides.

* MstrCrftMinis has lots of car and garage stuff. Still eyeing the gas cans.

Website photo: repair manuals

*  1/24 scale Chilton repair guides and car parts catalogs. I did get these so I don't have to hunt and then shrink them all to size. 

* That's it for now. What do you think? Thanks again for visiting. Come back soon for more updates! *