Building interior detail- (1 Viewer)

[Currahee Chris]

I picked up the Britain's 19th Century Farmhouse earlier this year and am thrilled beyond belief. It is a wonderful piece in so many ways........

...however, the detailing on the interior of the building is second to none- but is this a double edged sword?? Do I really need exceptional detailing on the interior of the building when I will be displaying it in a diorama? Truthfully, not sure all that detail is really worth the potential increased cost. How would one go about displaying interior scenes?? Frontline has an amazing line of Colonials and the Colonial lifestyle available that I think would go nice with building interiors but again- not sure how you display it and not sure it's worth the increased cost.

it is easily the nicest diorama piece I have owned. Just observations and thoughts on the interior.

 

[thebritfarmer]

I think if it was half a house like the Zulu hospital it would have made more sense, but I guess the old saying rings true also "if you are going to do something, do it right or not at all"


Britains do make furnishings that would fit nicely in the house and would be seen when looking through the windows. I suppose could be used as a surprise when showing guests your dio and then pop the roof off to show a decorated interior.

 

[Mitch]

I suppose its a double edged sword for the manufacturer as its probably better for them to hear comments about to much detail than too little. Once you start detailing the interior of a building where do you stop? I have seen this piece from a friend of mine and its quite stunning and, would IMO not look as good overall with less internal detail

Also, would there really be a huge difference to the price if it were plain jane? I would always hope for maximum detail and must admit I always look at the bits that you cannot see its a bit of pride in the work and quality if its done well IMO
Mitch

 

[Ken & Ericka Osen/H&A Studio]

Hi All!
An interesting question. As a model maker I can say that in many cases there can be some savings in modeling only the surface details on the exterior surfaces. In some cases however there is an added value to interior spaces. Display value, historical interest or aesthetic appeal can factor into the decision.

The real savings might be in the time invested in research and pattern making of these additional details.

Take the AZW hospital... this required a thoughtful approach of a historical reconstruction based on the original use of the structure and the insurance claims of the owner to the British authorities after the loss of the property.

All of the information presented took me down a path that many questioned because of preconceived ideas and the popular culture images brought to many of us by the cult classic movie 'ZULU'.
In this case I think it was well worth it.

Remember that the individual parts of these models are each molded separately and as a result it is just as easy to mold details on all surfaces.
The material of choice for many manufacturers in China is still filled Polyester Resin (Polystone) although we are finally seeing some limited use of Polyurethanes.

In the end the cost is not in the actual production beyond the applied decoration... it is in the research and pattern making. If the production run is large enough though, this number will represent a very small portion of the actual cost to the end user.

Hope this helps a bit,
All the Best,
Ken

 

[thebritfarmer]

Thanks for your insight Ken and the Hospital is still the best manufactured building that has been made available to date.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Ken...good point that we take for granted...I bet the research eats up as much of your time as the actual prototype sculpting does...maybe more...it's so important to be accurate with the details...

this particular piece is so finely detailed...I personally would much prefer the extra cost in a structre...for the versatility of both sides being "tricked out"...for the bonus of having more photo options in diorama...


it's like getting two structures in one piece when you can photograph or play from both sides...

 

[Currahee Chris]

Ken

thank you for the kind and informative answer- there are some points I might mildly contend but in the end- six one way, half a dozen the other. Suffice to say, the building was of quality enough to make me happily part with my hard earned American dollars. As I thought upon my statement- Gittens makes single buildings without the interior detail and they are more expensive, though of comparable quality, so go figure.

Here are some pics I took of the interior of my house:

Interior with loft

Interior w/o loft

the porch- the side door you don't see with stock pics....

all the doors open and swing- would be cute if they were "Squeeky:

the chimney

 

[thebritfarmer]

Zulu storehouse

All the doors open, even the ones that lead to rooms that are not accessible.