Continuing on the mini doghouse for Gus. There were no shingles in my kit, though they are mentioned in the instructions. Maybe I took them out to keep them from getting wrinkled, which seems like something I’d do, but I have no earthly idea where they would be. It was no worry since I had some suitable shingles in my stash of supplies. These are half scale speed shingles by Greenleaf.
Considering the door is small, I wanted to see if I could keep the roof separate to access the interior more easily. A few extra steps, but I think it’s just better in the long run.
There’s an added beam inside to keep the roof from slipping out of place.
I painted the shingles a mix of black, brown and grey to start and then added some grey washes. For the house, I used crackle finish and off-white paint. The crackle finish was old, so it didn’t provide pronounced crackling, but that seems to work better for a smaller structure.
I still ended up with a nice aged finish.
For the cupola, I added more trims to make it seem more realistic and more rain resistant. I painted the included weather vane to look like aged copper. It’s thin wood, so I worry about its longevity. I left it unglued for ease of removal in case I need to pack away the house or choose to replace it.
All that’s needed is a warm, comfy bed and some toys. :D
