The Contemporary House is now in move-in condition

I'd like to think that if I was driving down the street and saw a house like this for sale I'd pull in and buy it. Although in today's world it would likely cost a fortune, so I'm happy with just the model.

I like this old Bachmann kit, even though it's rather crude by today's standards. It's easy to put together, paints up nice, and has lots of potential for enhancement and customizing. I focused on making this project mainly about painting, and only did a few simple modifications to boost its curb appeal.

The kit's windows are a little odd. They're self-stick items with curtains printed on. That's them on the right. I set them aside and panelled each window with clear plastic from my scrapbox, and then glued some coloured paper behind for curtains.

Another enhancement was to add a floor and interior wall to the garage. This was done so I could stage scenes with the front and rear garage doors open. 0.040" styrene was used for these pieces, and they were painted light grey after being glued in place.

Well, it turns out I didn't size them properly, and they had to be pried out in order for the garage-top patio to fit. Luckily I had used a tube glue on them, so the structure wasn't welded into a solid, unmovable mass of styrene.

Once the patio was in place, I recut the two pieces and glued them back in. 

Note, there's some copyright information embossed on the inside back wall. I should have ground it off, but in the garage's dank light, they're more-or-less undetectable.

Oh, and then there's the minty fresh brick work:

Vince alerted me to this video that explains how to use toothpaste for simulating mortar between bricks. The technique works quite well and is fun too. And if you need to know, I used ProNamel toothpaste :-)

It wouldn't be a 30Squares project if hammers weren't involved. The roof fits quite well, but it's good to put some weight on it while the glue is drying so that you get a good, gap-free bond to the walls.

The kit provides some plastic shrubbery to install in the front and rear planters. I used some Woodland Scenics ground foam instead. It's held in place with white glue.

The patio above the garage has lots of scenic potential, and the kit comes with lounge chairs, barbecue, and a picnic table with umbrella to help you get the party started. I'm painting those up as we speak :-)

That garage door is too pristine to be realistic. If I did find this house during the drive of my dreams, that door would undoubtedly be covered in grey and black circular marks from balls slap-shotted during driveway hockey that didn't even come close to going in the net. Hmm, I need to invent a new weathering technique; maybe some sort of Crest / Addams Family thing :-)