I received a recent commission to make a special book nook diorama for someone achieving a chemistry PhD, and while my themes don't usually include a modern university laboratory, it was a fantastic challenge to undertake.
The brief, a miniature recreation of a laboratory fume cabinet, glassware and equipment to go inside a book nook lit with fairy lights. The client sent a few photos to set the theme and colours as well as good examples of equipment and glassware.
The book nook base itself has been custom cut by LNR models, and starts off with a white primer and white paint coat, along with a basic second hand 1:12 scale table to create the counter top.
The table is also a base for the cupboard door fronts, painted in blue to match the university lab the recipient studied at. A warning sign is imperative for miniature safety.
An assortment of tiny glassware filled with coloured resin, waiting to go into the book nook.
Including tiny test tubes and rack made from cocktail sticks.
Tiny brown pipette bottles made from glass beads, wire and black wax.
Miniature lab equipment made from foam, wood and a brass oxygen valve part.
A miniature cushioned stool made from foamboard, skewers and fabric.
All lab work should have clothes protected, so a miniature lab coat is essential to set the scene. Made from scrap white fabric using a hand-drawn pattern.
With a skewer support rack for the back wall, black peg clamps and a stack of contents, it's ready to get assembling.
With more glassware and equipment, the rack supports orange hose made from electrical cable wire, the book nook is shaping up. One of the pegs clamps scrap aluminium mesh for two of the chemical experiments going on inside the fume hood.
With the countertop now full, the fume cabinet needs a frontage, made from white foamboard.
Scrap bits of wood are used for the buttons and knows, coffee sticks for the power outlets and a sheet of clear plastic is added to the back for the sash window. Howorth is added as a detail for the scene, but other fume hood manufacturers are available!
More controls are added for a realistic touch, and a piece of curved black wood edges the sash window.
Cool white fairy lights are installed into the ceiling to light the fume cabinet and the outside.
A quick lights test is required before final assembly.
Adequate adhesive later, the sides are on and the battery pack for the lights is safe inside a holder on the back.
Final touches include the stool sealed in place, white board with chemical formulae on the left and a row of hooks on the right.
The lab coat hangs up on the hooks to finish the piece, ready for the book case of the recipient.
I had delightful feedback from the client and the recipient, both over the moon with the level of detail and how close it looks to the university laboratory they worked in.
Looking for a truly unique, detailed and personalised diorama for someone special? Get in touch and let Terra Rhapsody create your vision in miniature. Based in Wrexham, Terra Rhapsody specialises in 1:12 scale dollshouse miniatures and dioramas, incorporating natural, repurposed, reclaimed and recycled materials. Made with earth in mind.