# Looking for ideas to set up a dedicated model work/display room



## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

I will soon have a 15 X 14 sq. ft. hobby room that I have dedicated to be my hobby room. We had a new home custom built for us and made sure it would be big enough to have more room than we actually need. the home we now own is 1700 sq. ft and the new home is 3300 sq. ft. my hobby room sits off of the living room ( great room) and has double full length GLASS doors. these doors are recessed in under an archway. Inside the room has coffered ceilings with crown moulding. behind the crown moulding are amber LED rope lights that give off a glow that looks like sunset or early morning dawn. I even had the closet specially lit so I can take off the closet doors for even more space. there are 3 large windows on the east wall that I wouldn't have put in but now I can use the light from them to maybe "BackLight" a display or star field. As of now I don't have a clue on what I am going to do with setting up displays to showcase my Models & diecast things. I like "real space" as well as Irwin Allen models. I have a large assortment of spacecraft models & dragon diecast U.S. spacecraft. I do want to make a large LUNAR LANDING diorama complete with mountains and lunar surface detail as well as an "earth" in the blackness of space.I also have 1:18 scale movie & TV cars and large Jupiter 2 & seaview models still waiting to be built. I don't know if I want to go with special shelves or glass display cabinets or a combination of those. I will try to post some pictures of what the room looks like. any & all ideas welcome. the first picture is looking through an archway to the front door, just to the side the 2 double doors are my hobby room, the last picture is the hobby room doors as seen from the dining room & living room.picture # 3 is the walk in closet to the master bedroom.
BERT
MODEL MAKER


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

here is another picture of the front of the house with my car in the driveway.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Bert, just to let you know, I'm coming down to move in with you. Where do hang the keys to the Challenger?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I have a few model/work rooms in my house and they are fun and easy to set up. It really depends on what you need around you.

I have this shelving in two of my rooms. One for books and models (more books were added since I took the photo - its all full) and one for guns and militaria. I wanted some nice display areas as well as storage space. You can put doors on all of the shelves if you want. These came from Ikea and have lights too.








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My model desk has enough room for me. There is now a Pace airbrush booth on the table to the right that vents out the window








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These wire shelves are great. This one has both kits but also boxes of supplies








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I took out the shelving that was built into my closet and put in a giant wire rack. SInce the ceilings are 9 feet, there is a lot of room to go up. I have a bunch of these and they hold a TON of kits. 








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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Nice set up. I'm jealous!

Mine, before-










And after- :thumbsup:


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I know how that goes... My 1/200 Yamato battleship dwarfs my work table. But, since I live by myself, I just use the coffee table or one of the kitchen counters. You can never have too much space.


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## harristotle (Aug 7, 2008)

You're doing what I hope to do someday! My own little hobby room would be awesome. Right now my wife and I share an office, but she's very gracious in letting it be mostly my hobby room. 



bert model maker said:


> here is another picture of the front of the house with my car in the driveway.


Nice Challenger! 



djnick66 said:


> I have a few model/work rooms in my house and they are fun and easy to set up. It really depends on what you need around you.
> 
> I have this shelving in two of my rooms. One for books and models (more books were added since I took the photo - its all full) and one for guns and militaria. I wanted some nice display areas as well as storage space. You can put doors on all of the shelves if you want. These came from Ikea and have lights too.


Real guns or replicas?


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## Night-Owl (Mar 17, 2000)

My workbench is in my kitchen and takes up about half the room. It's not normally this clean and organized. :lol: My kits are on various shelves around my apartment. 

http://s590.photobucket.com/user/NightOwl65/media/Workbench1_zps26de07ca.jpg.html  http://s590.photobucket.com/user/NightOwl65/media/Workbench1_zps26de07ca.jpg.html


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

harristotle said:


> You're doing what I hope to do someday! My own little hobby room would be awesome. Right now my wife and I share an office, but she's very gracious in letting it be mostly my hobby room.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Real

I collect WW1 and WW2 pistols and rifles. Most are original but I have a couple of modern firing replicas/reproductions like a Thompson and StG 44. I also have some historic "classics". It was cheaper to make a secure room in my house rather than just buy a big safe and lock everything away where I can't enjoy them. Things aren't entirely set up the way they will be in the end here...


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

Well, all moved in now and have a lot of things to display. I have to do this right the first time, to maximize the space. Along with models from Irwin Allen, and the U.S. space program, I also collect 1:18 die cast cars, movie cars mostly. The 1:18 scale provides the most detail but need room to display right. Next there is all of the model kits still waiting, such as the more is Jupiter 2 and seaview, both will be large displays. What I need is some display cabinets that will have some room inside, glass cabinet shelves and I just don't know where to start.
Model Maker


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

djnick66 said:


> Real
> 
> I collect WW1 and WW2 pistols and rifles. Most are original but I have a couple of modern firing replicas/reproductions like a Thompson and StG 44. I also have some historic "classics". It was cheaper to make a secure room in my house rather than just buy a big safe and lock everything away where I can't enjoy them. Things aren't entirely set up the way they will be in the end here...


What brand and caliber is the revolver thats on the top shelf ?


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## markcan (Jan 28, 2013)

bert model maker said:


> Well, all moved in now and have a lot of things to display. I have to do this right the first time, to maximize the space. Along with models from Irwin Allen, and the U.S. space program, I also collect 1:18 die cast cars, movie cars mostly. The 1:18 scale provides the most detail but need room to display right. Next there is all of the model kits still waiting, such as the more is Jupiter 2 and seaview, both will be large displays. What I need is some display cabinets that will have some room inside, glass cabinet shelves and I just don't know where to start.
> Model Maker


I regularly visit the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Raleigh, and they have display cases and the like for sale more often than not. I bought one for a hundred bucks that was missing a couple of the glass shelves, but had them made at a local glass company. Was going to put it out in the art room in an outbuilding we have, but my wife liked it so much she insisted we put it in the house, models and all. I think I married well.


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## markcan (Jan 28, 2013)

bert model maker said:


> I will soon have a 15 X 14 sq. ft. hobby room that I have dedicated to be my hobby room. We had a new home custom built for us and made sure it would be big enough to have more room than we actually need. the home we now own is 1700 sq. ft and the new home is 3300 sq. ft. my hobby room sits off of the living room ( great room) and has double full length GLASS doors. these doors are recessed in under an archway. Inside the room has coffered ceilings with crown moulding. behind the crown moulding are amber LED rope lights that give off a glow that looks like sunset or early morning dawn. I even had the closet specially lit so I can take off the closet doors for even more space. there are 3 large windows on the east wall that I wouldn't have put in but now I can use the light from them to maybe "BackLight" a display or star field. As of now I don't have a clue on what I am going to do with setting up displays to showcase my Models & diecast things. I like "real space" as well as Irwin Allen models. I have a large assortment of spacecraft models & dragon diecast U.S. spacecraft. I do want to make a large LUNAR LANDING diorama complete with mountains and lunar surface detail as well as an "earth" in the blackness of space.I also have 1:18 scale movie & TV cars and large Jupiter 2 & seaview models still waiting to be built. I don't know if I want to go with special shelves or glass display cabinets or a combination of those. I will try to post some pictures of what the room looks like. any & all ideas welcome. the first picture is looking through an archway to the front door, just to the side the 2 double doors are my hobby room, the last picture is the hobby room doors as seen from the dining room & living room.picture # 3 is the walk in closet to the master bedroom.
> BERT
> MODEL MAKER


For the hobby room I mentioned above, my wife and I went to Sam's Club and bought some 6' and 4' folding tables and put them around the edges of the room. There are electric strips running all the way around as well, so you can plug stuff in just about anywhere. We bought some rolling craft carts that slide under the tables, so we're using just about every inch of space. Models on my side, stained glass and bead stuff on hers. Works pretty well.


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## StarCruiser (Sep 28, 1999)

Looks like a Smith & Wesson No.3 Schofield Revolver (.44 probably).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_&_Wesson_Model_3


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

I took some updated pictures of my hobby room. I have my modeling desk in there as well as a 6 foot by 3 foot wide door laying flat on 2 supports and covered by a neutral colored gray section of material and put some of my 1:18 scale movie/tv cars on it just to get a real idea of the size I have to work with. The size of the rooms are bigger than they look. After putting my desk & car table in there I now have a better idea of what can go where. The Coffered ceiling has crown moulding around the edges`and is back lighted with amber rope lighting which gives an amber glow. I may put a space mural inside the opening of that Coffered ceiling which is in the center of the ceiling. The ceiling also has recessed can lighting around the edges of the ceiling. The 3 windows on the wall can be covered if I need them to be or find a good way to utilize them for my displays maybe using the available sunlight to back light a large picture of a star field etc. I can do anything I want to in MY dedicated hobby room. The wife has her own special room as well , now I just need to decide exactly what I want it to look like. I have my Real Space models & die cast things as well as my Irwin Allen moebius/ Lunar models models to display. The first pictures are looking into the room thru the double glass doors.


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

These pictures are the view of the Coffered ceiling, a view from inside the room looking out.


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## spawndude (Nov 28, 2007)

bert model maker said:


> These pictures are the view of the Coffered ceiling, a view from inside the room looking out.


yummmmmmmm nothing like the smell of a new house!


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

I have always wanted an entire room for model displays of a long time and now that I have one, decisions, decisions. I want to do it right the first time. The recessed Coffered ceiling offers real promise to what I can do with it.


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

Well my hobby display room is starting to take shape. I ordered 4 enclosed wood cabinets with mirrored backs and doors that seal dust tight. The cabinets each have 5 glass shelves with light at the top that has both high & low settings and do not get hot. 2 of the display cabinets are corner units that look like 1/2 of a JUPITER 2 freezing tube. I w ant to make. Sure I place them in just the right part of the room so that I will have additional space for other displays, but these 4 cabinets are a good start.


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

I dont have the shelves in yet and the square cabinets are wider than they look. The door slides left or right is heavy and closes tight. I dont have the lights on in the pictures as they just got delivered.


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