As I have always been interested in old advertising signs and packaging the shop was the first room that I started to decorate. In fact, I own some of the items that I have gone on to reduce to 1/12th scale for the shop.

I made window shelving that lifts out so that I can arrange the tins and packets more easily and I stuck some signs and notices to the insides of the windows. I want to try to re-create the "cluttered look" of a 1950's corner shop window. I have price labels to add to the window items but I am having difficulty trying to find out the prices of particular goods in the mid-1950's. As in all areas of my Dolls House I want to try to be as accurate as possible.

The tiled floor is made from pre-cut self-adhesive vinyl floor tiles bought from a supplier on Ebay. I painted the walls with light green emulsion and added a "dummy" door to connect to the living areas, marking the door "Private". The shop seemed too light and airy for the period so I chose dark mahogany effect shelving and counters which I bought from various suppliers.

All the packaging designs date from the 1950's are are deliberately muted in tone and sharpness. I feel that often reproduction packets and tins are too bright and unrealistically detailed as in reality packed shop shelves do not reveal all the details of packaging.

On the shop counter I have put scissors and a ball of string along with an order book and pencil. An old-styled shop refrigerator along with a selection of bread, pasties and sausage rolls completes the scene and, hopefully, gives the impression of a well-stocked corner shop.