The Bottom Line
These are highly detailed laser furniture kits with tiny, somewhat fragile pieces (especially in 1:48 scale). They are easily assembled, as long as you are comfortable working with tweezers, especially in the smaller scales. The scale is good and the pieces are very accurately cut. In each size assembly has been tweaked to make it as simple as possible, with the greatest detail. All of the kits contain highly original art work and detail. The higher prices for the items reflect this originality. Coordinating wallpapers are also available for the Miss Lydia Pickett Collection.
Pros
- Laser cut with good detail
- Clear Instructions
- Intricate Paper Details
- 'Extras' included in Lydia Pickett Kits along with a story featuring the set.
Cons
- Laser cut, so main detail is flat
- Assembled with tabs and slots, slots must be filled.
- 1:12 scale photos are shown. Quarter scale kits have less detail than in the photos.
Description
- Lovely design detail
- Clear, well simplified construction and instructions.
- Depending on the scale you build, furniture may not exactly match the illustration shown on the package.
Guide Review - 1:48 Laser Furniture Kits
Robin Betterley produces a large collection of detailed laser cut furniture kits in 1:12, 1:24, and 1:48 scale. The kits all form parts of collections, several match houses or displays. The laser cuts are designed to add extra detail to many of the pieces in the collection. Although they are flat, they are designed to create the illusion of more depth, for example cabriole style legs are attached at an angle to create the sense that the legs on the piece are not completely flat
The kits are whimsical, with good visual detail achieved via paper appliqués. Quarter scale kits are highly detailed but lack many of the details of the larger kits (opening drawers and cushions for example). The range of furniture produced is excellent, allowing it to be used in a number of different scenes, with or without the supplied paper details.
The kits contain clear instructions and photographs (of the 1:12 scale construction details). All parts are clearly labeled and securely attached to the laser master piece in logical groups. The paper appliqués for smaller scales appear to be good reductions of 1:12 scale size appliqués and could stand a bit more generous cutting space between the pieces, but the layout is not troublesome. Extra coordinating paper trim parts are supplied which can be used to link the furniture to other projects.
The Miss Lydia Pickett collection also contains a whimsical story line about a little dog, which features the items of furniture in the kit. In addition, each kit in the Lydia Pickett series contains 'extras' game boxes, books, postcards or other details not mentioned on the kit packaging.
