COMMERCIAL BLOCK
I’ve always been partial to Design Preservation Models’ structure kits. They’re inexpensive, simple to build, and have great molded-in detail. So when I wanted a corner block for the end of Depot Drive, DPM (now owned by Woodland Scenics) was the first place I turned. I quickly settled on the Seymour Block kit, not only because its corner faced the right direction, but also because it was narrow enough to leave room for a back lot between it and the main line.
I assembled the kit as directed and built a sidewalk of Evergreen styrene scribed in ⁄2" squares. I gave the building a
1 coat of Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X spray paint in Nutmeg, a muted orange shade. I then brush-painted the windows, doors, and architectural details with hobby acrylics. Next, I applied a thinned wash of Concrete acrylic paint, which settled into the mortar lines and toned down the vivid orange color to a more muted shade. Luckily, it worked a lot better on this building than it did on the antique store.
I added a couple of styrene interior walls to divide it into two storefronts, separated by the stairway to the second floor. To decorate the interiors, I then turned to artificial intelligence, specifically the AI art generator Nightcafe (creator.nightcafe.studio). Experimenting with various text prompts and art styles, I eventually came up with usable interiors of an old-fashioned barbershop and a brightly colored cafe. Not everything in the images was realistic — floor tiles were warped and chair legs vanished into thin air, for instance. With experience, I could have probably gotten more realistic results. But printed at HO scale and placed behind window glazing, they looked good enough. I also used the computer to print window treatments and signs.
To finish the rest of the commercial block, we added The Paint Pros next to the Seymour Block. This is a DPM building Cody had assembled some time ago and equipped with a lighted interior kit from The Electric Wallpaper Co.