Re-Assembling the Gothic Mansion

I had meant before Halloween to have a kick-a$$ Halloween diorama, complete with the Gothic Mansion, stage, staircase, cemetary, abandoned chapel with the zombie bride, party in motion, you name it,  BUT...ONCE AGAIN...my grandiose diorama ideas went out the window when I realized the work involved. It simply takes a huge amount of time each day, to assemble and create and build that kind of diorama. sigh. 

But my progress has been made. I was perplexed when my 2nd floor was once again too high for my stunning staircase. So I hit on the idea of raising the stair with a platform and making steps up to the platform, which worked. I used a box about 7-8 inches high, covered in wood contact paper and used foamcore to make the steps leading up to it. It isn't stunning but worked. 

Here is the diorama with the staircase up to the 2nd floor, on the step platform I made. 

I used a box one of my big lights I use in my studio to light up my dioramas and covered it with contact paper. This is before. 

And then he sees a vision of loveliness on the staircase....

Count Dracula is enchanted when he first sees Eugenia on the steps. He must have her!

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Count Dracula..."

"I am pleased to meet you. I am Eugenia..."

Their eyes meet, and the Professor, Eugenia's husband, has intercepted their looks of longing as well...

Some of these stunning pictures I took with my cell phone, some with my camera. I had a brain storm to do a grouping of Egyptian items with my mummy cases around the staircase to give it an Egyptian /profressor/archeologist  feel.  I picked through my stash for unusual ornaments like the deer head to to hang on the walls with pictures/portraits of Napoleon, that give it that old world, creep factor feel. The touches of the red velvet paper, red velvet brocade on the walls, with the dark stains, and the black dress on Eugenia really make everything elegant from a cult classic horror noir movie. Just the look I'm going for.