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Helpful Tips for Building and Decorating! ~Add yours here!~ New and Improved!
callieb95
Posts: 161 New Member
So, I've been really into building and decorating lately and I have seen many threads about people's new homes (etc.). So, I was thinking that it would be helpful to have a whole thread of ideas from people who are builders, decorators, or just have ideas that will help make our builds better! So, I'll get started by adding a few.
~Add terrain paint and terraforming (raise and lower the land)
~Landscape with bushes
~Have a fluid color scheme
~Add pops of color throughout the home
Now you try... :-)
Look below the post for the tips!
Scroll down to about the upper bottom of the page for a helpful color guide! :-)
~Add terrain paint and terraforming (raise and lower the land)
~Landscape with bushes
~Have a fluid color scheme
~Add pops of color throughout the home
Now you try... :-)
Look below the post for the tips!
Scroll down to about the upper bottom of the page for a helpful color guide! :-)
Post edited by EA_Solaire on
0
Comments
I moved them up for your convenience! These are all the tips that people have posted on this thread. I tried to make it as easy-to-read as possible. If you have any ideas how I could make this even easier to read, then please post it! Post a building, decorating, or landscaping tip and I'll add it in as soon as I see it! Thanks!
Things in bold I find extra helpful. (They are all helpful, so don't get offended if yours isn't in bold!)
Building:
~Add terrain paint and terraforming (raise and lower the land)-Callieb95
~No Auto Roof (Ever. Please it looks bad) -phoenixmaid
~Keep your terraforming well inside of the borders of the lot -Jalida
~Level the entire lot before you start building a house to avoid hard-to-place objects -monkymn00
~Add a basement (A lot more square footage- but also add color and lighting to the mix so it isn't so dark!) -Callieb95
~No square houses. (And btw... adding diagonal walls does not make itany less square
~Don't overload a house with a ton of windows. Separate the space into smaller spaces. -Elkee
~Something i ALWAYS do after building my walls and roof is select white carpet and wallpaper and douse the bare interior in white, helps me appreciate the light coming in and everything because green and gray don't give a great perspective. (Taken directly form Elkee's post- I didn't feel like re-wording.
~Keep windows symmetrical (when it is necessary) -Asante
~Don't put bookshelves or other objects in front of windows! -Elkee
~Bedrooms: If you want to fit a double bed which 2 people can sleep in, the smallest you can get away with is a 4x4 room. You won't be able to fit a workable dresser though. -Anjubee
~Bathrooms: If you want a working bathtub, a toilet, and a sink, 2x3 is too small. You can fit a shower in a 2x3 room, but they won't be able to get to a 2 tile tub. -Anjubee
~Hallways: Hallways should always be at least 2 tiles wide to make it more playable. -Anjubee
~Roof Space: Depending on the roof size, you can always utilize the roof space. I did that with my latest contemporary cabin build. I was able to fit a lofted gym, a bedroom, and another full bath all in the roof space. -Anjubee
~Room/House Scale: Unless you're building some sort of super mansion, keep the scale of rooms in mind. If you're trying to make a cozier house, don't build a 10x10 bedroom. I sometimes big for what they were trying to achieve. It is also a waste of sim time when sims have to trek so far just to get to a certain room. Try to plan out the floorplan ahead of time. -Anjubee
~It helps if stairs are two tiles long instead of one. -Asante
~Add arches instead of doors when possible. -kaillbarr
~Play a build before you upload it to make sure everything works and flows right. -aandplawatsch
~No windows in corners (Makes it seem uncomfortable) -nafoirtenilakla
~Try for an asymmetrical balance in your house layout. -nafoirtenilakla
~Add at least one special feature to every home. (See nafoirtenilakla's post for examples- page 3) -nafoirtenilakla
~Don't put trees and bushes so close to the house that they go through the wall and then stick into the house. Very annoying. -icrawbeans
~To create a ceiling on your lot, take off auto roof (which you should do anyway) then place down the floor tile-like roof type. Then use the roof tools to build your roof on top of the floor tile roof you just places. (nice tip
~Use "moveobjects on" without the quotes in your cheat box to allow you to place objects where you couldn't before. Very useful in decorating and landscaping! (A must use cheat!)-peacemaker_ic
~Recolor your pool. You can color the walls and floor inside of it just like a normal room. -peacemaker_ic
~Blend your terrain paint after you put it down. Go for a more realistic look. -Spectrefiend
~Choose the correct lot size for your house! Don't put a tiny house on a huge lot (with the exception of legacies) and don't squeeze a big lot on a tiny piece of land. -DieterPrivate
~Use the roof slider! The preset 50% height looks bad on most homes, so change it to a low setting for normal homes and to a high setting for Victorian style homes. -Jalida
~If you are using a flat roof, be sure to change the texture and color of it to something more like asphalt or concrete (or whatever matches your home). -Jalida
~Don't make square rooms on your entire house! Use diagonal walls and other creative fixes. -Robodl95
~Mix and match different terrain paints (Don't use only one for your whole lot- ever.) -Robodl95
~Small room = Smaller furnishings and not over-sized objects. -kaillbarr
~When using "constrainfloorelevation false", be sure to use patterns on the wall that flow through the slanted walls. Don't use brick walls or anything that has a pattern because it will most likely look terrible. -Nevar
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Decorating:
~Have a fluid color scheme -Callieb95
~Add pops of color throughout the home -Callieb95
~Don't put too many different patterns in one room -Sparkle
~Pick 2 or 3 main colors for the theme of the interior and do variations of those colors in every room to give the house a cohesive flow. -ruthless_kk
~In any room, go with 60% main color, 30% complimentary color and 10% accent -ruthless_kk
~To mix patterns in a room, go with one large scale pattern, one small scale pattern and the rest solid...otherwise the room may look too busy. ~ruthless_kk
~Every room can use a plant. ~ruthless_kk
~Less is more. (Don't stuff too much stuff into little spaces)-Asante
~Try to make a feature wall in a bedroom. (Above a bed with mounted wall lights) -peacemaker_ic
~Reds, oranges, and yellows are warm. -nafoirtenilakla
~Blues, purples, and greens are cool. -nafoirtenilakla
~Texture is just as important as color. Add a brick wall or crown molding for texture, etc. -nafoirtenilakla
~Each room should have a purpose. It should be functional, not just cute. -nafoirtenilakla
~Use emotions when deciding on what colors should be used in a room. For a lively look, use reds and yellows. For a dreary look go for dark blue, greens, and just generally dull colors. -kaillbarr
~Use curtains on more than just the windows. -kaillbarr
~Add a lot of light. -kaillbarr
~Don't be afraid to use odd textures for items that they are not really meant to be used for. -Jalida
~Avoid using textures that are a simple one color and have no real feel. -Jalida
~Mirror's aren't just for practicing speeches and checking your looks... use them to make a small room appear bigger and more decorated, but only if it fits your overall theme. -Asante
Landscaping:
~If your lazy when landscaping a big garden, use trees! ~Asante
~A few trees isn't a garden! There should be a variation of height. -peacemaker_ic
~Do some planting, but don't overdo it, unless it's a park! -DieterPrivate
~Outline ponds with dirt and sand and add lillies and cattails! -Robodl95
~Stick to trees that would be found in nature together. Don't mix palm trees with pine trees, etc. -Jalida
~Stick to either a formal garden or a casual garden. (Don't mix clean cut plants with rugged overgrown plants) -Jalida
DieterPrivate's steps to Good Housebuilding!
1. lay out the foundation to decide where the house will go. I always use the first fence in the list to 'draw' the floorplan on the terrain. I can then move it when the place isn't right. You can't move the house when it's finished!
2. build the foundation and the walls for each floor until their ok. For this you'll have to know what will come in each room so that you size them correct.
3. build the roof so that the outside of the house looks good.
4. add all doors and windows to make the outside look good.
5. add all inside doors and stairs.
6. Do the exterior painting according to the style of the house.
7. Do the interior.
8. place all objects you want outside on the lot.
9. use the terrain paint to add texture.
10. Do some planting and landscaping.
Tips for Making Your Uploaded Lot Stand Out!
If your planning on uploading your lot, there are several things you can do to make it stand out among the many others.
1. Post pictures of it somewhere on the site, and link to them in the details part of your upload. You can put the pictures either on a story (on this site) or create a thread with the pictures on it. (Thanks Asante)
2. You can create a movie instead of taking pictures (but I think pictures are more effective and easier. (Just an opinion
3. You can change you lot picture when uploading using the Lepid Llama Package Editor. You can find the information about it and how to use it on many threads here. (I'll link to it when I find one.)
4. Link to your studio through your signature. (The thing under your posts.)
Included in this post:
phoenixmaid
Sparkle
Jalida
ruthless_kk
monkymn00
Asante
Elkee
Anjubee
kaillbarr
aandplawatsch
Gheez
Spectrefiend
DieterPrivate
Nevar
Callieb95 (me
Thanks guys!
Edit: Updated with Asante and Elkee's posts!... again... and again
Updated with Anjubee and Kaillbarr's posts! :-)
Updated with peacemaker_ic and nafoirtenilakla's posts and more Asante.
Updated with Spectrefriend, Dieterprivate, and more Jalida posts!
Added the Landscaping tab.
Updated with Nevar's post!
Moved the Color Guide down to the near-bottom of the page and moved this post up!
Added the Tips to Making Your Uploaded Lot Stand Out.
*Tears* Come on people!
*please note I am not prejudiced against hedgehogs in any way (i think they are cuter than my sim babies actually. It was a mere attempt at making a point in a funny way)
** my sim lawyers have noted my foolish ways and decided that as my comments were not prejudiced against gnomes or flamingos i am safe from all attempts to sue me for it so :P
I'm sure this is something I've heard about decorating real houses though I can't remember where. I know that certainly in sims' houses, I find it makes rooms too busy/crowded and sometimes unpleasant to look at.
~Add a basement (A lot more square footage- but also add color and lighting to the mix so it isn't so dark!)
pick 2 or 3 main colors for the theme of the interior and do variations of those colors in every room to give the house a cohesive flow.
In any room, go with 60% main color, 30% complimentary color and 10% accent
To mix patterns in a room, go with one large scale pattern, one small scale pattern and the rest solid...otherwise the room may look too busy.
Every room can use a plant. Really. Just my personal opinion but hey...it doesnt hurt.
Oh, and I recently got a houseplans book so I can get ideas for my houses, and it had a useful color guide in it. I'll type some of it here:
Red
Red is powerful, dramatic, and motivating. Red is also hospitable, and it stimulates the appetite, which make it a favorite choice for dinning room. Some studies have indicated that a red room actually makes people feel warmer.
Yellow
Yellow illuminates the colors it surrounds. It warms rooms that receive northern light, but can be too bright in a sunny room. It's best for daytime rooms, not bedrooms. It has a short range, which means as white is added to yellow, it disappears. Yellow highlights call attention to features- think of bright taxicabs.
Green
Green is tranquil, nurturing, and rejuvenating. It is a psychological primary, and because it is mixed from yellow and blue, it can appear both warm and cool. Time seems to pass more quickly in green rooms. Perhaps that's why waiting rooms off-stage are often called "green rooms."
Neutrals
Gray goes with all colors- it is a good neighbor. Various tones of gray range from dark charcoal to pale oyster.
Black (technically the absence of color)enhances and brightens other colors, making for livelier decorating schemes when used as an accent.
Pink
Pink is perceived as outgoing and active. It's also a color that flatters skin tones. Hot shades are invigorating, while soft, toned-down versions can be relaxed and charming.
Blue
Blue, with its associations of sea ans sky, offers serenity, which is why it is a favorite in bedrooms. Studies have shown that people think better in blue rooms. Cooler blues show this color's melancholy side, however.
Help this helped! :-)
Edit: added bold
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/990/21728.page
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Nudging it on up!
(Aka: Another shameful bump... :oops: )
Well, not the best tip of all times but: sometimes less is more.
Do I have to explain that? (If you have a small room and stuff every corner full of different types of decoration it can be too much. Sometimes it's better to set accents. Simple but stylish or something like that. Not that I'm really good at that myself, *cough*)
dont overload a house with dozens and dozens of windows instead perhaps try cutting the big interior into smaller sections (unless your going for ultra modern)
something i ALWAYS do after building my walls and roof is select white carpet and wallpaper and douse the bare interior in white, helps me appreciate the light coming in and everything because green and grey dont give a great perspective
Oh and take a look at the outside to make sure the windows sit at the right places (overall symmetry). At least the ones with... hmmm obsessive-compulsive disorders... (I admit it... I have problems building something non-symmetrical... lol)
Edit: Changed thee to the
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Added. Yay! This is much better than I expected! Keep going with those tips! :-)
Ooooh yes, I know that too... lol. And usually if that happens I wonder why there's so few light in the room with that big a window. Or why on earth is there a huge dark thing in front of the window if I check the outside...
EDIT: Oh callieb... didn't mean EVERYTHING has to be symmetrical. There are a lot of nice asymmetrical houses. Just certain things look better symmetrical. (and don't ask me to do one of those asymmetrical houses... doesn't work with my disorder... lol)
Bedrooms: If you want to fit a double bed which 2 people can sleep in, the smallest you can get away with is a 4x4 room. You won't be able to fit a workable dresser though.
Bathrooms: If you want a working bathtub, a toilet, and a sink, 2x3 is too small. You can fit a shower in a 2x3 room, but they won't be able to get to a 2 tile tub.
Hallways: Hallways should always be at least 2 tiles wide to make it more playable.
Roof Space: Depending on the roof size, you can always utilize the roof space. I did that with my latest contemporary cabin build. I was able to fit a lofted gym, a bedroom, and another full bath all in the roof space.
And to add a new tip which I think is super important..
Room/House Scale: Unless you're building some sort of super mansion, keep the scale of rooms in mind. If you're trying to make a cozier house, don't build a 10x10 bedroom. I sometimes see a lot that has great potential, but the room sizes were too big for what they were trying to achieve. It is also a waste of sim time when sims have to trek so far just to get to a certain room. Try to plan out the floorplan ahead of time.
Hope those are useful tips to some people.
-kaillbarr