Norrathian Interior Design

What was your inspiration for this home?

Somehow I completely missed the introduction of the layout system but as I look at the Homeshow forum a lot I soon became aware that people were doing very unusual and creative things. I did some research and found the layout editor and layout guide on the forum and started to play with it in very small ways. It just then popped into my head how cool it would be to turn an entire house upside down using this feature.

What are your favourite materials to work with in-game to create certain effects (waterfalls, stairs, grottos, aquariums, etc)?

I very much like natural materials such as wood, stone and garden type ones. I like materials that can be used to create effects that weren’t what they were originally made for. I love the introduction of the cloudy squares with the cloudy movement on them – combined with the layout feature they open up so many possibilities.

How long did this home take?

This house took about 3 days. I had a lot of problems with the first room as it doesn’t like items placed too high within it. Sharp eyed people may notice that the room isn’t as high as it should be – this is because any higher than this and things would randomly vanish. I could probably have done this house a lot quicker if I had been more comfortable with the layout feature but as this was my first real try with it, I placed each item individually. If I was to do it again, I would make the house as normal then turn everything upside down at once. One thing I did find amusing is that when I posted pics of this house on the forum, someone suggested that I had actually just flipped the screenshots upside down. I wish I’d thought of that, it would have saved me a lot of work =O)

Did you plan it with a certain story in mind, or did it just grow out of what you had on hand or what your character would want in their home?

There wasn’t a story as such, it was more an effect that I wished to create. I wanted to make a house which was totally upside down and would make people stop and go woah! when they entered.

How many items did you end up using and was it hard to keep within the limits?

This house only has 232 items within it. It was very easy to keep within the limits for this one. I would normally expect a house to look sparse with only that many but it looks surprisingly full.

What decorating tips do you have for your fellow decorators (veteran or newbies)?

A couple really – buy an expander if you need more space. The escape key is your friend – if you accidently start to move the wrong item, hit escape and it will go back to where it was. Make friends with other decorators – use the homeshow forum a lot and also join the homeshow chat channel which is full of friendly people – use /join Antonia_Bayle.Homeshow or just /join Homeshow if already on AB. Don’t be afraid to experiment with using items in unconventional or experimental ways. Finally, a practical tip – if the house is going to hold sales crates, think carefully about where those will be. People hate hunting for a sales crate if they have only entered your house to buy something. For that reason, I always place my sales area where it can be seen from the door, even if it is through an archway in a separate room, as in this house.

What one thing would you like to be able to build in-game if you could have all the materials you wanted and item limits weren't a constraint?

I would love to be able to design a house from scratch, including size, layout etc. This would enable such creative houses to be built. For I house item I would love a water or glass tile without frames, a starry tile which looks like the sky with movement included on it such as a shooting star – like the movement on the cloudy squares and finally I would love a guestbook in which visitors could leave comments. While I am on the subject of what I would like – I would like to see the link between size of house and number of sales slots removed – as a decorator, I often pop into random houses to look around and all too often the big houses are just empty apart from sales crates. Alternatively an in-game feature where people could list their houses if they want visitors would be great.

If you change your decorations seasonally, what is your favourite time of year for decorations?

This house will probably stay as it is and be unchanged seasonally, at least until an expansion where a lot of new furniture is available.

Who was involved in the decorating for your home, if you had help?

I decorated it by myself, but special thanks has to go to Jesdyr for the wonderful layout editor program.