Sims Building Tips
You may or may not of heard of a few of these before - they serve as a reminder, okay? If you get frustrated with building it might be because you know these things but forget to do them.
These can apply to TS2 & 4 but were written for 3.
-Plants! More plants! They make the house look lived in, no matter if it's a modern house, rustic, etc. They're not just for the outdoors. Bring in some life to the home.
-Clutter too. Throw some magazines on those coffee tables, soap and towels near the sinks, makeup kits on the dressers, toys over the kids room, books in the office, make a mess.
-Pick a color palette and stick to it! Having the entire color wheel in a house will be an eye sore. If you're afraid of messing this up, stick with some neutrals for now before you experiment.
-Patterns! I think people forget how important these are. Don't just use Maxis ones either! Download some CC patterns. They're amazing for rugs, beds, and curtains.
-Materials! This is sorta like patterns, but with wallpapers. Adding different types of materials to your house exteriors gives it some pop. Like add pretty stone to the foundation instead of brick. And pop some of it on a walled column or two.
-VARIETY IS KEY. Use different roof sizes and designs. Don't make square homes, add different shapes to that boring box. It's all about the form of the house, the shape.
-Think outside of the box - use items you could throw into a room that aren't basics. Maybe use a dresser as a little serving table in a dining room? Or add a little reading area to your kids room? Don't use just the necessities!
-Heights make a huge difference. Everything on one level can be a bit boring. Actually use those foundations! Maybe build off a cliff for a change. Put that bed on a Late Night platform, raise it up a bit. Have you ever tried connecting a garage to a foundation? What about a basement in a foundation?
-Add little odd rooms based on your Sims' skills and hobbies, like a gym or an art room. (I can make a list of ideas in a seperate post?)
-Break it up! Learning to build on a 64x64 lot is probably the worst thing you could do. All that space... how are you going to fill it? Try a smaller lot, and a smaller house, but also smaller rooms! You don't need an 8x8 living room for a family of four. It's hard to fill it. Try cramming more things into a little room. This links back to those plants and clutter!
-Try using wall lamps instead of ceiling. This helps fills up your walls with things other than mirrors and paintings. Floor lamps are good too though, for you know, more clutter.
-Have a Sim take photos of your Sims' family and neighborhood. Use the photos on your walls! Yay for filling up those bare walls!
-Mess around with floor designs. Don't just use rugs. Try carpeted flooring in the center of a wood-floored room.
-Balconies! Little reading window nooks! Gardens! Decks!
-And most importantly, REFERENCE! Sim home designing is an art form within itself, interior and exterior, and artists use references! Grab inspiration off Google and Pintrest.