Interior Design: Blues? by apparent |  |
Untitled Document
NEOPIA CENTRAL - Ah, the joy of owning a NeoHome. There's such a variety of furniture
that you can choose from out of many different shops, depending on what genre
you're looking for. You can own up to three floors of paradise. At other points,
a NeoHome can be a pain in the rear. (I personally think the 'pain in the rear'
theory is most accurate). The furniture or plants you may want can be very expensive
or you may not have any ideas for decoration whatsoever. Most recently established
NeoHomes in our virtual world are completely empty; plain walls, backyards, or
room interiors. Lots of users create a NeoHome only for the art of having a longer
lookup. However, all NeoHomes do not have to be this way, especially if you feel
you're having interior design blues.
There's an American television show called "Trading Spaces" that I think we
could imitate to get the best out of designing our NeoHomes, or even just a
room or two within it. For those of you who haven't seen it, two couples in
the show trade houses for two days, and have to decorate a room in the house,
only using $1,000 (American currency). Some people work the best when put under
pressure. For getting the best results out of your NeoHome, when dealing with
no ideas, I think that setting limits is good. Whether you plan on decorating
your NeoHome by yourself or with a friend (by simply purchasing furniture for
them and placing it in the trading post - just to ensure no scams) using our
"trading spaces" idea, here are some boundaries to get you started.
Time limit: I think time limits are very hard to follow, especially
if you're the kind of person that likes to put things off until the last minute.
But this project is supposed to put you up to the challenge - hopefully it will
be something fun for you to try. If you're working with a friend, make sure
you're able to easily contact them (through Neomail or any other messenger)
to discuss what time limit you should have. Decide on a deadline that works
out for the both of you. If you're working by yourself, make sure that you're
up to having a time limit. Longer time limits are ideal for weekdays - as most
of us are at work or at school, and usually don't get home until the evening.
I think a time limit at around 2-5 days is ideal; if it was put any longer then
that, serious procrastination might follow. However, if you (or you and you
friend, depending on what your plan is) are seriously busy people, then I guess
it's fine to make the deadline a little longer.
Cash limit: The amount of Neopoints you want to spend on decorating
this particular section of your [friend's] NeoHome can cause a lot of problems.
Not all furniture is cheap and affordable. If you (or you and your partner)
want a simple, though not too raggedy design, then try to save up 50k as the
limit. For a very average design, or if you can't afford much, try any number
below 50k as your limit. The highest you should spend on this quick-design of
your NeoHome should be only around 80k. If you were to rise the Neopoints limit
any higher, you'd go on a spending rampage and get everything you want, which
is not the idea. You want to get the best creative and decorative results out
of a certain limit.
Becoming a designer: Once you've decided on your guidelines for the
project, you're ready to begin! Pick a theme that you'd like to use for the
particular room, depending on what its use will be. Sometimes it is difficult
to decide what theme to use, and you don't want to waste too much time settling
an idea. Or, you can select on of your (or one of your friend's) Neopets and
design a room for them instead. For something of quick use, write the names
of the shops you're interested in using on small slips of paper (ex: Spooky
Furniture, Tyrannian Furniture, Fine Furniture). Fold them into small pieces
and randomly draw a piece from a cup or a hat. The name on the slip is what
you're required to use. Remember: you're on a time limit. You want to get as
creative as possible. Then, go on out and adventure with different items to
go with you theme. Feel free to mix and match different types of furniture to
give the specific room a very unique touch.
Also, it wouldn't hurt to ask other people of what they think you should use
in a certain room. Get different ideas from people who like furniture or interior
design to help you add a different style to your room. Don't be shy! Ask for
judgements and tips on good furniture. Remember, we're working for the best
results.
The finishing touch: The day before your time limit is up, make sure
the furniture is the way you think your friend (or yourself) will enjoy. If
you're working with a friend, make sure you put all of the furniture into the
trading post, and send a detailed Neomail of how you think the furniture should
be arranged, or what room it was intended for, etc. Try to surprise yourself
or your friend with an unexpected addition to make the room complete. If you've
got a few extra Neopoints leftover, you could also use them to help extend a
few extension options. Think creatively of what you could do to give the room
a certain specific touch. Whether it is a rug to complete a family room, or
a jazzy mirror to top off a bathroom, there's plenty you can do to finish your
room.
When you're finished, take feedback or ratings from other people or from the
friend you swapped with. Was there anything you could have done to make the
room better? Did you do a good job with the amount of Neopoints you were allowed
to use? Think about this, and once you decide on how good of a job you did,
apply it to designing a NeoHome in the future. It will help you learn about
what is a good job and what could use more work.
Hopefully you can find these ideas of some use. Questions, or comments? Feel
free to Neomail me. Now, let me stop wasting your time, let's get building!
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