Welcome to Soneia's place....

[Soneia]

Hi all,

I have just come back to the game after a long time away, and the main thing that I missed was my house. I have realised that since I have been gone, the carpenters have learnt a whole stack of new goodies to play with, so I have set Cynaed (my hubby's carpenter) a work order :)

But, I thought I would share with the photos of my house as it is now - I will update when the new furniture is delivered and arranged to my satisfaction.

View from front door. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Viewfromdoor.jpg)
Kitchen. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Kitchen.jpg)
Dining Table. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/DiningTable.jpg)
Lounge Room. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/LoungeRoom.jpg)
Shopping Area. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/ShoppingArea.jpg)
Library. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Library1.jpg)
Outdoor Entertaining. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/OutdoorEntertaining.jpg)
Outdoors. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Outdoors.jpg)
Waterfall. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Waterfall.jpg)
Upstairs. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Upstairs1.jpg)
Upstairs study. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Upstairsstudy.jpg)
Close up of writing desk. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/WritingDesk.jpg)
Music Corner. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/MusicCorner.jpg)
The Bedroom. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/TheBedroom.jpg)

[Jeniel]

I like your setup a lot! What struck me especially was how much atmosphere you managed to create with very little. So often you see homes that are so shock full of stuff it gives you a headache to look at. This is how it should be!

Your kitchen is adorable and I think you'll love the new stoves Domino (the new and, dare I say, fantastic tradeskill dev) has added.
The lounge area too is a master stroke, very tasteful!
Do you remember what painting it is hanging in your shopping area? Forgive me if it's a silly question I've only played for a few months and I'm grinding up my own guild to boot, so I've not yet been able to lay my grubby hands on a lot of faction based goodies.

Oh that's another thing, I was thinking when I looked at your library what a herculean task it must have been to place all those books. If you hold down crtl and use your mouse wheel you will now be able to place most items in a height of your choice. It's still pretty quirky to work with but it does help with placing.
If you feel like taking a peek at what I've done with my 3-room I posted pics in the "pillars" thread.

Happy decorating,

Jeniel

[Soneia]

Wow, that book tip will save me ALOT of time when I move. (Me and my hubby and slowly grinding our guild up to lvl 30, I hope to move before the new expansion in November.) Placing those books was a balancing act invloving three teak tables - luckily I play a Kerran Monk, so I have good balance, and alot of patience :)

I'm glad you like the house, I have my eye on some new furniture - especially the stoves. I was always planning on buying a Kitchen workstation, but have been saving my Status for the move to a 5 room place.

The painting is Maj'Dul: A Single Tear. It was the reward for the download version of the Maj'Dul expansion.

-Soneia

[Jeniel]

After experimenting with the "raising" feature I've found that books in particular have much more leeway in terms of after-adjustment as opposed to carpets (see my adventures in Project Acorn). Just raise them to the appropriate height and place, then finicky them where you want them.
I still have to stand on furniture to be able to see if they are placed alright but this method really takes a fraction of the time and patience it required before.

Also there is one more thing you can do to give yourself ekstra "raising mobility":
Your mouse wheel has nobs, in most cases they can be physically removed with very little effort (i.e. even I can do it). This makes the wheel move smoothly and consequently should (I haven't been able to test it yet) raise objects more precisely. I used to remove the nobbly thingiemajig along with the (curseword) Microsoft key for gaming purposes.

I hope to test the above idea when I get back from Denmark.

Sincerely,

- Jeniel

[Soneia]

I have just got the pictures back from the developers :)

I hope that you enjoy the new look as much as I do.

View from the entry. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/viewfromentryv2.jpg)
The reading corner (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Libraryv2-1.jpg)
Closer view on the reading corner. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/readingcornerv2.jpg)
The new and improved library. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/libraryv2.jpg)
Luckily my hubby was playing at Christmas time. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Food2v2.jpg)
The dining rooom. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Diningv2.jpg)
My kitchen is now complete with stoves and food. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/kitchen3v2.jpg)
Another view of the kitchen. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Kitchen2v2.jpg)
The shop is open for business. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Shopv2.jpg)

A proper garden! (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/outside5v2.jpg)
Staying warm outside. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/outside4v2.jpg)
A place to relax. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Outside3v2.jpg)


Upstairs. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/upstairs3v2.jpg)
Supplication. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Supplication.jpg)
The music room. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/musiccornerv2.jpg)
The bedroom. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/bedroom2v2.jpg) (The bed) (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/bedv2.jpg)
The dressing corner. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/dressingcorner2v2.jpg)

I hope that you like it. My deepest thanks go to Cynaed for making it all possible.

-Soneia

[Soneia]

Mavala in her inn room (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Mavinn1.jpg)
Back from a hard day in the field. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnposer.jpg)
Just time to do a bit of book work, (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnstudy.jpg)
And have a bit of a rest (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnchair2.jpg)
In front of the fire (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnchair3.jpg)
Before the guests arrive for a dinner party. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnentertain.jpg)
*Yawn* what a day, poor Mavala is ready for bed. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnyawn.jpg)

-Soneia.

[Soneia]

Jeniel,

Thanks for the tip about the mousewheel. It made placing many of the new items much easier! I even briefly toyed with the idea of moving my library as using it a room divider. I decided that I liked my library where it was though.

I had one of the vale bookcases upstairs, and kept it as a shoe rack in the dressing room - with shoes on it! Sadly, it didn't match the rest of the new furniture, so it had to go.

Seeing things on those shelves without the pain in the neck of trying to juggles shelves/boxes/tables/chairs to use as place holders was awesome! With that trick, even the many bookcases/shelves which were 'unusable' can now be used - O the possibilities. :D


-Soneia

[Jeniel]

Hi Soneia

First off I still love how homey you make the place without crowding it! There were a few details I found especially charming that I'd like to comment on:

The reading corner is so very cosy and lived in.´And using the rough linen rug to tie the green furniture into the hearth works marvelously.

I never thoughts of using the eggs as decoration in the bookshelves ( /steal). Did you redo everything in the library, if so how long did it take in light of our earlier discussions?

And your kitchen is even more perfect than before. I knew you'd want the bread and muffin pans.

One question: What is that in the bowl between the two benches in the outside area? I couldn't quite make it out.

Oh and I thought it was great you put the boots into the dresser upstairs. That has been a thought of mine that's on hold until I get around to completing the DWB HQ.

All in all a very coherent and welcoming home!

- Jeniel
(pre-coffee if I sound a bit terse)


I have just got the pictures back from the developers :)

I hope that you enjoy the new look as much as I do.

View from the entry. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/viewfromentryv2.jpg)
The reading corner (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Libraryv2-1.jpg)
Closer view on the reading corner. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/readingcornerv2.jpg)
The new and improved library. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/libraryv2.jpg)
Luckily my hubby was playing at Christmas time. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Food2v2.jpg)
The dining rooom. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Diningv2.jpg)
My kitchen is now complete with stoves and food. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/kitchen3v2.jpg)
Another view of the kitchen. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Kitchen2v2.jpg)
The shop is open for business. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Shopv2.jpg)

A proper garden! (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/outside5v2.jpg)
Staying warm outside. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/outside4v2.jpg)
A place to relax. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Outside3v2.jpg)


Upstairs. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/upstairs3v2.jpg)
Supplication. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Supplication.jpg)
The music room. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/musiccornerv2.jpg)
The bedroom. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/bedroom2v2.jpg) (The bed) (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/bedv2.jpg)
The dressing corner. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/dressingcorner2v2.jpg)

I hope that you like it. My deepest thanks go to Cynaed for making it all possible.

-Soneia

[Jeniel]

Funny you should say that. No sooner than yesterday the notion dawned on me that I could finally go bananas with Briarwood bookcases.

Jeniel,

Thanks for the tip about the mousewheel. It made placing many of the new items much easier! I even briefly toyed with the idea of moving my library as using it a room divider. I decided that I liked my library where it was though.

I had one of the vale bookcases upstairs, and kept it as a shoe rack in the dressing room - with shoes on it! Sadly, it didn't match the rest of the new furniture, so it had to go.

Seeing things on those shelves without the pain in the neck of trying to juggles shelves/boxes/tables/chairs to use as place holders was awesome! With that trick, even the many bookcases/shelves which were 'unusable' can now be used - O the possibilities. :D


-Soneia

[Jeniel]

Ha! I drew up plans for using a similar relief of Sun God paintings yesterday afternoon (CET). I have some vague notion of adding a rectangular frame to the corner nook place in the Qeynos 2-room's. But it looks so charming here. I would have dithered about placing the vale briarwood bed in front of the window, because it's such a big solid darkness, but it looks like very little light is lost? Speaking of light, the way that sunbeam from the window falls across the loveseat... Ahh long slow afternoons, dust motes sparkling in the sun, grandma's pancakes...
And the sweet dinner setup (much nicer than I would have assumed a ratonga would put together /dodge-you-missed). Is it the Granville table you used or do I need more coffee this morning?
I am missing some distraction from the walls. I think I might have settled for some pictures in the color schemes of the Leviathan Unbound (http://www.everseek.com/index.php?&name=Furniture&single=on&fid=81) . In order to lessen the dark, rough woodeness. But then again maybe I'm wrong about that.

- Jeniel

Mavala in her inn room (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Mavinn1.jpg)
Back from a hard day in the field. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnposer.jpg)
Just time to do a bit of book work, (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnstudy.jpg)
And have a bit of a rest (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnchair2.jpg)
In front of the fire (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnchair3.jpg)
Before the guests arrive for a dinner party. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnentertain.jpg)
*Yawn* what a day, poor Mavala is ready for bed. (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/mavinnyawn.jpg)

-Soneia.

[Soneia]

Thanks for your comments, I do try hard to make it look like that someone who cares about the house lives there. Your comment about me having not a lot of stuff makes me giggle - I am at at little over 400 items in my 300 item house :) All those books add up! - only 299 items out of my count limit.

The bowl outside between the benches is filled with 3 flowers that the Wood-Elves get from their starter quest. I have three lots of those flowers: my Wood-Elf, my husband's Wood-Elf and I think his Half-Elf also got that same flower. (Which ever race it was that starts in the same zone as the Wood-Elves).

I used to have them on my dining table. This is a close up (http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d96/SmithTracy/Flowers.jpg) of what it used to look like. each stem is two flowers at at different heights. To get them staggered like this, i had to use a very small stool, place the bottom flowers, then place the vase, and add the top flower. Now it would be much easier to achieve *stilll marvelling about the mouse-wheel thing*

Now that the moving crate has been implimented, I have even toyed with the idea of creating/deleting a few more Wood-Elves to get more flowers. It was aloooong time ago that we got those, although I'm not even sure if the quest is stilll in the game. I never did it in the past, because the owner of the item had to relocate the item when you moved. I know from past experience that if the character does not exist, the item is lost.

I did not really move much in Soneia's library, just moved a couple of books, and added the other decorations, so it took me not long at all really.

In relation to Mavala's house: I also think that it could do with some more wall art. But as she is a Ratongan Guardian, I think that I will decorate with more L&L weapons. It is very sparce at the moment though. (I will have to get Mav out hunting the beasties soon to spruce the place up a bit)

I did have the carpenter in to change the wall cladding, but that much light wood hurt her eyes -she likes it dark and mysterious :P

I put the bed in the window like that to use the window sill to look like bedside tables. I does not really affect the light at all. It really is a massive bed, and looked odd in any other part of the room. My hubby's Ratty has the smaller version of the bed in his Freeport house, but Mavala is free in the land of plenty - she likes the big bed.

-Soneia