I know decorating can be quite the task when building a home in Sims 3. In this article I´ll give you some steps on how to break it down, and make it easier for you to please your simmies and of course yourself.
Firstly have some idea of the type of style you would like to use throughout the house. Make sure it is cohesive to the outside.
When decorating I always do the walls and floors first. This gives you the basic outline of what you want your rooms to look like color wise.
Make sure to always use colors that complement one another. This will make the room cohesive, and more appealing to the eye.
If you are unsure on which colors complement one another. Here is a color wheel to give you a guideline.
The color wheel is designed to show you which colors work together with one another. Picking colors opposite of each other on the color wheel means that they are complementary to each other. Using the complementing colors will spark interest, and at the same time blend nicely together.
Another helpful hint would be to take the least noticeable color in your wall scheme and use it on your fabrics (couches, curtains, etc) For example see the little mauve flower. By using the least used color in a pattern scheme by placing it on the furniture will make it appear more profound in the pattern.
When choosing woods there are several things to take into consideration. Firstly, the style of the build.
For example if you are going to do a log cabin they should have the feeling of nature with woods and neutral.
To give the build some dimension I always use colors that complement one another and in the same general color family. A color family is basically your standard color that branches out from light to dark.
I’ll use red as an example. Pink being your lightest to red being your ground zero to a deep maroon as your darkest form of color.
Shade by definition is the mixture of a color with black.
Tint by definition is the mixture of a color with white.
Tone by definition is produced either by mixing with gray, or by both tinting and shading.
When coloring the woods on the furniture I try to keep it within the same color family of the trim. Try going a little lighter or darker depending on the trim work on the walls.
Selection of flooring is rather easy. I tend to use hardwood floors in my homes. I typically place them in the more formal parts of the lot, and for the casual family locations I place carpeting. Depending on the type of house determines the style of tile / linoleum. For more formal homes I would use a linoleum flooring and a home designed in a more suburban style atmosphere I would go with a tile.
Formal
Suburban
I use this process with each room, and I try to keep the atmosphere about the same throughout the house.
By using these steps to help create the interiors of your simmies homes it will help teach you the basic use of color and how it works. Color essentially is the foundation of your sims home.
