Layers of Sim Design

by Martha Sim Stewart

In our busy Sim lives, between playing with our pets, working, taking care of the kids, and pleasing the spouse, we hardly have time to decorate our homes. Well, I have come up with an easy way to do just that. In seven easy steps, you can have the house of your dreams and the decor to prove it!

Layer 1: Wall Color & Architectural Elements
Wall color always comes first in designing. Pick out a wall color. Go for solids and big patterned wall treatments. Whether it is funky neon green or a traditional beige base. Think of what you want to go for. You could pick a theme, such as Caribbean, or a color scheme. Do not be afraid to use more than one color on your walls. After you have your wall color, bring in some architectural elements. Throw in a column or two, put in a fireplace, but just add some type architectural design. Design Hint: Columns go well when they’re occupying empty diagonal walls while fireplaces look good on shorter walls in your room.

Layer 2: Flooring
Installing the floor is the next layer of design. Installing a floor can be very hard or very easy. Make sure your choice of floowing goes with your scheme or theme. Just because you like the material or it looks nice, doesn’t mean it will look go in the room. So go for it and put down that vinyl wood floor or shag rug carpet however make sure it goes well with your wall color and overall scheme/theme.

Layer 3: Furniture
Furniture can be tricky. You could try finding a set or just mixing and matching your pieces, which is more interesting. Group your furniture together by placing sofas against your longest wall. Coffee tables should be placed long ways from the sofa and face a loveseat. A couple of chairs will finish off the intimate seating area you have created. Add some side tables or put a long table behind the sofa.

Layer 4: Fabrics & Textiles
Like that sofa, but not the right color? Well, jump on the net and find one that is, no need to let the standard catalog hinder your creativity. Add some curtains and rugs into your room now. Need a rug, but the standard catalog doesn’t have the right one? Well make your own! Use the floor tiles and carpet to make a pattern. Make sure it goes with your style and/or theme. Curtains are nice, but are not a necessity.

Layer 5: Nicks & Knacks
Now, its time to add the nick knacks, the accessories. Put up some shelves, pictures, what the heck, put a sculpture in the room! Shelves look nice on either side of the fireplace, but be careful or they might burn. Small pictures look best on the wall against your sofa while sculptures should be placed in the corners.

Layer 6: Vegetation
Plants make a room look alive thus a well designed room needs vegetation! Mix all them up: standing, potted, table plants, and vases of flowers for a variety of plants look lovely in a room. Tall plants should go on the outskirts of the room and smaller ones should go tables in the inside. Have fun with this aspect of decorating, but do not over do it.

Layer 7: Lighting
The last layer of design is lighting. Combine lights, like the plants, standing ones, ceiling lamps, table lamps, and candles. A nice room needs lighting, but don't go overboard, the way you light a room, is the controlling factor of the atmosphere. If your ceiling is covered with bright bulky lights, then your guests may feel as if they’re in a supermarket. But, if you have a few table lamps and candles, then you have created a romantic, intimate feel.

I hope these seven layers help you, not only to design one room in your house, but the whole house itself! Take it from me, being Martha Sim Stewart, I know design and this system works for me! And always remember, Go For It!