House and Home: The Alchemist

This one was a joint venture between my friend Celeveren and I:  we decorated the house together, though it was Cel’s IKEA-looking pale walls and cool-toned woods that won the day.  It’s completely different than the houses I decorate all by my lonesome, which tend toward dark green and purple.

The house is lived in (in-character) by a smith, his wife who is a scholar and alchemist, and their two children.  The prevailing mood is scholarly and serene.  A few splashes of color dot the space:  bright floral arrangements of iris and amaranth, as well as a bright green bedspread and a few green-hued accessories.  For the most part, everything is white, cream, grey, and a variety of cool woods.

Yes, the Elven Snow-globe is red, but that is because for some reason LOTRO believes red is the only color of housing item Elves like.

The Small Bed in the corner is for the couple’s young son. White Wicker Chairs are placed throughout the space as the family’s favorite seating.

House and Home: For the Children

Like a lot of people, I was enchanted last spring when Kiarane of Casual Stroll to Mordor authored Decoration Ideas:  Children’s Rooms.  It was an adorable post, and I think this is the second time I’m linking to it, I’m such a fan.

My Landroval friend Amimain is a great decorator (and a kinleader, and an occasional writer about roleplay), and has created two children’s spaces that I find simply adorable.

The first is a bedroom for a little boy in the Bree-land homesteads.  The boy is obsessed with the sea and sailing, pirates and captains, and likes all manner of little-boy pursuits.

For this nautically-minded young boy, a 40-pounds Salmon Trophy on the wall is a must, as well as the ‘Shore Glimpse’ Painting and the Small ‘High Seas’ Rug.

House and Home: Just for the Pretty

So usually I have no problem coming up with little narratives for my posts.  This time, I struggled.  Not because I don’t like the topic or the screenshots.  Instead, I just found myself saying, “Oh, I like that!” and “Ooh pretty!”  So in the end, I decided (as I do with my real-life home) that “pretty” is just fine as a reason to be.

There’s no reason why your in-game house shouldn’t delight your eye!  I spend a lot of time roleplaying in various homestead sites.  NB:  Turbine, I’ll do a lot more rp in busier town areas and meet more people when simple emotes like “Laenlis’s character leans against the stone wall as she listens to the band” aren’t broadcasted over an area three zip codes in diameter.

I use my houses as another facet of character, whether it’s to show a certain nationality, a level of riches, an occupation (big-game hunter?  scholar?), or just someone really obsessed with dark wall colors (*cough*).

I love the contrast between the purple wall and the rich cherry wainscoting. I tried to echo that same effect by using the Small High Seas Rug on the floor.

House and Home: The Actress

Here’s a fun bit of house decoration (she said, humbly).  You know that to really feel immersed in your LOTRO dwelling, it takes imagination.  Chairs aren’t really ten feet from tables.  There ARE chairs and tables, even when you stuff your housing slots with palantirs and warg-trophies and Sinister Kegs.  At least there are in my mind.

Luned here is an actress (in the Gown of Autumn Nights) of some small note, mostly in Bree-town.  She and her partner give theatrical performances filled with spectacle! and drama!, and she’s collected the props to prove it.  Dragons fashioned from frame and painted canvas, wooden ships and wooden flames, glass globes and elaborate costumes.  She has a love of sparkle and jewels and flowers.

Conversations with a very flat bear.

Luned’s prop-storage house is filled with the various bibs and bobs you earn from festivals and Epic quests, but shabbied down a bit.  Palantir?  Nooo.  Glass globe on a painted wooden stand!

House and Home

I really appreciate the replies and votes from yesterday, thank you!  I will keep on in my multi-faceted way and hope to bring something interesting to the cosmetic blogging world.  I point you all again toward my blogroll:  there are some crazy talented peeps up in there.

—–

So, housing!  I’m a roleplayer; I like immersion in my game environments.  I’m also gleeful and giddy about the fact that an f2p account = a house.  Seriously, it’s fantastic.  Make an account, level a character to 15, buy a house (and a chest in which to put non-bound cosmetic clothing, I might add).  I giggled a lot when I read about a LOTRO player who gathered and decorated a dozen houses.  A dozen.

If you’re just getting your first LOTRO house, Casual Stroll to Mordor’s housing guide is a great start.  It isn’t wholly up to date, but for everything before the Great River update, it’s fantastic. Really, click on “Housing” at CStM in general, and you’ll find all sorts of stuff worth reading.  If you want to be slapped sideways by cute, check out Kiarane’s amazing Children’s Room post.

If you’re a veteran decorator, what are other sites you’ve used as inspiration or example?

My first bit of advice is:  Figure out what you want.  Are you roleplaying a healing-hall, a Hobbit tavern, a warrior’s home, a noble house, a Rohirrim mead-hall (no, really), a Dwarven family’s halls?  A theater, a music hall, a place to show off your raid trophies?

For example, I made up a little vignette for this post based on a dark and tiny village tavern meant for laborers and farmers.  Simple, rustic furnishings and the Innkeeper’s Dress set the tone.  The game offers a few different keg designs, but for a poor country watering-hole, the Wooden Keg works just fine.  Our model serves behind the Spring festival barter reward, the Clover Table.

Tomorrow, a new Seen on the Streets!