Thanks!

Thanks to everybody who came out to my launch party this weekend (all three of you :-)). Here I am dancing like an idiot, very much like the way I dance in real life.

Irreversible

Finding the perfect prefab is the quest for the holy grail in Second Life. If it looks good, it's probably too high in prims. If it's low in prims, it probable doesn't look good. Once in a while a designer really "gets it," but those designers are hard to find (believe me, I've looked).

Iva Geesink's Irreversible Designer Houses is one of the few prefab shops in Second Life that's creating quality, original prefab homes. The shop is still rather new, so the selection is limited to five designs, but all the homes are copyable and modifiable, so the range of options is nearly limitless with each home. Iva designs her prefabs to be easily customizable, so even the most discerning landowner can tweak her designs to his or her liking.

Among some of the features that come standard are tintable windows, lockable doors, and spacious rooms. The smallest home has a footprint of 20x20, so these aren't first land homes, but if you've invested in a larger plot of land you might as invest in a high-quality prefab. Other features include balconies, high ceilings, and real stairs! Homes start at 2999L and 115 prims.

By the way, I think these homes will also make great commercial and office spaces. The designs are sleek, detailed, professional and unique. As a bonus, the location of the shop has very little lag.

The design featured in the photos is "Magnolia." It's 263 prims with a 31x30 footprint.

Irreversible Designer Houses, Zarathud (66, 30, 22)

Native American Art and Decor

There is a deficit of ethnic furnishings on Second Life, so I'm always excited when I find items that are as diverse as the folks behind the avatars on SL. If you're looking for hand painted Native American pottery, there's a pretty good selection in Shelby Gregg's shop. The framed artwork will knock your socks off; I wouldn't mind hanging some of it in my RL home. Avery Habsburg also created a nifty tipi complete with traditional baskets and an open flame for outdoor cooking.

African, Native American & Nomad, Plush Alpha (67, 234, 26)

Shameless Self Promotion

Join me this Sunday, April 29th, at 12:00 pm SLT for the launch party for Second Life Decor. Check out some of the furniture I blog about that is on display in my home and help yourself to a virtual buffet of "gourmet" foods.

Teleport to: Slade Estates, Miliaco (104, 108, 85)

A home just isn't a home without one

Yup, that's me on the toilet.

I was just thinking the other day that the bathroom is probably the most neglected room in most builds. Well, there's no excuse for you to nix the bathroom any longer. For just 100L and 10 prims, you can have your very own toilet in Second Life. You can also choose from four complete bathrooms, including a tub, rug, toilet, towel rack and accessories for 775L at 111 prims.

Laridian and Modorary, the two shops share a space, are the "Rooms to Go" showrooms of Second Life; you can buy beautiful furniture by the piece or by the room. The rooms are around 500L-800L and include art work, rugs and home accents, all carefully coordinated by style and color. So, even if you aren't looking for a bathroom, I still recommend teleporting over and checking out their furnishings.

Plush Altstadt (216, 105, 23)

Retro Active Furniture

I was looking for 50's diner furniture last night and I discovered Retro Active, a nifty themed shop with three intricately detailed showrooms, inspired by real vintage items.

You can choose from a fully decorated 1950's diner, a living room straight out of the "Wonder Years," or a retro bachelor pad that reminds me of the basement in "That 70's Show."

The prim count varies quite a bit by piece, but you can find some nice pieces that are under 10 prims. The price is extremely reasonable. You'll pay less for a couch than you probably paid for your hair. Most items are under 200L, and there are even a few surprise freebies (like the pictures of Albert Einstein and Elvis Presly above).


RetroActive Furniture, Rave Island (84, 166, 27)

Chez Petite

If you read the SL fashion bible, Linden Lifestyles, you know that the best low-prim furniture available is at Chez Petite. My home is decorated almost exclusively with Chez Petite furniture and it looks wonderful with the bonus minimal lag. I have two of these 8 prim, 250L sofas in my home office, along with the black and white artwork that hangs on the walls.

Bargains abound with discounted furniture sets, all under 20 prims total for a complete look. There's even a low-prim hot tub.

Chez Petite - Low Prim Furniture, Calla (98, 49, 22)