If you want a new house, or think you might want one in the future...

Two great sales going on right now. If you're looking for a new house, or even if you're a Linden Home Owner contemplating taking the next step into land owning, you really should check out these deals.

First, ALL prefabs at Modest House are discounted right now. Some are 5% off, some are 25% off, and some 75% off. Some of the the models are being retired after the sale.

For those who aren't familiar with Modest House, the name is rather descriptive of the style. Typically, the houses are fairly low prim (most around 50-120 prims) and will fit on smaller lots (1024 and some possibly on 512). There are also some skyboxes. The style tends toward Shabby Chic, and the textures used tend to be very nice.

These are very recent releases; a look over at the Modest House blog reveals that most were released in the last 9 months.

The second prefab sale of note is over at the new location for MotoBene! at the brand new Hide and Seek Sim. There's a 50% off sale on all prefabs in celebration of the grand opening. This applies to houses like the Harwich Colonial and the Harwich Mini Colonial, as well as to skyboxes and other structures. I'd show you some pictures, but unfortunately I can't get to the pictures at the Moto Bene! blog right now (which hasn't been updated with the new SLURL yet). If you take a look at the archives at the blog (and Flickr isn't blocked where you're at right now!), you'll find pictures of several of the structures on sale now. MotoBene! prefabs also tend to be designed in a shabby chic style.

In addition, there is a sim-wide hunt going on to celebrate the Hide and Seek sim grand opening (look for ants!). Other stores on the sim include Boom, AtomicBambi, Awesome Blossom, Coeur, Musim, and Olive Juice. Just from what I've seen so far, I can tell you that the hunt prizes look really good!  Come on out, brave the lag!

A note about my rating system...

I want to help my readers determine which stores and which merchandise is worth taking time to investigate. I try to give readers an idea of the prim count and the pricing typical of products offered in a store, in addition to commentary on styles and quality.

Prim Count
Very Low Prim...most pieces are 5 prims and less. Dressers will likely be about 1-2 prims, tables 2 to 5 prims, sofas and beds in the 5 prim range. Shadows may be optional or not included.
Low Prim...larger/more complex pieces are mostly 10 prims and less. Less complicated pieces are mostly 5 prims or less.
Moderate Prim...larger/more complex pieces are mostly 15 prims and less. Less complicated pieces are mostly 8 prims or less.
High Prim...want a sofa that will take up 20% or more of your alloted prim count? Want to max out your alloted prims with just a living room set? These places tend to go for detail, not for cutting prims.

Pricing
Very Low Price...I'll let you know specifics about unusual cases, like Pop Art with all their items being $1L. Otherwise, very low price will indicate that all items in the store are less than $50L.
Low Price...Most items in the store are less than $100L; some significantly lower.
Low to Moderate Price...Most items in the store are less than $150L; some significantly lower. More complex pieces and groups may be higher than $150L
Moderate Price...Most items in the store are less than $200L; some significantly lower. More complex pieces and groups may be higher than $200L.
Moderate to High price...Most items in the store are less than $250L; some significantly lower. More complex pieces and groups may be higher than $250L.
High price...Pricing tends to be in the $300L range and higher, except for a few accessory/occasional pieces.

Shabby Chic Store Tour #3

True Love Never Dies, or TNLD as it's also known, is one of the best implementations in SL of Shabby Chic style in low prim designs. TNLD's two locations, the main store at Mists Edge, and at Albero Home and Garden in Hyssop, feature low prim wood furniture at moderate prices. The popular Daydream Bed, featured in the picture below, is only 5 prims and $200L, available in white and black. I've got the white version in my Linden Home.

Shabby Chic Store Tour #2

Today's Shabby Chic Store Tour stop is off the beaten path, at the Shergon sim. Sunshine Designs is a sweet little shop set in a field with sunflowers.

Below: the cute little retro kitchen on the left is not low prim, but it's one of the cutest I've seen in SL. The window seat topper in the porch on the right is low prim (5) and a sweet deal at $100L (includes a reclining pose).

Don't have a window seat in your Linden Home? Just rez an oblong box, give it a wood texture, and you're ready to add this cute throw and pillow set.

Shabby Chic Store Tour #1

Hello, lovelies! Today we're starting our tour of Second Life furniture stores that specialize in the Shabby Chic style. Fittingly, the first stop on our tour is Shabby Chic Furniture Shop, in the Venice Isle sim. This shop features the designs of Laura Liberty.

The furniture here is moderately priced (sofas in the $250L range) and is moderate to low prim. The Shabby Chic Ruffle Sofa pictured below is 11 prims including the pillows and the throw; the coffee table is $75L and  6 prims; and the chair is $150L and 6 prims including the pillow and the throw.

After you investigate the ground floor, be sure and take the stairs to the second and third floors, where you'll find more living room and bedroom furniture.

Why 117 prims?

117 is the number of prims a Second Life premium account holder is allowed to place in their Linden Home. While 117 prims might appear to be a high allowance to those without experience in furnishing a virtual home, it ends up being a challenging limit. For example, many sofas available for sale in Second Life are 12 prims or higher. That's 10% or more of the prim allowance, for just one piece of furniture.

Even items advertised as "low prim" may not be really low in prim count. "Low prim" tends to be used as a relative term when describing furniture. Is it "low prim" compared to the designer's other work? Compared to what the designer perceives as an average prim count for this kind of object in SL? Compared to some arbitrary number (as in, if a sofa is under 10 prims, it's "low prim")? Consequently, even items advertised/marketed as "low prim" may not have all that low of a prim count.

But never fear, that's why 117 Prims is here. I'm going to try and cut through marketing claims, and give you the straight scoop. What kind of furniture out there is truly "low prim" and what compromises does a designer make when lowering prim levels? How much is that furniture going to cost the buyer? What styles does a particular home furnishings store specialize in, and are they worth your time to visit? What accessories will liven up your Linden Home without inflating your prim count, and which ones are prim-count-busters?

Stick around, and enjoy the ride.