Teaser - 101 Hanover Avenue

Well, I am finally ready to talk about the project that I've been working on!

For a long time, I wasn't ready to talk about it. At some points during the development of this project, I've been unsure if I was up to the task of finishing it! You see, I am new to building in Second Life.

About three months ago, I started shopping for Fall/Halloween themed items. I was contemplating setting up a haunted house (which of course fell by the wayside as this project unfolded). I had in mind some kind of elegant house that was somewhat goth in inspiration/color but not extremely Halloween-ish (ie, not garish or run-down). Also, my requirements were that the house be low-prim (about 130 prims or less) and fit on a 1024 lot. And I did not want to pay more than $600L for this house.

I quickly discovered that NO ONE in SL appeared to be selling the kind of house I was looking for. The houses that came close were either much higher prim, extremely low quality, or very expensive.

So that's when the idea for Hanover Ave Homes came to me.

Hanover Avenue Homes are going to be low prim houses inspired by restored old "city houses" found in many East Coast U.S. cities. Typically these are "town" or "row" houses with little space in between them, so there may be little to no windows on the sides of the houses.

The style is not goth or Victorian or Edwardian, or city-chic, but a sophisticated, eclectic combination of all of these. My younger daughter (who is the family stylestia) calls the style "elegant."

In Second Life, I have greatly appreciated a number of the shabby chic home designers who have developed their houses as both modestly priced and low prim, such as Modest House. It is my goal to keep my houses modestly priced and low prim as well.

The first house series to be released is going to be 101 Hanover Ave. This house will be available in 3 to 4 color-themed versions and will be about 100 to 105 prims (depending on the specific house in the series). This house has three stories and 5 rooms - two each on the first and second floors, and a loft in the attic. The first floor has a front porch and a double door; the second floor has french doors and a small balcony. The house fits easily into a square or oblong 1024 lot, with dimensions of about 18 x 22.

101 Hanover Ave - House of Blues is finished and almost ready to go onto the Second Life Marketplace (formerly XStreetSL). I am currently working on 101 Hanover Ave - Red Rooms. The current plans are for a fall-colored version and a neutral-colored version to follow shortly.

103 Hanover Ave is planned to feature a different interior layout, a 2 story front porch, and a brick exterior, but still fall into the same general size and prim range.

I also have plans for a whimsical themed house that won't necessarily "fit" into the main line but will be sold under the same brand.

Right now I have no plans to open a physical store in SL...content creation is taking up most of my SL time budget, and blogging the rest of that time! However, should you be interested in a footprint or seeing one of the houses rezzed in-world, please contact me (Horatia Abonwood) in SL.

Shabby Chic Store Tour #5

*bitter vanilla* is another cute shop that's off the beaten path.

Shabby Chic style here has a retro slant, with a focus on wooden pieces in natural and pale tones.

Be sure to check out the second floor, where you'll find kitchen and dining furniture. Below is the kitchen I have been using in  my own Linden Home; it's 10 prims and sells for $200L. I'd like to have an oven door instead of the shelves below the stove, but otherwise it's pretty much perfect for what I wanted. Now if I could only find a retro refrigerator somewhere that went well with this set!

Sale alert!

Thanks to Renee Lowenhart for posting this on the Fabulously Free in SL list in-world...

*PASH*, a SL shop selling skyboxes, furniture and trees, is having a going out of business sale. Skyboxes and furniture suites are reduced to $1L.

The sofa below is 8 prims, so this is a great deal on low prim furnishings that you can use in Linden Homes.

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 Tour #4

Sher's Cottage Gardens recently moved to the BugTussie sim.  Sher's features both garden/plant items as well as furniture. The style is definitely cottage/shabby chic with an emphasis on garden influences and feminine styles. Sofas are a little higher than moderate in price (about $300L) but accessories, like rugs, are often very reasonably priced.

Watch the prim count on pieces, though...the pretty sofa below is 19 prims (the pillows count for at least 7 of those prims).

Be sure and explore all the rooms - there are three main rooms in the lower level and a deck upstairs, in addition to the gardens.

Sher's participates frequently in promotions, such as LOW (letter of the week), so there are always bargains to be found here.

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.