For more information like this and lots more valuable decorating info try here: Decorator Guide: Tips, Tricks, and Info. The Basics - "How the heck do I move furniture around anyway?" Mouse Wheel: When you scroll your mouse wheel you can rotate objects. In the case of wall hanging items such as sconces this rotation occurs top to bottom. All other items will rotate side to side. If you hold Alt and use the scroll wheel the rotation occurs in smaller increments for more precise placement. Floor RotationWall Rotation Shift+Mouse Wheel: Holding down Shift while using the scroll wheel will cause an item to either shrink or grow. Holding down Shift+Alt and using the the scroll wheel will cause the item to scale in smaller increments. Note: snow globes do not scale. Ctrl+Mouse Wheel: On non-wall mounted items this will cause an item to rise or sink. Raising an item is commonly known as "floating". Holding down Ctrl+Alt and using the the scroll wheel will cause the item to rise or lower in smaller increments. Putting books on bookshelves - "Those bookshelves just don't behave" Often times you find yourself having a hard time placing books or other items in certain bookcases and or on bookshelves. A simple work around is to put in a temporary shelf or other item in to be a surface on which the items can be placed. After placing your items where you want remove the temporary shelf or item. In this example I've used a Long Ornate Shelf. IssuePlace temp shelf and then your bookLooky there Placing wall items backwards For different effects you may want to place something backwards or simply not on the wall like sconce, painting, or trophy. I typically do this by placing a teak bookcase temporarily but you can use whatever suits your fancy. I'll do a couple examples here. Example 1: Placing an Oil Painting of a Knight backwards in a corner for a shoji screen effect. Place your temp item. I used a teak bookcaseGet behind temp item (this can be tricky and takes practice to get the right view)Place the item you want to show up backwardsRemove the temp item Example 2: Get that trophy off the wall! One of my favorite trophies is Samirah's Scepter from the Naga L&L but placing it on the wall just does not do it justice. So much more potential than this!I already built a stand using a backwards sconce in a pillarPlace a temp item to simulate a wall. Teak bookcase again Place the trophy on the temp "wall"Remove the temp "wall" and voilaMuch better! Scaffolding - "I'm not tall enough to see up there" Sometimes you'll need to see the top of something tall or high up but cannot get a good angle while standing on the ground. With some makeshift scaffolding you can ascend as high as you'd like. This can be done easy enough with long ornate shelves. Let's say I want to place a plant or whatever on top of this bookshelf. I can't do that if I can't see the top.Place a temp item to mount your scaffolding to. A teak bookcase, Surprise! Place the long ornate shelf on the temp item, angle it, and scale it to your liking to make a ramp.Walk up your new scaffolding and have a look. Now I can get to all those dustbunnies Float an Item up high and get "Cannot place the object here" message - yes, there are workarounds! This is an annoyance. The item is nice and green yet you cannot place it. Here is a little workaround. For this example I'll be trying to place a mine lantern way up high. Look at the item taunting you by being green yet stubborn.Start by placing a temp item and scaling it or floating it so the top of the item is level with where you want to place the stubborn item. I wonder what I used for a temp item. Now you may need to build some scaffolding or find another means to get to the top of the temp item.Go up to where you can view the top of the temp item. Place the stubborn item on top of the temp item.Remove the temp item and scaffolding. That'll teach that item to be stubborn. Add Light to a Light that has no Light - That has to make sense to someone. There are some lighting items that actually cast no light. Fortunately, for several of them, there are ways to add light to them by using another light. In this example I'll be using a mine lantern to add light to a windcloth lantern. Here is our room with a light without light. Noticeably not looking right.Start by placing a temp item so the top falls even with where we will place the alternate source of light. In this case I want the mine lantern to be placed inside the windcloth lantern.Now place your mine lantern or other actual light onto the top of the temp item and slide it into place within the windcloth lantern. Now the mine lantern is inside the windcloth lantern and we're good.Remove the temp item and WOW!, what a difference. Guess I'll have a harder time cheating at cards now.
Thanks SOOOOO much!!!!! This is a great tutorial. Making life easier for the would be decorator. Nice job!!!!
Nice guide. When it comes to the hanging paper lanterns, I will typically use the Death's Head Candelabra, though. I find it gives off more light and the candles are bright enough to shine through the paper to give a source. To do that, I typically hang the lantern, pull up a book case, toss a shelf on it, and set the candelabra in the lantern, much like you do. I spel gud
Great tutorial! Thanks a lot for these tips, especially the bookcase one... was about to give up placing stuff in the guild hall, ha! I really like your idea of utilising the trophies a little differently than just sticking them in pretty patterns on a wall too.
I used the same basic trophy hanging idea to hang banners in my guild hall. I wanted them hanging out into the hall, with the pole sticking out from the wall. Place a bookcase on the ground where you want the flag, being sure some is buried in the wall, lift it up, place the banner.
These are awesome tips! I often wondered how you got things way up high. . I had my own ways but these are much simpler! I used the temp item idea for my dress shop when I hung all the drapes! I used a room divider, made it large enough to reach the cieling and then hung the Fire Tapestry on the room divider all the way up to the cieling and then removed the room divider. . . .You can see Kiannaroses dress shop in the Homeshow section in Suessu's Bed and Breakfast thread. (or you can visit me on the runneyeye server at 12 Lucie street SQ . . name: Kiannarose)
