Welcome back to Room Reno #69 here at The Sims Resource! Today we’re helping a Sim who wants to turn her dark and depressing living area into the comfy and warm autumnal space of her dreams! Let’s meet the Sim we’re helping!
Meet Hayleigh!
Hayleigh is a Sim who lives for the fall, and honestly? Who could blame her? Fall is the best season no cap. Leaves, hot coffee, warm boots…it truly is the season of the best aesthetics and the most cozy clothes (winter clothes are too big and bulky to be cute, but fall clothes are still easy to style). Anyway! Hayleigh recently moved to Britechester, where she will be attending college at University of Britechester.
She has a bit of a budget to renovate the house she’ll be living in, left to her by her aunt (very lucky) and wants to theme the room to her favorite season. The room takes up a majority of the first floor, which means there’s room for more than just the standard couch and chairs and TV set that pretty much every basic living room has. Because Hayleigh is an aspiring mixologist, adding a bar seems like the perfect choice for her. Let’s see what we’re working with!
The Before
This house has some really great bones to work with, and it shows. Wood paneling is an underrated feature of a lot of older styled homes, and I love seeing it in in-game builds because it immediately makes me think of classic old houses in New England or other areas of the Northeast US. I also adore the big arched windows, which are not usually a feature in most of my builds, or the ones I make over. This is partially because the arched windows require a tall wall height, which I don’t love building with, but also because they can be kind of unwieldy if you don’t know what you’re doing. But when they’re used in the right way, in the right space? Arched windows are beautiful and welcome additions.
All that to say, I’m totally keeping the massive arched windows on the wall with the door. They let in a ton of natural light but also have those gorgeous curtains to block it out if it becomes too much. The rest of the room is pretty big and boxy, and I don’t think I’ll be using the back half as a dining area anymore. There’s lots of other spaces in the house that can be used for dining, and I want this space to be more about relaxing and chilling out than about eating and worrying about the messes that come with it. The fireplace is another good touch, but I plan to move it in order to make the room flow a bit better. Let’s get planning!
The Planning
Planning for this room was pretty simple, though I definitely had to put some thought into the bar area (the bottom part of the layout). I debated keeping the dining seats as part of the living room, or even nixing the bar idea altogether, since it felt a little silly to add a whole bar (I know that the game makes them so big for a reason, but most people in real life have smaller drinks carts or counter spaces where they make drinks instead of a whole huge bar).
I actually ended up using a CC drinks cart as an end table between the couches and I think it’s a great and realistic piece to have in your game when you don’t have the real estate for a full bar. However, this room had so much extra space that the full bar fit too, and I’m happy I added it. The room feels a lot more complete with it there, and the walls are so tall that the short little bar doesn’t overpower the entire area or make the room feel cramped or tiny. The fireplace is going to be moved to the center of the wall to help center the room as a whole, and the couch is going to go with it, since I can mount a TV over the fireplace to make the area multi-functional. The seating came together easily, with two couches pairing up to make the perfect spots to curl up with a good book or show. Let’s get building!
The After
This room is making me crave an apple crisp macchiato and a cider donut, stat! The cozy blanket, the bar cart and bar itself, and the cozy fall decor and florals? All I want is to curl up on that couch and take a nap in the afternoon sun, or maybe watch a few episodes of Gilmore Girls while doing some sewing. The pure cozy energy of this room is off the charts and I cannot be deterred from talking about how much I want to be there right now! Hayleigh is a truly lucky Sim to live in a place as warm and cozy as this.
One of my favorite pieces in the room is the giant slab of wood that’s been shaped into a coffee table. Not only is it super aesthetically pleasing, it also fits the room and makes the house feel a little woodsy and outdoorsy without actually having to go outdoors. I don’t know where someone gets a coffee table like this, but I would love to have one in real life (it just looks so cool!). I also love the plaid loveseat. It actually comes with a set that’s meant to be outdoor furniture for autumn, but I think it works just as well indoors (and also manages to bring the outdoors in a little bit, which is always nice in the cooler weather when going outside isn’t always easy.
Thanks for checking out this edition of Room Reno #69! If you liked this blog, check out Room Reno #68: Danish Pastel Kitchen or our Gilmore Girls inspired lookbook. Looking for something else? Read about how to build with the FREE Desert Luxe Kit or about the latest game updates! Have a great day 😎
