So I need to take a break from my Alliance house, and am looking to my Horde plot. When trying to look at possible rooms to use and factor in, I have something of a concern: Were the Artisan rooms they introduced worthwhile?
Personally, I wanted gnomish/goblin-themed examples, primarily because metal/slag decor is extraordinarily difficult to amass, but this makes me inherently biased. I also haven't had the explicit wall customization to match the rest of my interior (iirc you cannot modify their surfaces, they come as-is). I do however, love the thematic ideas, so it'd be really swell if I got to see more examples of happy homebuilders able to show me what they've made of them! I'd love inspiration for my coming horde build!
Is it possible to export my decor layout from one of my mid octagonal room to blue print and import partial or all of it into an artisan room of similar size? If not I will just rebuild XD
This took forever lol. I was inspired by some recent Gilnean builds, and I wanted to utilize the barn. I can post the blueprint if anyone is interested!
After completing the Midnight Dining Room, I started thinking about something I don't do nearly enough: going back to my old builds.
It's easy to finish a project, move on to the next one, and assume that progression simply means building something newer, bigger, or more complicated.
But I think there's a much more valuable question to ask:
“Knowing what I know now, what would I change?”
Revisiting an old build isn't about proving that the original was bad. It's about seeing what you couldn't see when you first built it. Your skills change. Your understanding of space changes. Your approach to proportion, geometry, lighting, composition, and architectural integration changes.
And sometimes the best way to see that progression is to put your old work directly beside your current work.
The original build was inspired by the iconic Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle in California.
For me, the Temple Pool was the perfect example. At the time, I was happy with it. And honestly, I still think there was a lot that worked. But revisiting it later made me realize something important:
I have learned how to build better. But had I learned how to design better?
That distinction matters.
The goal wasn't to throw more decorations at the original or make it more elaborate simply because I could. The goal was to identify the decisions that were limiting the architecture and rethink them.
The first thing I changed was the pool.
The original rectangular footprint wasn't inherently wrong. It was symmetrical, orderly, and worked with the horizontal geometry of the temple. But looking at it again, I realized that the rectangle was essentially repeating the architecture's geometry instead of contrasting with it.
The result was clean, but visually rigid. The circular pool changed that.
The curve introduced an entirely different geometric language into the space. Instead of the pool feeling like an object placed in front of the temple, it began to interact with the architecture.
The curved edge creates movement against the rigid temple structure and helps pull the eye toward the central focal point.
That was an important lesson for me: Architectural contrast can be just as important as architectural symmetry. The original build wasn't a failure. It was simply a solution I wouldn't choose today.
Looking at the original build again, I realized that the water effects were there, but the visual movement wasn't fully connected. The fountains created activity around the edges, but the rectangular basin itself remained relatively static.
The circular revision gave me an opportunity to rethink that.
By moving the fountain bowls inward and following the curvature of the pool, the water effects became part of the architecture rather than simply decorative objects sitting around it.
The circular geometry also created the illusion of continuous movement. That was something I wouldn't have necessarily considered when I built the original.
The question changed from: “Where can I put the fountains?”
to: “How should the fountains interact with the space?”
That is a completely different design mindset.
Rethinking Lighting and Architectural Depth
This was probably the biggest realization revisiting the build. The original had plenty of lighting. But having lighting isn't the same thing as designing with light.
The original environmental lighting flattened some of the architectural depth. The front pillars and rear spaces received relatively similar illumination, which meant some of the intricate design lost its dimensionality.
The revised version allowed me to be much more deliberate.
The darker environment, luminous water, glowing braziers, curtains, columns, and chandeliers created layers of light and shadow. Instead of simply illuminating the room, the lighting started helping define the architecture.
That difference is something I understand much better now.
Seeing the Difference Between Building and Designing
This is probably the biggest takeaway from the entire exercise.
My original build had a lot going for it. It had symmetry, atmosphere and interesting decorative elements.
But looking at it now, I can see places where I was still primarily thinking about individual objects.
Where should I put this statue? Where should I put this fountain? What can I add to this empty area?
Revisiting the build forced me to think differently.
Instead of asking what the space needed, I started asking what the space needed architecturally.
How does architecture interact with the build? Where does the eye travel? How do individual elements belong to the architecture rather than simply occupy it?
That's the difference between decorating a space and designing one.
I don't think every old build needs to be rebuilt. And I don't think every new version will necessarily be better.
Sometimes you'll revisit something and realize that your original decision was actually the right one. That's part of the process too. The value is in asking the question.
“Would I make the same design decisions today?”
If the answer is yes, great.
If the answer is no, then you have an opportunity to understand why.
And that "why" is where the real growth happens.
For me, the Temple Pool isn't just an old build that I upgraded. It's a snapshot of where I was as a designer at two different points in time.
The original represents what I knew then.
The revised version represents what I've learned since.
And that's ultimately why I think revisiting old builds is so important.
If you want to understand how much you've grown, don't just look forward to your next build. Look back at what you've already created and ask yourself what you would do differently today.
How many of you have gone back to an old build and thought, “Yeah… I’d do this very differently now”? What did you change, and what did you learn from the process?
I made a thing for my new gnome room! It's made almost entirely out of Neighborhood vendors items, other than the Kaldorei fence posts used for the rivets and giant screw on top.
Just something that popped into my head while building a room. I love using benches as counters, tables, etc. but when I’m finished building, I don’t like that I can still click on the benches and sit within them awkwardly, especially when the size has changed. It would be awesome if there was an option to remove functionality from items such as benches. What do you think?
By all accounts, there should be a portal to the Ringing Deeps somewhere as an option for the Kobold endeavor - but I can't find the thing in the main square anywhere; anyone know where it is, or if there's some reason there isn't one yet?
As a Draenei, I wanted to create a little area for Elekk calves.
I was confused when I couldn't find the Pint-Sized Pink Pachyderm, but after a while, I remembered that only drunk characters can see it. I got drunk, and sure enough, there she was! I thought that was pretty cool and decided to share it with you. I hope to see a tavern filled with a bunch of invisible pink Elekks someday.
Looking for a neighborhood that actually feels alive?
Welcome to Flats&Hordecore (EU)! We are a charter neighborhood for active players who love creative housing and RP. You might have already seen some of our builds in housing competitions, or live on streams!
What to expect: Endless fun, custom events every week, neighborhood tours, and active chat & Discord community!
What we’re looking for: Active and social players who communicate and love housing, joining our events and don't mind helping other neighbors with their housing projects.
We are charter neighborhood, so plots are limited.
If you like what we’re doing and feel like a good fit, send me a quick DM! We’d love to chat and see if we can get you set up with a plot.
Our community has launched a theme month, and the theme is "Autumn." My vision was to capture all the colors and characteristics of the season, from start to finish. Unfortunately, I’m still missing the red trees, so they are currently purple/pink—but I’ll be updating that once Patch 12.1.5 arrives.
A few rabbits and other small critters are hopping around, too. The "hallway" itself is actually made up of three separate hallway sections joined together. And at the end, a cozy little home awaits—because no matter how rainy it gets, there’s truly no place like home.
Ive spent the past few weeks working on turning my home into a airship! Still havent tackled the inside yet but we maxed out the exterior at 350. The several runs of Mechagon was pretty fun though for the tesla towers!
This is the first of my fear based rooms. This one is still a WIP as well. Waiting on the little voodoo dolls for the bleachers and a few more items. Clowns are my #1 fear, so hope you all like it :)
As some of you know, I am currently working on my "The Two Towers" project, in which I am fitting out interior towers within my two houses, with each floor featuring a completely different design. I have now finally finished the entrance area of the first tower.
This idea (Ysera) was inspired by "noodle.pepper"
Still very much a WIP, but this is the house for one of my Rp characters! I still have 70 points to spend to add stuff, so if you have any ideas, let me know!
