If you prefer video format, I got you! Check out the full video with even more plans and examples here.

Here is the floorplan we will be using in this article.

Method One: Measure for Measure

Ready to break out your calculators? Using the most exact measurements possible will give you the most technically accurate results. However, since we are translating real life into a video game, there are going to be a couple of issues. First, we are stuck to a grid system, so having the exact measurement is pretty much never going to happen. Second, the scale of items in the game is not perfect or very manipulatable, so where we may see a fridge and sink fit perfectly in the floor plan, that may not be the case measurement wise in the game. Be ready to tweak things here and there.

This method has some strong points as well, though. For example, trying to get the best reference for a house you are building IRL, building in a standard size space like a shipping container, or learning new ratios and measurements for new home styles. Beginner or not, I recommend using this method at least once to see how you like it and what new revelations it can being to your building style.

Ok, now we will do math. Each tile in the game is 32" (81cm). Why do I use 32" and not the much more common 24" or 36", or even 1m? First, I looked closely at the default drywall swatch, and you can see every tile gets two studs based on the screw pattern. Studs are generally 16"-18" apart, so I started there. That ruled out 24" and 1m immediately. Next, I compared other standard sized items, like refrigerators, beds, and even the Sims themselves. Since the beds are just shy of three tiles long, going with 36" would make them nearly 8 feet long, and Sims 7-8 feet tall. 32" brings this to a much more reasonable 6.5 and 6 feet respectively. That does mean twin mattresses in the game are only about 30" wide, but like I said there are just bound to be discrepancies. But that's why I use 32" as my tile measurement.

Now we need our conversion. I am going to work in inches, so the first measurement I am going to take is the depth of the main area at 13', convert it to inches, divide that by 32" to get the tiles, then use standard rounding practice to get my tile count.

13' x 12 = 156"

156" ÷ 32" = 4.875 tiles

Round 4.875 to 5

5 tiles deep

Again, with the width of the main living space:

11' x 12 = 132"

132" ÷ 32" = 4.125 tiles, rounded to 4

Repeat this same process for each measurement and eventually you will have everything in this image below:

I don't usually leave the grid on for these, but I felt like it could be helpful. Now let's look at some of the things that may need adjusting. First, I had to use an open shower to keep the same bathroom layout. If you don't have an open shower (they come with Discover University and Snowy Escape), you will have to swap the placement of the shower and sink and scooch the toilet closer to the the wall, or resize the bathroom. The first option would require turning on the bb.moveobjects cheat since the shower and the door would overlap, but I use that bathroom layout a lot and have never had an issue. You'll also notice there is not a counter space to the left of the sink in the build like there is in the floor plan. With bb.moveobjects and some serious finagling and playtesting you could get it to work in this space, or you could expand the kitchen by one tile, or leave it alone. The kitchen is still functional.

If you look at how the exterior of the house lines up, you can see it is pretty accurate. That is always exciting. Of course you can always modify window and door placement like anything else, but it just feels good when it works well the first time.

Method Two: General Vibes

I do not recommend this for beginners because it is too easy to make the rooms too big or too small way too fast. However, if you like the general layout but want it a different size, don't care about closets, or are combining the space with a different floorplan or preexisting build, this is great.

I started with the kitchen. I decided I liked the super open plan, but wanted more space for my Sim to cook. After expanding the kitchen, I used the floorplan to scale the rest of the space from there.

I wanted my main area to still be about four times the size of the kitchen, and I liked the square bathroom but wanted it larger. In the end, this is what I came up with. This could also work for shrinking floorplans. Maybe a huge house is just the style you need, but you only have a 20x30 lot. Once you get the kitchen and living space pared down to the minimum size, you can use that to build the bedrooms, halls, decks, and so much more.

One last thing to be aware of before you go resizing things all willy-nilly is it will complicate the roofing. Even if it was a simple roof to start with, any change to the footprint will mean another adjustment to the roof.

Method Three: Referencing Items

This is probably the one I most recommend for beginners. However long you've been building, at some point we have all made a room wayyy too big (or too small, that was my curse) and building from floorplans by referencing the items in the plan is a great way to familiarize yourself with scale and build better overall.

In order to use this method, you need to have something to reference. Most plans have at least a kitchen and windows marked in, but if you can find one that has even more furniture all the better.

In this case, I used the kitchen primarily. I did keep that counter piece to the side of the sink, so that plus the sink plus the corner piece made my kitchen three tiles wide. For the depth, I needed the corner piece, two full pieces, and a space for a refrigerator, which made that four tiles. I kept the same width for the bathroom but only made it two tiles deep, one tile each for the shower stall and the sink.

To scale the living space I figured that the front window was about a two tile window. It was clearly closer to the wall to the left than the door on the right, so I drew the wall to have one tile, two tiles for the window, two tiles for the space between the windows and the door, a tile for the door, and the rest of the width of the kitchen for a total of seven tiles. The six tile depth was already decided by the kitchen and bathroom.

So there's the same floorplan three different ways. If you want more practice, I have a whole Pinterest board of floorplans I have curated that should be relatively simple to translate into the game without having to make too many adjustments. If you would like to see more examples, I have a whole YouTube video here that has these three methods shown in three more complicated plans. I go over roofing there as well, if that's something you're interested in. I am also on TikTok so if you have specific questions that's a great place to ask because I can actually respond with a video. I am a little behind due to the holidays (which you've also noticed here as it's been too long since I have posted here)

Happy New Year and Happy Building!

If at any point what I am writing doesn't make sense, there is a full video tutorial here that might show a little better than I can tell.

The Greek Revival as a home was originally constructed in the mid 1800s, but you will still see elements used in modern designs, especially in commercial buildings like banks. The tall round columns and triangular pediment over the main entry are probably the main tells of the Greek Revival style, although others include the low hipped roof, tall narrow windows, and use of white and light colored wood throughout the home. Because this home is considered such a classic style, and in one way or another has been around for thousands of years, you can style it to fit in nearly anywhere.

Floorplan

The main footprint of the build will be a large two-story rectangle, with the wider side facing the front. You can use medium or tall walls on the first floor and short or medium on the second. I used medium for both. The floorplan will be pretty symmetrical, and can be closed off rooms joined by large arches, an open floorplan, or a combination. Starts will generally be at the center of the build, but whether they are in that main entry hall or not depends on the home. The main floor will be living space, and if you choose to expand try and keep the home symmetrical.

Some homes may have a deep wraparound deck at the front, some at the back, some all around, and some not at all. However, if you do add one, be sure to cover it and add evenly spaced columns.

Upstairs will be mostly bedrooms. Since these homes often had very large rooms, you can fit in bathrooms pretty easily even if you want your build to feel older. Of course new constructions will have more planning around plumbing.

Exterior

Aside from the entry space, the face of your build will be quite flat. Siding will typically be brick, plaster, narrow siding, and/or stucco, and white. If you use multiple textures, consider using a frieze or floor trim to accentuate the separation between levels. Windows will be tall, paned, and placed two or three tiles symmetrically across the front of your home. For privacy, the upper floor may have complimentarily placed but smaller windows.

For the front entry, make a small deck and add columns. For a two level entry, I like to set the second floor balcony back one tile so I can stretch the front columns all the way to the roof uninterrupted. Top the structure with a gable roof, remove the eaves, and if you have a family crest or flags those would place very well in the open face of the roof.

Before you roof everything, though, place a platform covering the whole roof area. Add white platform trim, then place your hipped roof. This will hide the eave edges, even if they are pulled in, and you can add floor trim or a frieze to customize how thick and fancy you want that roof border to be. Same for the roof above the deck.

Once you have that how you want it, you can place your roof pieces. Other than the pediment, you will be working with mostly closed faces, and use hipped and half hipped roof pieces.

When you are landscaping such an elegant and high-class home, keep order in mind. Tame shrubs around the foundation, contained flowerbeds, and smooth lawns (maybe a fountain if the pond tools are calling your name) will accentuate the build very well.

Interior

High ceilings, white walls, light colored wood floors and cabinets, and the large windows all come together to bring a light and bright vibe to the home. While the floorplan can be open or more closed off, be sure you can have a clear line of sight into the next room and keep ratios in mind when furnishing and decorating. The ancient Greeks were quite into math and beauty combined, after all.

I only removed half a tile from this landing, but if you are looking for a good home to practice opening landings, this is a good one. An easy way is to place a fence or half wall around the area you want to open and delete the floor. If that doesn't work, you can open up the whole floor and build what you want to keep back in with flat floor pieces.

If you want to update this home, the boxy exterior and floorplan make that super easy.

Trade out the round Greek columns for something more square

Choose smaller floor trims and/or friezes and change up the siding colors and textures.

Inside, square off arches, update cabinets and fixtures, and place furniture in a less structured way. You can also warm up the walls with some beige or soft earth tones.

If you want to check out my build, it is on the gallery! My ID is sahmandbean and the lot title is Greek Revival Shell.

If you're interested in floorplans and reference images, check out my collection here on Pinterest.

If you want a more through tutorial, I recommend the video version over on YouTube.