#vpdesign

“Our Safe Space”

A personal Apartment.

Mateus - Mists - The Topmast Apartments - Wing 2 - W14 Room #38

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4 hours build to completion, lighting on three with 100/100 items.

Logical things aside... i’ve been dissociating hard lately. Its creeping on into the winter months and with mental health being something ever present... decorating is one of the few places I find solace.

I scrapped my Romance and Rainy Days build to construct and in-character apartment for my OC Vesper Peng. It’s fully functional for her in character use although I wish I could have had at least 10-20 more item slots to finish properly detailing... but isn’t that always the case? 

The layout itself is open concept with a lifted kitchen area and lofted bedroom that can oversee the entire apartment. Its modern-esque and minimalistic in terms of detail, keeping key features for that touch of home. I really wish I could have added more plants and something by the fireplace so it doesn’t look so devastatingly empty. But, we’ll deal with it! 

In-character, Vesper is the owner of an Allagan Discotek so when she’s not at The Relic she’s here, studying aetherology, magical properties, elements and other nonsense as well as balancing the books between hours of operation and other financial things. Second to that she also is a Ground Circuit, or primary Leader, for Parallel Circuit - their FC. She’s a busy, busy lady and dragging away from her paperwork is about as complicated as the Motherbit who fronts everything. Who’s the Motherbit? Don’t worry about it. We’re not a bunch of viera jumping into holes, are we? Aside from that, she loves to bake goods at the late hours of the night and the shower fits perfectly to wash off those invisible grains of sand that stick to one after a trip to the beach.

CRYSTAL - MATEUS - GOBLET - W15 P5

Selyra’s Custom Craftware

- Located in the Basement!

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There’s a LOT I’ve got to say about this project. Lets start with a bit of facts. Lighting on 3. This is the only part of the house [ at this time] that was completed. I was commissioned to do the basement only! 130ish/400 slots taken for the basement.

The owner / client commissioned me to design them a quaint little shop and workspace to show off what they do! Selyra Glanadel is an omnicrafter that has been playing since August of last year, or roundabout, and has single-handedly raised the money for a large for her grand company. In tribute to that, they wanted to display her business in their new home!

Selyra does pentamelding for high end / raid gear. Displayed throughout the photos is a simple shop capturing elements of weaving, blacksmithing, armorsmithing, and goldsmithing. ALL SEVEN of the Exarchic sets are on display [ and being sold ] !

Every bit of furnishing in this design that was NOT a vendor buy or straight marketboard buy because it couldn’t BE crafted, has been crafted by Selyra herself as a personal touch to the place!

Warm colors and marble keep the space professional while toward the back things clearly become more industrial with the use of factory elements. It’s meant to showcase all of her hard work from the time you enter. The Mannequins on the display not only sell her works and efforts, but she can take them down and pentameld them for you for a higher quote if you wish!

I support the growing businesses within Eorzea and I was so happy to have the pleasure of doing this one! Let’s talk about the design!

The design itself is very simple and straightforward. After coming downstairs you are lead into a hallway showcasing the owner’s works. The symmetry is strong throughout this place as well as clean lines to give a modern feel. There is simple seating, open spaces to browse wares hosted in showcases, and a little shop desk to place your order and commit transactions for Selyra’s Custom Craftware!

You enter through the back of the house through a factory partition. The doors may be closed because work is in session, or open to show vacancy!

Due to the rest of the estate not being finished at this time I tried to keep details light and to the point to allow installations throughout the rest of the estate. I look forward to see how it all comes together! 

♥ Heart’s Desire ♥

CRYSTAL - MALBORO - W20 P28

Owned by Ciani Byn, who is also the owner of The Afterlife.

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Gonna start off by saying that this small little place took me way longer than it should have. I need to go back and add a message book with my credentials.

There is plenty of item count leftover due to its simple design, but I thought it might be appreciated regardless.

I kind of performed some sorcery to get the look I wanted. . .

The Heart’s Desire venue is a private venue owned by Ciani Byn. While not up and running yet, the simple design isn’t to understate the sexy activities that happen within. Dining with wine and chocolate... what could go wrong? Better yet... what could go right?

This home features a simple upstairs for guests to buy all of their needs, primarily chocolate! Chocolate acts as a visible, consumable passage to the magic down below where you enter into a sultry, smokey lounge with heavy aromatics and wine. A hookah lounge is upon the loft in the back where guests can relax and mellow out while a bar on the ground floor offers aged vintage with a broad spectrum of flavors from bittersweet to pure indulgence. 

When I was designing the downstairs there were certain aspects that just transported my mind to somewhere in the past. I described my emotion to the client as if I had entered an even deeper, more private part of a speakeasy in the prohibition era. It has an immersive element that I can only describe as ‘sexy’. 

Pictures taken by Kosuke Hakuryuu  of Mateus/Crystal.

Project Name: Verdurous Bloom

Mateus / Crystal - Shirogane - Ward 15 - Plot 49

I was tasked with designing a Medium house fostering a functioning home for a blind shamanic healer Avi Kaisuri. She wanted a lot of plant overgrowth, a cleansing area in the entrance, and a spiritual healing area. Additionally she asked for a nursery in her bedroom as her character one day aspires to be a mother.

I blocked off the basement for this design.

There is a lot of Symbolism here I wish to talk about.

For starters, I didn’t want to touch the exterior so I had to find a way to create a ‘cleansing’ area for those who enter her home. Torii gates are a Japanese passageway, to put it simply, that is said to cleanse those who walk through it. Once I did a little research I realized it would be the perfect solution to this little perk and keep my entryway from being boring.

Next is the stream of water. While nice to look at and fitting for the overgrowth of the interior that you can instantly see, water acts as a... block of sorts. There is the superstition that spirits cannot cross over water. One might recall similar symbolism in Spirited Away from Studio Ghibli Films. So to have a small bridge crossing over water ensures when you enter that no evil spirits can pass through.

I used a lot of different textures, colored lighting and more. I did a little bit of research on the blind and I can only hope I did it justice. I tried to approach things with minimalistic and clean detailing, keeping a lot of things to the side except for identifying pieces. The stairways are evenly spaced and the little stepping stumps after the bridge indicate direction to wherever you are going. The living area one can step into flowers, while the hardwood floor from the grassy area is a tell for a more refined living space. Natural lighting, tinted lighting and more can still be seen, albeit differently, by a blind person is my understanding. And for one to rely on other senses, the ambience of water as you drift upstairs signals a tranquil, peaceful space. 

I’m so used to decorating smalls and apartments/FC rooms that I forgot how delightful the layout of a Medium was. It has to be my favorite, and I hope one day to have a medium of my own.

Owner: Alexander Bloodrend

Crystal - Diabolos - Mists - W17 P14

Santorini Getaway

Photography credited to Kosuke Hakuryuu, my best friend. ♥

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I hit a bit of designers block with this commission and i’m not sure why. That’s not usually the first thing you want to hear when talking about such a beautiful piece but lets face it... it happens to all of us. It’s a real thing, and I come by honest.

I received the details for this comm and I was so inspired for this project. Dark colors, heavy wood tones. Gold tones over silver. There was just something about his aesthetic that I wanted to so desperately capture and I think in the end when it came together... I finally did just that.

I’m proud to say I didn’t use the full 300/300 interior, giving room to play for holidays. This was also my first commission that I chose to willingly use log partitions! This is also my first commission that I created a custom fridge! Some of the items were fussy with me so I had to leave them be, but it turned out just fine overall.

There is a lot of natural lighting in the main floor and attic, whereas the reddish tones among the wood and lights are primarily captured downstairs.

This house is a home for an AMAZING couple. After hearing their story and about their traveling... I wanted to capture a theme throughout the house that’s very subtly stated. Everything, for the most part, is coupled. Pairs of twos, divided by two. Theres 2 chairs by the fireplace, 2 different crafting stations. Strong symmetry was also involved. I wanted to reflect their unity as well as create a space that is unique to them. 

When Alex approached me with this commission he described it as a Cabin in the Woods sort of feel but honestly what got me was when they mentioned visiting Santorini. That’s how the house earned its name. I wanted to bring back that home-away-from-home feeling and reinstate the elements of a place they truly loved.

The Main floor is meant to have a nice landing/foyer upon entry leaving little to see beyond the divided walls that lead into a more personal part of the home. The Downstairs is meant to entertain guests and host small get togethers. The Attic is meant to well.. feel like an attic. It’s been transformed into a private crafting space.

ZALERA - White Lotus Order <JADE> - FC - W14 P35

Design Concept being Modern Luxury.

The Design concept has been changed by the owner since screenshots were taken. Credit is displayed on the company placard to show the overall design was my take on this.

Colors used were white, gold / ul brown, peacock blue, and pastel green. 

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It turned out to be more like Modern Minimal Luxury due to item count. Teehee! But it turned out beautiful no less.  I was SO excited to get started on this build that I hardly slept until it was complete. My friends had to pry me away from it long enough so I could rest.

This is my first mansion I had the fortune of designing in over two years and it felt so odd tackling such a large space. Normally a concept like this requires one to block off a floor for the sake of item count. I feel like a wizard for being able to keep everything open!

All item count slots were used. The bar and entertainment area both seat up to or over 30 people. While small in detail, it can still be functional as a roleplay venue! The Showcases on the southern catwalk were homage to the many crafters in the FC.

The bath house downstairs had a small easter egg for seating by the baths. Hint: You can sit by the lotus blossoms.

I tried to have repetitive symbolism throughout given the FC’s name having Lotus in it. I thought the Il Mheg Flower Lamps were a perfect way to showcase that!

I cannot take credit for the fish tank display in the center alcove - that was already done by the owner previously to my design and I wanted to leave it up and incorporate it. I’m glad to announce I was able to!

PRIMAL - Behemoth - Goblet - W4 P16 - Alfie Sunfury

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Probono Commission due to it being on a different datacenter. It was simply a Christmas Gift and an opportunity to add another sweet creation to my portfolio!

I was told to “Go Wild!”, so I did!

..... I used all item count slots on a single floor in a cottage. /sweats/

I tried to shoot for a modern industrial theme, taking inspiration from various different places though a small diorama and pictures of industrial lofts got me through the process. I wanted to push myself with this to come up with more creative solutions to things like cabinets and doors!

Combining everything on a single floor kept things very open and cozy versus scattering it upon two floors which I initially could have. The Owner of this commission put such faith in me in I honestly can’t thank him enough. He’s so excited to show all of his friends, and honestly, i’m excited so show all of you!

There was requests for a bar space at the kitchen, warm colors on the lower floor and dark wood tones, a space to entertain and more. I went in with the thought of a ‘bachelors pad’ that could entertain guests and well... this is what we landed on! The owner, Alfie, loves to craft and raid and so I wanted to make things functional for a culinarian and adventurer alike. The pictures don’t do the space justice - its SO roomy in an actual walkthrough!

I finished this build right on Christmas Eve, so the Owner got a nice Christmas present and was shocked to walk in on this this evening!

Mateus - Lavender Beds - Ward 16 Plot 49 - <Vogue> FC. 

This is a personal / private FC of mine. You might remember the pastel green walls and the pretty trim from in here, right? Due to all the clickable items, my toaster PC couldn’t come in without some sort of lag and after these new housing items came out... well, I did a bit of remodeling.

The room speaks for itself. Simple living, natural lighting, Christmas / Starlight Celebration. It kind of has a lodge vibe to it.

Getting into the details. . .

I wanted a custom fireplace, and shelving to display my crystal boules I saved up to get. I love them and their gentle glow so much and was surprised to find the new showcases were a perfect fit for them without hindering their beauty!

The custom fireplaces were inspired by things i’ve seen in the past across various sources, but i’m happy to call it my own.

The room functions as a general hub/seating/gathering area for a would-be FC and even has all bells/chest/amenities hidden away as part of the room for a general grab and go.

The basement is blocked off. I think I used less than 150 items in this build overall.

I am a little sad that I created this beautiful alcove for a ‘looking out the window’ feel and was going to do snowy mountains, christmas trees and more... but alas that wasn’t what the end result turned out to be. The Tincalconite for pudding rugs were expensive, and well... I wasn’t about to blow a bunch of gil on something that might not work versus a suitable plan B that I actually like more.