The recent release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has not only brought together the diehard Animal Crossing community on the Nintendo Switch but given many people are currently stuck at home, it’s seeing an influx of new or lapsed players who are experiencing the magic of the series for the first time. Making your island feel like it’s yours comes from decorating it in a way that feels true to you and you alone. Let’s now take a look at 10 ways to better decorate your home and island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
10 Recipes & Crafting
This may seem obvious to veteran players, but those new to the series should realize that crafting and recipe gathering is the best way to build a collection of items worthy of decorating with. When it comes to recipes players have access to at least two new ones a day on their island via one falling from a shaken tree and the message in a bottle on your beach. Residents of your island can also provide new recipes if they’re found crafting in their homes. The more recipes you gather will, in turn, make your crafting options expand into a decorator’s delight.
9 Don’t Feel Pressured
Social media has a way of providing peer pressure, and it can be glaringly obvious when it comes to the world of video games. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been all over Twitter as people share their beautiful islands that look like they were crafted over the years. Seeing these images can make you feel like you’re behind or you’re playing wrong, but that’s not the case. Play the game at your own pace and get the most out of it. Decorating your island to fit your interests isn’t an overnight project, and you shouldn’t treat it as one.
8 Download Creations
The internet can be a scary place, but in turn, it’s arguably the greatest resource of information in human history. Not only can you bring in clothing designs via the QR system in the game, but you also have the option of downloading custom paths and pieces of art.
These not only allow you to decorate your island with your interests, but clever transparent designs also allow you to customize the pathing and ground in general of your island. Less is more here, so be clever with the implementation and don’t go overboard.
7 Online Inspiration
Earlier we talked about how social media can make people feel like they’re behind, or not playing the game right. It can also be an avenue for inspiration where you can learn tips and tricks when it comes to designing your home and decorating your island. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and there’s nothing wrong with recreating something you saw and liked in a Twitter video or Instagram post. The great thing about inspiration is that you don’t know what will do it or when it will hit you. Take advantage of those moments of influence.
6 Get Feedback
This next tip might not be for everyone as some are more sensitive to critical feedback than others. The truth of the matter is that the only person that needs to like how your island and home are designed is you, the one who experiences it every day. That being said, if you want your stuff to pop off on social media and wow people who see it, it may be smart to bring in visitors so they may let you know what works, what doesn’t, and what could use some tweaking and experimentation. An honest friend can help your island truly become a paradise.
5 Be Patient
We’ve already covered the idea of not feeling pressured to do more, as well as trying to find a trusted friend who could provide valuable feedback. The third part of that holy trinity is the idea of patience and how that relates to designing your island and home in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Gathering items, terraforming, and coming up with neat aesthetic choices takes time and it doesn’t come easy. Despite what Twitter might showcase, you don’t need to rush towards a sense of completion. Take the game for what it is and design at your own pace, whatever that may be.
4 Embrace Change
The best part about being in control of how your island looks, feels, and functions, is that you can change it at any point. Far too often people will become stuck in their ways and just adjust to living in the same space forever since it feels safe and comforting. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the moment something starts to feel old or tiresome, simply clean everything up and try something new. A neat idea is to have a set area for seasonal events where you can redecorate and manipulate it depending on what time of year it is.
3 Find Themes
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and the franchise in general, does a great job of including a ton of items that each fit a particular design style or theme. The more items you collect and craft, the more obvious these themes and design styles become. Once you figure out which themes you like and want to design around, then you can keep an eye out for pieces that would fit that aesthetic. Also, don’t be afraid to let your friends know which types of items you’re looking for as they could come across something that brings one of your rooms or locations together.
2 Experiment
Here’s the thing, at the end of the day it’s a video game where you will be the one who sees your island the most. This means that you shouldn’t shy away from experimenting with the different items you acquire and craft. You’ll never know what items and layouts work until you try them out.
Once you unlock the terraforming tools a brand new world of experimentation opens up. Relocation costs aren’t cheap, so you may want to save up if you’re planning on also experimenting with the location of your shops and residents.
1 Plan Ahead
Planning isn’t necessarily the most exciting or interesting thing to do, but it often is the thing that sets incredible results apart from the mediocre. Take some time to sit down and visualize what you want on your island. Then grab a piece of paper, and even if its a loose and simple sketch, mark where you’d like things to be in relation to where stuff is placed on your island. Even the simplest of planning can start to build a mental image of the final product you desire and can make the process of creation feel a lot more natural and smooth.
NEXT: Animal Crossing New Horizons: 10 Tips For Building The Perfect Island Getaway
