What Furnishings do you use on a regular basis when doing Housing?

Bam_Boozler703 · September 2021

Besides Luxury Vendor items I'm trying to get a feel for what useful housing items I might have available to me when starting out my endeavors in ESO Housing.

I have some housing Questions:

What Zone Achievement Furniture Items do you seem to use on a regular basis? Or must have items for housing do you always seem to use? *Example: Summerset Achievement Vendor – Display Case, Exhibit *

Same Question for Common Zone Furniture Vendors…

What Common Goods Furniture Items do you seem to use on a regular basis? Or must have items for housing do you always seem to use? *Example: Northern Elsweyr Common Good Vendor – Vines, Dragonfire Ivy Swath *

Are there certain housing items that you craft on a regular basis as well that you find useful when doing housing? Whether they're structural or decorative items to try and get your goals accomplished?

Now I understand that these are very broad general questions and it depends on the theme of the house that you might be designing but I'm just trying to research as much information as possible. Especially if I need to complete storylines in certain zones to have access to achievement items that you might suggest.

Are there any tips or tricks you might suggest for somebody to starting out in housing in ESO?

Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions you made provide.

TheImperfect · September 2021

Generic things that everyone has like food items, potion bottles, wine bottles etc

LadyHeloise · September 2021

Any book shelves with books on them - I use the big Alinor Grand Full quite a lot.
Also any chairs or sofas with cushions on, such as the Alinor bench or there are a number of nice Redguard ones.
Apart from that it is kitchen or dining stuff like the food items, bottles, goblets, a provisioning station etc

Sturmfaenger · September 2021

Basic I would think are crafting stations of all kinds, one set for your house. Also the chests for storage and perhaps a banker to give you access to those furniture items in your bank. And you might need a storage house after a while (perhaps the free one that comes soon with the next events 2021), because you're going to have lots and lots of spare housing items after a while and not that much storage space for them.

The rest... depends on what you like, what you want your house to be. If you love gardens you will need plants etc the most. If you love a spooky tomb as a home for your vampire or necromancer, you will prefer the torture and graveyard ones the most. If you love Khajiit and give them a native home you might not be interested in breton furniture at all. And so on.
Difficult to say.
The first house is in most cases one your main char will want to live in. So it will need every day life items of all kinds. Achievement traders have not a lot of these, they are mostly very special or luxury items.

Those little flowers some of them have (Northern Elsweyr furniture trader, or Hews Bane achievement trader for example) are good because they fit in all kinds of small vases to make a home nicer.
But I think the most important items for housing are the crafted ones, tables, carpets, food and plates and so on, book shelves too. But there is not "the" one you need, there are plenty similiar and different ones.

My first advice is to join a housing guild. You can visit their houses and look at the items they use, that gets you more detailed answers then "you need chars and tables because every kitchen has chairs and tables" - you will see them in their houses in styles you might like and in styles you might not like and can ask for their names directly.

Since there are furniture styles for each race and each new area in the game, perhaps it would also be a better approach not to concentrate on the furniture items themselfes but on the crafting ingredients you need for crafting them. like mundane runes and so on, and the crafting skills you would need to craft them, the higher the quality the more your crafting char must know to be able to craft them.
If you start a house and just need "a" carpet or "a" bed, you can also obtain green blueprints, they are - with exceptions like murkmire ones - the most common to find yourself and the cheapest ones in guild stores, also the easiest to craft yourself.
And if you like a certain furniture style that is craftable, but you can't craft them, then ask others. Guild members of housing guilds help each other with crafting those mostly for free, if you can provide the materials to craft them.

SidraWillowsky · September 2021

I do a lot of custom building, and my most-used items are

Alinor wall, stone long (craftable). By far my most-used; they're by far the most versatile wall building component
Alinor wall, stone (craftable). Same as above
Boulder, volcanic plug (Vvardenfell home furnishings). I like to build caves and these are great for that.
Alinor floor, ballroom timeworn (craftable). Turn it upside-down and you've got a nice wall/floor
Dwarven altar, stairs (craftable). Slightly less versatile because of the shape, but good for dark structural creations
I've been flipping the Leyawiin platform, narrow/wide step (craftable) staircases upside-down and angling them to look like shingles for rooftops
The Leyawiin wall, wainscoted (craftable) furnishing is a new favorite of mine for internal walls.
I like Orcish platform, block (craftable) for wood floors
I have a lot of mirrors (Hlaalu/Breton, both craftable) that I arrange to look like windows
Alinor display case, large (craftable)

I've spent an ungodly amount of gold procuring enough culanda lacquer, dwemer frames, vitrified malondo, and ivory brigade clasps to build what I want...

disulfidebridges · September 2021

I'm writing from memory, apologies if I misremembered the name of the furnishing:

Craftable:

- Alinor Carpet, Verdant
- Books, Levitating (Stack or Row)
- Candles, Votive
- Dark Elf Flags, Hanging
- Elsweyr carpets (especially the blue and yellow one)
- Elsweyr Desk, Writing
- Elsweyr cooking utensils (pots, cooker, bowls etc.)
- Elsweyr Platform, Large
- Leyawiin Bookcase, Grand Filled
- Leyawiin Bookcase, Wall
- Leyawiin Lightpost, Carved Waves
- Leyawiin Table, Sturdy Square and Leyawiin Table, Sturdy Round
- Orcish Figurine, Bear
- Redguard carpets and vases
- Solitude Floor, Elegant (or Refined?) - rotate to get a nice wooden wall or floor
- Vampiric Cauldron

Luxury furnishings:

- Alinor Greenhouse
- Craglorn Display Case
- Dwarven Schematics
- Flower, Coda
- Flower, Blooming Hackwing (?) Cabbage
- Wedding Flowers, Orange
- Wedding Flower Trellis

Achievement and home goods furnishings:

- Blooming Gingko tree (Summerset)
- Blooming Crabapple and Sturdy Crabapple (Craglorn)
- blue glowing vines from Tideholm (Achievement Furnisher)
- Hanging Map of Tamriel (global achievement furnisher)
- Tribunal Shrine in Fountain (Vvardenfell)
- various ivy furnishings (Malabal Tor Home Goods Furnisher, Elsweyr Home Goods Furnisher)
- white and pink cherry trees (Auridon)

SilverBride · September 2021

I use a lot of Alinor, Elsweyr and Reguard furnishings because these are my favorite styles. Unlike many other housing enthusiasts I do not put crafting stations in any of my houses, and only have chests in a few.

What particular furnishings I use depends on the type of place I'm decorating. Right now I have traditionally decorated personal homes for all 3 of my characters, a small home in Rawl'kha for close access to the Outlaw Refuge, a mountain Guest Lodge, an Orc Tavern, a Museum with a Curator's Office and a Tea Garden, and a Massage Parlor.

I've also recently started decorating my small apartments, and have added a Florist Shop in one and a Fortune Teller in another.

This website is great for where to find furnishings. I use it all the time.

https://eso.mmo-fashion.com/furnishings/

TeruKisuke · September 2021

Before I begin, it's important to know that the answer will differ based on who you're asking. I could give you my list, but I'm sure that you will take a shine to much different things.

Achievement Furnishings

I honestly don't use Achievement furnishings the most, but I can point you to some cool ones.
-Skeleton Key, from Clockwork City. Many people sink it into objects just for the pretty handle.
-Everlasting Waterfalls from Alinor. Great for gardens or that flowing water effect. Anything Alinor, really.
-Hope of Rivenspire from you guessed it. Lovely for gardens and that overgrown look.
-Decorative Skyshards for that beam effect. Sorry, lot of work to get it, I know. But the beam is nice.
-Hectahame Arboretum Relic, from Greenshade. Has an awesome looking effect.
-Dreamshards from Stormhaven. I've seen people do a lot with these.
-The purple crystals from Reaper's March. Same as above.
-Most Hew's Bane achievement items. The flowers, the hanging lanterns, the dowry, etc. Very useful.
-The Dragonhold vines. Unfortunately takes a long time to get to. Nice to add some flair to other vines too.
-Outlaw Refuges. Often overlooked, but often have useful things. Safeboxes, keys, gold coins, pocket lint, scales, tombstones, etc.
-Gold Coast Estate Kegs and Sweetrolls. They're nice for meaderies or kitchens.
-Crafting Achievements. I use the alchemy ones, the tall wood pile, and the butterfly bush a lot. The hanging signs are also nice.
-Vvardenfell has cool stuff. Crystals, Sixth house totem (really cool effect), crystals, huts, statues, relics, a tall fountain. Expensive, but some are worth it.

Home Goods

-Lots of Alinor. I use Alinor hedges the most because I use them to contour my gardens, or even use them as new grassy terrain. They are just such useful garden space-fillers, and quite affordable. Retaining walls are often nice, and the Wide Trunk trees can cover a forest easily. The stone steps are also nice.
-Planks. You will need to keep them somewhere in storage readily on hand to get to places or get a different viewpoint while building. So useful.
-Vines, vines, vines. I think the red ones are often too garish for my needs, but the green ones are nice.
-Elsweyr posts. They are very tall, and nice. Sometimes I use them as markers. The wagon wheels are cool too, and the grass if you want to terrain something.
-Volcanic Boulder Plugs. They're huge and great for shaping terrain, and they can be dressed up to match too.

Craftable Furnishings

-My #1: Grand Alinor Bookcase. Again, I've used it in so many ways it's not even funny. It's gotten to the point where I mistakenly look in Structures to find it all the time. Beautiful textures and designs. You won't regret getting it.
-Redguard Filled Bookcases. There are two variants. Ive used them in so many ways. In kitchens for cookbook cupboards, as bookcase walls, as arches you can walk under. I've also used the Pile one and sunken it down to isolate the backpack and books.
-Hlaalu Bookcases: I have sunken this into other bookcases to make those ones look packed to the brim. Really nice for that packed look.

-Anything structural. I repeat, anything. Go after them all. You can find them from daily quests in dlc zones nowadays in Solitude, Markarth, and Leyawiin. But, here are some of my favorites:
-Leyawiin Wall, Wainscoted. I am in the middle of reskinning literally all of my homes because this piece is so great.
-Solitude Platform, Tile. It's multipurpose and huge.
-Solitude Fireplace, Ornate: It's a joke between a friend and I how versatile this piece is. Don't know what to put there? Solitude Fireplace, Ornate. It's got a lovely back and bottom for structure building.
-Markarth Walkway. This green furnishing is so multipurpose. It's got a nice white tile top, a smooth white on either side the tile, the sides have that beautiful brass edge or white strip, and I've even used the underside as walls or gravel dirt.
-Elsweyr Platform, Masonry: Brick on the underside, elegant tile on top. Enough said.
-Orcish Brazier, Pillar. "It's not a structure piece, Teru!" Yeah, well, I don't care. It has a unique Orcish stone texture, and I've used it for pillars and walls. Goes really nice with Alinor wood. This item's often overlooked though because it's not in the Housing Editor, but there IS a plan for it.

-Any rugs, really. You can use them as wallpaper. I like the Alinor rugs and the Elsweyr Chaotic Symmetry the most. Vampiric Runners are also nice in my mansions. I've also used the Elsweyr Botanical Grand a lot, but also for their beautiful crimson red edge.

-Lights is a really broad category. But some nice ones are the:
-Redguard Lantern, Delicate. Beautiful crystal bottom. It's hard to come across white crystal in this game.
-Vampiric lights. Really nice amber lighting.
-Daedric Brazier, Table: It'll really light a room up, and you can easily hide it in the floor, wall or ceiling if you think it's ugly.

-Bottles. Particularly the wine, liquor, and Redguard bottles and decanters. You can pretend they're anything. I've also used the black round bottles as ink bottles for my quills.
-Dwarven Cooking Implements, Hanging: Great to make a kitchen look filled.
-Wood Elf urns: I like lining these up in my kitchens to look like spice and cookie jars.
-Alinor Urns: Same deal, but more elegant.
-Alinor and Vampiric Tables. Similar in that they have a beautiful flat texture. I've also used them to line walls or floors.
-Vampiric Sideboard: Nice table, unique design, but have also used them on Clockwork Wardrobes to make big wooden cupboards.
-Clockwork Wardrobes. They look kinda like fridges.

-Display Case, Large. Many people have used these for facades, windows, or elegant displays. They're a lovely piece.
-Display Case, Specimen: Same as above.
-Breton Throne: Possibly my favorite chair. Got nice red cushion linings.

Tips

Tip #1: Websites are your friend. Personally I use MMO Fashion (Search: List of Furnishings by Category) when I have a general category in mind but don't know what to use. For example: "I want a light fixture in here, but I don't know what to use." But if you're more streamlined in knowing what STYLE you want, then search something like UESP Great House Furnishings, Alinor, etc. There are also useful pages like Achievement furnishings in UESP. And, in UESP, it will show you a picture of furnishing plans, if there is an accompanying one. (Sometimes the ones on MMO Fashion can be unreliable.)

Tip #2: Knowing what furnishings are out there are half the battle. I've memorized them by now but I have to jog my memory from time to time because there are so many. Again, websites are your friend, but also take the time to visit every zone and see what's out there. Scroll through the Housing Editor Purchase Tab even if you don't intend to buy anything. Sometimes objects and textures are much more appealing when they're in front of you than on a phone screen.

Tip #3: Check all containers for plans. Slot the Green Champion Tree perk for a chance for double plan drops. (Even if you get a duplicate, depending what it is, they can sell for a lot.) Always learn your plans on ONE character, especially your main, or if you really decided your crafter must be someone else, that one. It is so inconvenient to switch between toons to craft something and you WILL forget you have certain plans on them.

Tip #4: Network. If you don't know how to make something, hit up a guildie who will craft for free with mats. Try not to buy craftable furnishings with gold unless they're a good deal. Get a guild trader and sell gold mats; you're gonna need it to afford this expensive hobby. Find a trusted friend or guildie into housing and have them check on your house when you're stuck or need ideas; they might think of something you haven't. People even post housing tours on YouTube. Maybe check it out if you have designer's block.

Tip #5: For when you're in a house and building. Make sure all your walls/items are straight. It's actually not that hard but a lot of people either don't know any better, are unobservant, or too lazy to. Precision tool is your friend. I can't tell you how many times I visit homes and paintings are floating off walls or items are not sitting properly on the ground or surface. Use precision, sink the item into the surface, and if it's something like a painting, or an object you're trying to make parallel, and if it's off angle, use the 0.05 degree rotation until the full item's visible. Do this several times. For floating objects, sink it down until it touches.

Tip #6: When you're making custom structures and you go to hit Place, but you want a lot of, say, a wall or floor and want them to be parallel to each other, hit Place several times to place them all on top of each other, then use precision to move them one at a time. It ensures my structures are straight and even enough.

Tip #7: Be careful when linking a lot of things together. Of course, linking things is often necessary. Things will shift when you move them. Always check them again if you do. They might even shift when you're gone from the house. Some people have even reported things shifting 500 ft in the ground. ESO is... weird.

Tip #8: Friend of mine who is into housing and is just experienced as me did not know this or forgot it existed, and I've been into housing for 3 years now. In the Retrieve tab, you can mark a furnishing on your map if you have trouble finding it. It will highlight the item to make it stand out, and will show up on your compass.

Tip #9: Make sure your chairs/benches are sittable. They could just be floating a little bit or an object is too close. But, if they are yellow no matter how much you try, find a flat part of a house's natural terrain and align it to it. Often times it will flash green again. Go back to your desired spot and place it.

Tip #10: Don't look at objects at face value. The most creative ESO builds use objects in ways the original intended use wouldn't have dreamed of. For instance, Alinor Grand Bookcases have beautiful smooth wooden backs. I have used them for floors, walls, space-fillers, facade doorways, coat racks, counters, you name it. People have used the edges of objects as oven handles, urn tops as stove burners, pots as railings, chairs and counters as stairs, display cases as windows, etc etc etc. Some people even isolate desired textures and use them.

Tip #11: Always check your house permissions before you leave a house (on the last tab) and switch away from that tab before you leave. Sometimes it can be buggy and switch it to Decorator or No Access.

Tip #12: Sometimes housing will be bugged no matter what. Lights will turn off when they have no toggle, effects won't display, and you will get an error message saying "Can't place anymore furnishings" when you're at ex: 577/700. Type in /reloadui, leave the house and come back, log in and out, and if none of that works, then... I dunno. Take a break?

Tip #13: Get Storage Chests and a full set of crafting tables, store them in there. Put your most-used furnishings in there. It's wonderful to not have to port out of your house to craft something. Put it down, craft, pick back up again. I have chests for Plants, Structures, Lights, Parlor/Dining/Suite, and smaller ones for Library, Workshop/Miscellaneous (Dwemer cogs, cloth piles, ivory, etc), Services (crafting tables, music boxes, target dummies, etc), and lastly a chest to put in stuff from whatever you're working on, or really put anything you want in there if your inventory gets too cumbersome.

Tip #14: Pick a house you don't like as much, make it your storage house. I have several.

Bam_Boozler703 · September 2021

Wow Thank you all for the Great response so far.
You can never have too much info or ideas for housing.
I know I'm already benefiting from your advice. And I hope others will benefit from this discussion as well.

newtinmpls · September 2021

True it is a vague question, and my answer is kind of sloppy because I'm kind of sloppy and most of my houses are "in progress".

I really do like to create "upper floors" and while there are a number of fancy floor bits, I very often use the "Rough planks" both the wide and the platform for most of that - partly due to it being relatively cheap and easy to get hold of.

That being said, I don't much bother with the "little stuff" until I have a theme... and then I go kinda crazy.

katanagirl1 · September 2021

I am just brainstorming here and mentioning a few things that popped up.

I have used way more of those Moonlit Vines than any other furnishing item, they are just so lovely!

I’m still learning how to decorate but good lighting adds so much. Different kinds mixed together adds variety and interest.

I’m starting to add a lot more plants and flowers, too. Just having furniture is a bit sterile.

The new paintings you can get from Elsweyr, Greymoor, and Blackwood chests are awesome too. The base zone paintings just aren’t as visually interesting to use.

newtinmpls · September 2021

katanagirl1 wrote: »

The base zone paintings just aren’t as visually interesting to use.

Yup, but if you flip them around they make nice wooden-look walls.

MissPan3024 · September 2021

Clockwork lighting is a must for me. I use them overhead when I’m building and almost always end up with a few sunk in the walls.

Lugaldu · September 2021

I like my houses cozy. One of the first things to come into any home in large quantities are carpets and tapestries. Then I craft a lot of vessels in which plants can be placed and of course all kinds of light sources, preferably candles. And of course book shelves are very important too.
Regarding the styles, I prefer especially Redguard, Eslweyr, Alinor and Vampiric furniture.

Kitziboo · October 2021

I try to theme the furnishings to characters but my favourites are Elsweyr, Alinor, the Inlaid Redguard and now the formal Leyawiin. I’ve started popping second floors wherever they will fit and use the Elsweyr Platform, Wooden Large with the Limestone Stairway, Natural which is great for curved stairs (Snugpod & Humblemud) and I can tuck the kitchen underneath.

I like making cosy full kitchens and having lots of filled bookcases and Knick knacks like collectibles, ornaments and books. Every home has the same sofas, Redguard Sofa, Desert Flame as they look so comfy. I’ve searched and failed to find the find the Oasis version but have managed to make one floor based one out of the cushions. I love the Redguard bed, Wide Lattice and most Alinor beds and all homes need a roaring fire in the living room and flames in the kitchen, Hlaalu Stove, Chiminea, Solitude Fireplace, Kitchen or the Redguard Counter, Grill which has lots of space for food and pans.

For my girls, Proudspire is a grand home, Alinor Townhouse is a Psijiic college and Antiquarian is an alpine holiday inn. The boys have the holiday home and a cafe/food shop run by Keldora in Mournhold. I’m still saving to get some of the boys their own homes, inn rooms are decorated as such for short stopovers and all my crafting stations are stored in chests so characters can all use them in their own location without travelling about.

I’m very fond of gardens and will happily muddle plants from different regions together, especially for alchemist characters, although Twin Arches is strictly desert plants with an Elsweyr fountain in the corner. I am currently developing the land above the waterfalls in Alpine house with sunken Markarth steps, the Markarth tower and glowing mushrooms and have just bought the furnished version of Sweetwater Cascades using the last of my ESO+ crowns (otherwise it would be empty for ages as I have so few clasps). I haven’t decided whether it will be a grand home or a hotel theme yet. I may just pop in some coloured trees until I finish the house and see if there are any slots to start the garden as it’s very beautiful outside as it is.

SickleCider · October 2021

Trees, salt lamps and candles. So many of them. A Balorgh wall mount ends up in every home, as does Thurvokuhn, depending on the size of the home. I use up a lot of slots on bottles, books and hearth goods. I also find myself never having enough hollowbone wind chimes!