Entertaining the Guests: Sprucing up the Neohome

Entertaining the Guests: Sprucing up the Neohome

(sponsored by Osiris Pottery.)

By Sanies

Oh great Hannah – you have guests to entertain! But look at your Neohome. Two wood rooms, one ugly funky couch – that’s not going to impress the guests very much! You stare at your neopoints and wonder, ‘There goes another client!’

But don’t worry! You can spruce up the Neohome in just a matter of tape, paint, and glittery supplies! Don’t go buying that ninety-thousand L-Shaped Sofa; buy that Green Sofa that costs thousands less and get ready to lather on the paint! Never let it be said that Kougra Face Paint can’t do anything besides make your Kougra look pretty – it works wonders on couches.

There are thousands of ways to make your Neohome look ten times more expensive than it actually is, and we’re going to help you do just that! We’ll cover three areas all your guests are going to see – the living room, the dining room, and the bathroom, and tell you how to turn your Neohome into its absolute best! And remember – calm, classy music goes a long, long way.

THE LIVING ROOM

The best way of making your living room as comfortable and as stylish as possible is to buy things that are as calm and neutral as possible. Don’t go overboard with the rainbow bean bag chairs! Green and blue make much better additions for the Neohome.

If you’re lacking the money, there are simple alternatives to make attractive homes for the guests.

RUGS: Take the everyday Rug, for example. Sure, the Fluffy Isca Rug is attractive – when no one's touching it of course. But don’t let your guests run all over her face! And as soft as clouds may be, your guests might feel uncomfortable when their feet sink through the floor.

Instead, go for the quiet rug, the one people will appreciate for not getting in their way. The Cream Rug is a perfect example of this. It’s classy, it’s calm, and it fits in almost every theme you could think of. And if you really want a pattern or embroidered image, take up the thread (or that sparkly paint we all love), and get working! It’s amazing just what a little hard work can do to your Neohome.

COUCHES & SOFAS: Couches and sofas are also an important part of your living room. No guest wants to sit on stone or dung (though your pet might), so don’t give them that! A cheap alternative to those superbly-expensive couches can be as simple as a cheap Green Sofa and sparkly paint! Give it a good wash of paint and you’ll have a razzle-dazzling sparkly sofa for all your guests to enjoy (of course, make sure it doesn’t clash with the rest of the room – we don’t want green sofas in red rooms here.)

FIREPLACES: Fireplaces make everything warm and toasty, the perfect thing for a cold winter’s day. Only thing is, most cost too much! What to do? Answer: get a Roaring Log Fire, of course! With the Advent Calendar going around, these fireplaces have been going around for free! With a select sofa and a coffee table, this simple log fire will add good spirit and cheer to any living room!

COFFEE TABLES: As cool as you think the Amber Coral Coffee Table is, your guests are going to hate it. With its lumpy surface and upside-down tree trunk look, it will clash with your décor like a Lupe among Chias. An ordinary Coffee Table is fine, but it looks boring, unless you add a choice selection of accessories to it. Instead, go for the glass! Affordable, fashionable, and a perfect complement to any living room, the coffee table is a splendid choice to add next to the sofa.

CHAIRS & BEAN BAGS: Bean bags are wonderful and comfy for the living room. But make sure you choose a neutral tone, or your guests’ eyes will burn seeing the Holly Print Bean Bag on a Kauvara Rug. No, go for the sleek, simple Blue or Green Bean Bag, or try the Snowball Bean Bag. All are great additions.

If you’re not a bean bag freak, try the Green Seat. It’s a nice relax on the back, and it changes colour pretty easily as well. Simply stitch random patches of complementary coloured cloth, throw a decently matching towel over the armrests, and your guests will think you’ve gone and bought an expensive Plushie Armchair for them to sit on.

SIMPLE ADDITIONS (THEY ADD A NICE TOUCH): They do. Truly. Paintings and sculptures add class and beauty to your living room, and most of them aren’t even expensive! Jazzmosis’ posters are classy, elegant, and won’t murder the walls. All we ask is that you don’t ever put a Chia Clown Poster anywhere except within the darkest confines of your own room. Guests would run screaming in terror. Red Elephante and Harris paintings are in right now and are beautifully serene. Stick them on the wall for that simple touch.

Lamps are a must for any guests staying after dark. Elegant Table Lamps are a much cheaper alternative to those expensive Faerie Lamps people seem to love/abhor. For the wonderful light effects, spray a bit of coloured paint onto the surface, and your living room at night will be a beautiful array of soft, opulent light.

Sculptures, of course, should be placed strategically as to give the guests a beautiful view when first seen. The sculpture itself must be pleasing to the eye, first, or else the prior strategy won’t work. Sand sculptures are the epitome of style. Elegant, attractive, sand sculptures come in a variety of colours that are sure to add class to any living room. Also try cheap but classy vases and jugs (we recommend Geraptiku and Osiris brands); if they are placed on coffee tables and stands, guests will smile in awe at your interior design prowess.

With these simple steps, it’s not hard to make your living room the best it can be. But what happens when your guests decide that their hungry! It’s time to serve them food…

THE DINING ROOM

Rule number one with the dining room: never show any signs of uncleanness, food particles, or the fact that food ever existed except to look pretty. Don’t shove the paper towels under the chocolate fountain and hope that the guests won’t see! They will.

DINING TABLES: We wouldn’t serve that Maraquan Gumbo on a Blue Evil Fuzzle Table, if we were you. Furry kitchen tables? Absolutely not. No, no, no, go for the hard wooden, glass things. A Coconut Table, if you’re feeling exotic, will suit rooms that have a Mystery Island theme to them. Checked kitchen tables are perfect for the dining room, if your guests can handle that red-and-white pattern going around. Most likely they can’t. Rip off the tablecloth and stick your own nicely (less garish) cloth instead. Or you can swap the checked one for a Pretty Pink cloth instead.

CHAIRS: Chairs are of the utmost importance in the dining room. They ensure the guests' comfort and have to hold them the whole time while they eat! And as functional as that Grey Chair may be, the guests will hate sitting in them. Add a pillow under them and sew the edges together so it doesn’t fall apart, and guests will be much happier (and it looks much prettier, too.) If you’re going for the Checked Kitchen look, Checked Kitchen Chairs do the trick, though you might want to tone down those squares with a bit of bleach.

BUILDING THE ATMOSPHERE: Yes, you have to make the guests comfy. How? Why adding lots of dining-room related items! Osiris Pottery, our kind sponsor, has an excellent array of affordable pottery to spruce up the dining room! Add a couple of painted pots, maybe a Glazed Vase or two (all in select and strategically placed positions), and your guests will be admiring the room as they wait for the wafting smell of Neopian delights heading their way.

Cookie Jars do wonderful things. Paint them as you wish, and then place them on the centre of the table – guests will be dying to eat one of them inside (if you have any at all). Sand sculptures on the counters make lovely additions, as do Snowflake Sculptures (be warned, the guests may try to eat them.) A sprig of mistletoe is wonderful to hang, but don’t place it over the doorway, or guests might not be happy with you. Pretty Daisy Pot Plants are wonderful as centrepieces, and if it's Yule time, maybe you should think of sticking up a Decorated Tree.

Paper Lanterns are all the way to go, and you don’t even have to buy them! Make one with your very own decorated paper, and place a light inside, forming your very own custom Lantern! It’s perfect to hang over the dining table for candlelight dinners.

SERVING THE GUESTS: Stick out the confections, and be ready to feed them, for guests are hungry beasts! Plates of food are delightful. Cut up organic vegetables and make a fresh dip, arrange them on a Black Osiris Plate, and your guests will ooh! at the marvellous culinary skills you have. Or you can go buy a plate of crudités. If its time for the cookies, whip out the Plate of Cookies to serve your guests.

Fruit and vegetable salads are also great appetizers to start with. Elephante salad is an affordable, delicious item that all guests will enjoy. Seafood Pasta Salad is also something you should serve your guests, or if you’re going for the classical approach, a good old Caesar Salad never hurt anyone.

Make sure you have drinks nearby. Water jugs are marvellous things to have, especially the very cheap and affordable jars you can buy at Osiris Pottery. Hand Painted Water Jugs are stylish, easy to handle, and cheap, and will keep guests' eyes entertained.

With these simple tips, guests should be entertained enough in the living room to stay until the food is served. But once they’re done eating, they’ll need to do their business. It’s onto the bathroom!

THE BATHROOM

‘What?’ you cry. ‘Why would I need to do anything in the bathroom?’ Why wouldn’t you? Guests are perfectly happy seeing those rust and water stains all over the toilet, the damp ugly white rug, the dirty towel. Why wouldn’t you?

TOILETS: You only have one toilet (unless you somehow managed to put up a divider) per bathroom, so you have to make the best of it. First of all, the toilets you should not get: Dung toilets (who would sit on dung), Spooky toilets (guests would flee in fear at the mouth), and wicker and furry toilets (for one, they leak, and two, guests don’t like sitting on furry and/or scratchy objects while they go about their business). Disco Toilets are lovely, as are fancy ones, but if you’re on a budget, Plain White Toilets are the way to go. Make them lovely with a few hand-painted designs, a cover seat, and general cleanliness. Guests won’t hesitate then.

SINKS: I assure you, dung, wicker, and furry sinks smell after you’ve washed your hands. Don’t bother with them. No, Plain White or Disco Sinks suit the mood perfectly. Add a few hand-crafted touches, a couple decorative designs, and you’re good to go.

BATH TUBS: If you want your guests to take a bath, Plain White Bath Tubs are the way to go. Even though they may be just plain white, if given the right touch, they can flourish as an elegant and stylish addition to the bathroom.

MIRRORS & CABINETS: Every bathroom needs mirrors and cabinets. Full Length Mirrors are wonderful for the image-conscious guest, and if placed correctly, illuminate the room with reflected light. Golden Mirrors, if you can afford them, should be placed above the sink for people to watch themselves in. A cheaper alternative (and a more useful one too) to the Golden Mirror is the Royal Oak Wood Cabinet, which can be nailed above the sink. Classy and fresh, it adds a simple but elegant touch to the common bathroom.

NECESSARY ADDITIONS: No bathroom is complete without the things everyone keeps in the bathroom – even if only to make it look prettier. As always, sand sculptures go well on the counter, and house plants do wonderful things. Remember to keep a towel around; Tooth Faerie Towels work rather well.

Hang up a Snowbunny Bath Puff up in the tub, and maybe place a stylish Dartail Bath Toy on the edge of the bath tub. A wonderful addition to spruce up that Plain White Bath Tub is Peophin Bubble Bath, kept in a beautiful blue jewelled bottle. Goldy Bath Scrubbers are also wonderful additions for the tub.

Rain Water Shampoo is a must have to keep on the counter, with its simple flower look, and lends a classic touch. Peo Conditioner is also a lovely bottle to keep, if simply for its beauty.

Place on the sink a Bar of Soap, or if you’re feeling elegant, Peophin Fragrant Soap or Bubbly Goldy Soap. It always does to keep the guests sanitized.

See? It’s pretty easy to make your bathroom spick and span, as well as absolutely darling to look at. And with all these tips, you should start serving your guests right away! No matter your budget, there are always cheap alternatives to making your Neohome classy and comfortable with a few added touches.

This is Scrivenshaft and Korne, infamous owners of Scrivenshaft & Korne’s (supplying the finest in literary development since 1801) with this week’s guide on Neopia.

This article has been sponsored by Osiris Pottery. For the best of Pottery in Neopia.