Tips to Create Aesthetic "Lived In" Builds

Raft's building and decor options are extensive, and you can create just about anything. I've put together a collection of tips, ideas, and inspiration to help make your raft builds feel more realistic and visually interesting so they look more like your character's 'lived in' home.

Wallpapers, Paint, Wainscoting, and Trim

As you decorate your spaces it's important to think about your choice of wall colors before building up the walls and adding your ceiling. Take these three styles as an example.


To the left we have a standard singular wall height with a wallpaper pattern. The single wall height is only just a bit taller than we are as the player, and it tends to feel cramped and crowded.

The middle style is three half walls stacked, with the lowest half wall painted a flat black style to mimic a wainscoting design and the upper two wallpapered. This looks better, however the unfortunate issue with wallpaper on two half walls is that you will see the raised edges in the middle between them.

To the right is my personal preference. On the bottom is a half wall painted black like seen in the middle. However the wallpaper section is now one full wall height without the middle ridge from half walls, and at the top is another half wall of white to act as the ceiling trim and make the room feel taller.

This can also be done in three half walls if only the middle is wallpapered, or you can make the color of the wallpaper/primary wall color match the ceiling color. This will give the same effect. The bottom panels can be white as well if you'd prefer a brighter room.

To demonstrate how these differences affect the vibe of a room here are a few examples:












Whatever you decide you like best, remember to toggle the single sided painting and keep the exterior walls of your build their own color. You can tell single sided paint is enabled by the appearance of your brush - more paint on the brush means you'll be painting both sides of the wall.

Lighting

You can create some really cute string light chandeliers by layering them on your ceiling. Here are two ways you might like this style:



This one has a hanging metal lantern at the center.



This one will need a slightly higher ceiling, but uses both types of string lights.



If you've been able to get the lighted jars from the story islands you can use them to mimic cool and warm lightbulbs by stacking them around each other. Due to how the game shows stacked items they even appear to glitter a bit.



If you're just working with metal lanterns try varying the configurations you use. You can also use string lights between them to make it appear to be a connected light.

Windows

These are the windows we have that we can build with the hammer. They are really bland and have a very small viewing space.



An easy alternative is to use half walls and create gaps where you want the window to be instead. You can make it as big as you want that way.



Using half walls, small vertical support beams, and triangle shaped walls can get you to a shape like this one. I used a wall mounted table to mimic a windowsill.



This gives you some extra space to add clutter to your room. Some people like to mount their small crop plots along the exterior of the window to grow flowers on their windowsills.



This is my favored windowsill plant setup. On the exterior side of the window wall are half walls creating a plant bed of sorts. Then you just layer a bunch of the potted plants until the whole space is filled up. I use floor mats in brown to mimic dirt below.



This creates the following finished look from in the interior of the room:



You can also use support pillars to create a window grid look, though it's a little bulky.

Kitchens

Personally, I hate the fridge item in the game since we can't paint it! If you can make it work for you and look nice then feel free to do so, but if like me you want a paintable option then you might like this method.



I mimicked a cabinetry built-in fridge look using two of the large cupboards stacked, and then created counter tops with the long cupboards also stacked.



You can wall mount cupboards as well either as intended or by using tables to create wall cabinetry.



I like kitchen islands too, and to make one I turned the small cupboards to where each drawer faced each other and then covered the divide on top with a runner rug in the matching color as a tablecloth, then used bar seats for seating.



When creating your dining table setup avoid doing it like I show above. This looks too rigid and perfect, try not to let more than one or two items grid-snap. Even slight rotation helps when you've got a lot of the same items repeated in one small space. You can also paint the mugs for unique colors, or use the mugs and cutlery from Temperance if you want a cute design. Consider how many places you actually want set, too - often we don't use every seat we have available.



Here's an example of just two places set and a lot of rotations to show movement & use of items.


If you're building in creative or have received these herb items through the story line don't forget to use them! They make the kitchen feel so much more cooking-ready.



You can also bring the grill into the kitchen and align it to merge with your cabinetry. I also added and open book to look like a cookbook being referenced.



Lastly, consider adding a pantry for hidden kitchen storage. I just used stacked chests in this 1x1 space with a pantry door.

Beds

The base bed is pretty bland, but you can definitely dress it up. Adding two of the single beds side by side already gives it a bit more in terms of size, but for decoration you can add a lot of style with a simple four post bed look.



To get this look I've placed full length vertical support pillars topped by one half length pillar at each corner of the bed. Then use the triangle shaped wall all around the top of the bed. In front of the foot of the bed is the solid wood fence, and at the back of the bed there is a half wall topped with the same fence. Then everything gets painted to match.



You can use curtains around the bed to act as a canopy style, and either close or open some. This is one of the few uses where I prefer this style of curtain. I also added some long runner rugs to add to a soft look.



This is another decor option if you're a big fan of pretty lighting. This uses the same frame as before and has long string lights across the full front and back and a few on each of the sides.



Here's another option using a bed on a raised platform. To create this I started with the raised floor in a 3x2 space, then used half walls to hide all the sides. Then I added two half stairs to the foot end of the beds and two full walls behind the headboards. I used the long cupboard at the sides to create under-the-bed storage and a rug at the end of the beds to finish it off.



My third suggestion uses the style of a lofted bed with a desk and workspace underneath. The total height in this space is 2 full walls, one above and one below, and there is a support pillar and half wall behind the desk and the ladder to climb up opposite. This could be done with a double bed too, but you would need to add a support beam in the middle floor.

Bathrooms

I don't see many bathrooms used in Raft builds because honestly the options are minimal. I'm definitely not a big fan of the outhouse style toilet. However, I'll share my ideas here nonetheless.



For the toilet area I like to try and create a little bit of privacy with a small stall of sorts. One trick I like with the outhouse is to lift it up off the ground a bit. The outhouse can be placed on tables, so here I'm using a small wall mounted table painted the same color as the outhouse to raise it just a bit and use a bath mat beneath it.



Against the wall in the stall I placed a mounted table that holds a candle, reading material, and flowers. Bathroom essentials, you know. There's also a hanging plant from Tangaroa, but any floor plants would do just as well.



For the bath tub I've used support pillars and triangle shaped walls to create a window to look out. I used the second style of curtains here with a bit of an overlap to create a full hidden space if desired.




How you choose to decorate is up to you, but here's how I like to add some personality for my bath space. I love a good candle lit bath, and some flowers and lights hanging along the window are nice too.



For a few extra bathroom bits and bobs try the wardrobe which could double as towel storage, or use cupboards. The large wall mounted cupboard is placed on a table as it can't normally be on the wall on it's own.

General Tips

• Always be rotating your items. The less clutter items that are perfectly aligned, the better.
  
  
• Paint everything. Lots of decoration items can be painted, and I believe all the furniture can. A good color palette for your build goes a long way.
  
  
• Pay close attention to your paint brush. If you accidentally paint both sides of a wall that you'd already painted one side of you can't get that wasted paint back. It's not a huge deal in creative, but if you're building in survival it's a real pain to exit your interior and see you accidentally painted all the exterior walls too.
  
  
• Use lots of windows to brighten your rooms. The lighting items help, but the daylight light is best from windows whenever possible.
  
  
• If a space feels empty, add clutter. A mug, a stack of papers, anything. Just fill the gaps.
  
  
• Don't skimp on paintings and wall art. I'm not a huge fan of the motivational signs, but a hanging wall clock and some artwork goes a long way. You can hang flowers and lanterns and candles, or add shelving in big empty gaps.
  
  
• Consider context. If you add a fireplace add the fireplace logs, and a chimney from your roof if it fits the design. Add faux bathmats around areas of water like the tub, toilet, or your entrance if it's right off the water. Use lots of rugs to make it look homey and warm.

Final Notes

I may add more to this over time, so ask me if there's anything in particular that you'd like to see! I may add a section on living rooms and lawns. Thanks for reading!

[ryvianstyron]

I LOVE the idea's in this guide and great use of screenshots to illustrate the ideas too!

After reading through this - I've just been looking at Raft Building in a whole different light. So many creative little things pouring in!

The String light chandelier trick and the 1x1 pantry kitchen room with chests? Totally EPIC!
I even colour coded my chests in the pantry for added benefit

Thank you for creating this!

[EliSmasher1]

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[greenlionguard]

This somehow inspires me; It does open up possibilities.

[Bunzy!]

what about doors? sometimes a bland double door or single door even with plants feels bland

[BloonyHD]

I like

[Serg]

Beautiful, brings a tear to my eye.

[Grace]

This is a fantastic resource! Thank you for sharing your ideas!!!

[Grace]

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[Phile die Grille auf die 1]

no one likes to hear about the tipps

[Molroc]

dang thats good!