Professional Tips: Building

This guide will be the first series of a guide to help new & Experienced players of Terraria, in this Guide i will be focusing on ways to improve building. If you have any suggestions for other Guides Leave your comments below, and i might take to help you and others! :)

The Right Choice's

First of all.

You should never mix Random Objects together not knowing if it would look good or not. If you do it can lead to extremely ugly Building's Or just People hating you or something. Always test Blocks to see if they work & fit together,this way You will never be building something with A blindfold. You should never build with-out knowing what you want, if you want to build a castle picture That castle in your mind. This can help A'lot when building because you will have a clear Image on what you want.
You always want to look for combinations.
About anything can work if done right (Exceptions to ebonsand....)Try some!

For instance

Don't go out randomly picking This yellow block & This blue block

Build examples together Like background walls,floors.
Add some "Style" To your buildings don't just make dirt cubes!



Stone slabs for background walls & Basements/steps

Nebula Block fragments for Carpets

List of Working combinations (Thus far found)

Stone slabs, Boreal wood

Mythril bricks, Pearlwood

Rich mahgony Walls, Dynasty wood

 Titan stone, Spooky wood

 Adamantite beams,Basic wood

 Standalones
These are blocks that are Good enough to work on their own.
 Dynasty wood

 Stone slabs

 Sunplate

Boreal wood for normal "Above line next to the floor background walls" (I.e Stone slabs laced on the walls next to the floor above that windows & Boreal wood)
The floor is made up of Boreal wood Nebula fragments And stone slabs respectively.
For instance

-DO NOT BUILD Like-



-More like this-

Combined blocks.

This section will contain Blocks that can be combined to make a better product.

Think your base could use a bit of scheme touch? This shall help you do that. This section will contain a ton of cominbinations.

Primary block	Secondary block(s)
Boreal wood	Stone slabs,Stardust Fragment blocks,Iridescent brick
Pearl wood	Stone slabs,Nebula or Vortex fragment blocks,Pearlsand bricks
Stone slabs	Spike blocks,Grey stuccto blocks,Stone bricks,
Sunplate	Cogs,Pearlwood,Any Fragment block.
Iridescent bricks	Spooky wood,Mudstone,Titanstone
Basic wood	Basic stone,Stone Slabs,Stone bricks,Bricks
Dynasty wood	Blue shingles,Rich mahagony, Red Shingles
Ebonwood	Iridescent bricks, Ebonsand bricks,Purple team blocks, Purple team platforms
Pearlsand bricks	Chlorophyte blocks,Blue team blocks,Blue Stardust fragments/Vortex Fragments.
Dungeon bricks	Ebony wood [PINK], Rich Mahgony [GREEN] Pearlwood [BLUE]
Palm wood	Ebonsand bricks,Pearlsand Bricks,Crimsand Bricks
Crystal block	Water,Pearlsand bricks, Ebonsand bricks, Blue shingles (painted purple), Ebonwood

The Area

Depending on what you want to build

You are going to want to have the right area. Even though this section is purely opinion, It may help others always choose the right area If you want to build a castle Built it on flat ground
If you want to make a dam build it near a large pool of water
Most of these are self-explanatory.
But you should ALWAYS have the right locations & Designs sometimes I'll try to build a boat but run into the sand or I'll make a castle but there's a mountain in my way, That's why you should always know the right Locations To build (And how large it will be)
You aren't limited to the ground either, You can build floating islands, space ships, Much much more! Get thinking Make your world YOUR world!


For instance

This tower Takes up 36 blocks, Make sure you have the 36 blocks flattened out to build it in!

Area

[FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT LIKE MATH, OR DO NOT WANT TO SOLVE MATH DO NOT READ THIS SECTION ONLY FOR PRECISE BUILDERS]
If you wish to build a tower like this, Make sure you have 36 blocks Flattened out, AND Make sure how high you want it to go
So if you want it to be 45 blocks high, Build a temporary wall to 45 blocks, (Make sure to increase it by atleast 5 blocks if you plan to add a roof)

This will Require A BIT OF math to do
So i want to build a tower 45 blocks high, and 36 blocks wide.
This would be 36 by 45. Which is effective to lead up to 1,620 Total blocks (Counting walls)
This is the area of my tower. But this formla is NOT done yet.
Now take your 1,620 blocks and divide it by 2 That means We know we need 810 blocks for the backwalls,and now what is 36 +45, Thats 891.

We need 891 Total blocks of location to build this.
So we will take 891 blocks, and divide it into 45, 19.8 Since it is not a full block, and we cannot use non-full blocks, We will round up.(Which is 20 blocks) So with a Centered mass of around 20.
We need then to take 20, Then add 36 to it. In total, Our center of this tower is 56 Blocks.
Now you are done!.
So something like this

NOTE: / In math = Divide keep that in mind.
(36 x 45 / 2 = ?)
+
(36 + 45 = ?)
\
(891 / 45 = ?)
___________
(20 + 36 = ?) That would be the formula

Location

You Never want to be left with a unfinished due to lack of space/a interferance

Also don't wrongly place things, Floating islands you build in the sky Should have clouds of Snow & Rain, and basic Placed respectivly.
But do not worry if your dream location is in the Wrong biome, Punch out 8 - 12 blocks of the surface.
Then replace those with the biome you wish to build it. If you REALLY want to detail it, change the underground too <Reminder to self to make my main world have an actual underground desert>

So you want a boat? That probably best would go in a ocean.
You want a space ship or a floating base - well, This one is too obvious.
You want a snowy house? This best goes in your snow biome.
Don't build a Snowy winter themed house in the middle of a desert, That makes no sense at all!
And NEVER and i repeat NEVER Build buildings that don't make sense in where they are.
A Boat DOESN'T belong in the center of the world.






Want a snowy island. Get snow and ice blocks, Replace what you wish to have as ponds with ice, and what you want as basic ground as snow.
And place an EXTRA layer of snow and hammer it once.
This will add a unique look to your buildings!

Building

Now that you know what & Where you want to build, You now need to build it!

You should Always add a shape to your building For a biller instead of a 1 wide pillar, add a curved bottom or top to it!
This is simple due to all you having to-do is place 3 blocks under it your 1 wide pillar or 5 blocks under 3 wide pillar, or just whatever floats your boat!
Windows
Windows are one of your most simple but most detailed things in a building all you need is sand, and a furnace for windows You can make then arched,square,triangle,Angled Much much more!
But they'll Improve it and look good!

Details

Putting living leaf walls on fences adds for a nice detail as it looks good and feels good
Using planked walls to outline inner walls is also a good way to detail
Putting books on platforms or using any type of furniture can add a nice feel to a cottage or castle
Banners and Beam's. Banners can make a good feel for any house and bridge they look good and help with battling monster's. Using Beam's as Supports for houses can make the house stand out .It Looks Good With Most Thing's using it as a support in or out of the house

A list of details that work together

 Rich mahongy fences + Flowery grass walls
 A small layer of snow that is hammered down to make it look like more snow is building up, But also being dealt with.
If an objects is supposed to be destoryed by something, Make it look like this
If the roof fell in, make the fallen in roof appear on one of the (next) Floors down.
 If you want a overgrown looking house, Put dirt and some vinerope inside, Make it look like it is actually overgrown. Not just Look some vines!
 NEVER Build the wrong decorations in the wrong places. For instance, a Overgrown house best fits in the jungle or your normal biome. Not in the snow biome
If you want a house to look as if it is "Abandon", add some vines grass walls, and some things here and there to make it look so. 

Pixel art

Don't be simple
Think good for pixel art, Pixel art can range from being a Character,an OC, A Building Anything
Or a message!
[This section is Stub, Improve it.]

Acessories, tools, other nifty things.

So, you once again, have plans for your supreme house, but short building range, or that solar eclipse you never finished will get in the way?

Well, there are paticular tools and acessories useful for such a circumstance.

Item	What it does
Rod of Discord	It'll allow you to navigate your building eaiser, which can allow you to work faster, or avoid certain threats.
Living leaf/Living wood/Living Mahagony/LH leaf wands	Pretty obvious, but using living leaf (Mahagony or not) with acutators can allow you to make background trees that can add a really nice enviroment around your house.
Paint tools	Obvious as to why, these are always nifty, and useful.
Brick Layer	Obvious why, longer range
Architect Gizmo Pack	Really handy gadjet, made at Tinker's workshop from the 4 other building acessories,I suggest getting it.
Paint Sprayer	While I most of the time disable it, I suggest getting it anyway, as it can save tons of time when making painted structures.
Extendo Grip	Again, Range increase
Portable Cement Mixer	It'll increase your wall placement speed, but still highly useful.
Grand Design	Now this was obvious, easy to wire with, easy to actuate with, overall an easy to use, obtain, and make it worth the effort out of.
Summoner Armour & Weapons	Don't wanna kill that pesky harpy yourself, or too intent on finishing? Let your minions do it, you can keep working, and your minions can do it for you.
Wings/Flight mount	Need I say anything? Do remember, these are hardmode only (Except the Bee mount) so do ensure you can obtain them for your project, before you start.

Plots,Inspiration,Meshing,Improving

Those old houses.

Have any old big towers/cube wood houses?
Well this is how to improve off of them!

First off lets start by adding fences & Garden planets to them Lets add a few lamp post/Lights to the outside (not basic torches, those are ugly)
Now lets add a roof to it, a few balconys Some windows & some stick-offs.
Next up after you feel the outside is done, Lets move into the interior.
Instead of basic furniture & Walls
Replace the very bottom walls with slabs/ Any bricks/stones
Next up add some windows.
Now, Rearrange the furniture to look better
For instance, Scoot those chairs closer to the tables, Put that work bench by the couch.
Add a book shelf here and there.
Now add platforms (Preferably one that ISN'T the same material as the back wall) to the back wall around, add Bottles,books,Candles and other things to it, Replace those old torches with lamps,lanterns, And much more! Get crazy!
Add vases,and For peace sakes! Replace those ol' Doors
Now your old ugly cube/Tower is now a Great house!
Example:
This used to be a ugly cube, I added roofs added interior & Exterior decorations to make it better.

Another example

Improvements

So that house you built.

Like that house you built? But still feel it needs to be improved? Decorate it more!
Use paints,Furniture,Platforms to create even more Designs, Putting a platform in the top corners of a room & Hammering it so it is a staircase Then lacing the underside of the roof with platforms will improve alot!

Also use slopes!
Here is an example of slopes being used.

Story Improving houses

Have a great house already?

If your house is better, And won't improve off of any previous steps. Try this!
Add lore & Story to your houses
Make a bit of special light shine to them. Explain How, Why, and What it is/for

For instance, Say you build a castle
Explain it as "The Royalty of the land lives here"
Or "A few survivors of decades live here"
This Will heavily improve the house idea.

NPCS Improvement

Your house is As best as you can make it? No more improvments Furniture or story wise?

Well, If this is the case Time to bring some lively hood to those houses.
Add NPCS That will Fit in with the style.


For instance

The Dye trader Should go in a desert or Vibrant room.

Guide Can go about anywhere.

The mechanic would fit into any shop/ Car shop/ a basic house Or a factory

There are so many ways you can improve with this.

[Carbonated Poop Water]

Don't build high in the sky or in space. If you do, you well get destroyed by wyverns once you reach hardmode

[Caliđa Myriad]

Terraria is a game best taken at your own pace - so if you ever feel yourself anticipating a refurbishing or rennovation, it's a good idea to do one!

[soot]

I have a question, when should I start thinking about refurbishing my house? Is there a certain point where you've progressed enough to start thinking about it?

[mustangsevdalisi_38]

I always use stone bricks and normal wood for classic houses. It gives an old classic medieval look.

[sol]

for pink dungeon bricks use some spooky wood instead of ebonwood if you're past plantera

[Caliđa Myriad]

NPC happiness is fickle, but also an interesting mechanic.
Curse the angler though! He belongs in an arid enivornment with his least favourite friends!

[Spike_Bop]

me builds a underdesert golf hole
me is happy
my steam and cyborg are not but okay (not rlly)

[Festive-Waters]

another good idea on the wrecked ship idea, would be a crashed flying dutchmen. since they are ships albeit enemy ships that fly over land, a crashed one would make even more sense then a ship carried out onto the shore by a natural disaster.

[Caliđa Myriad]

Aye, I'll see what I can do and if I can spare some time to make a new guide. A really good youtuber to check out for building is Khaios in the mean time.

[Calliope]

Honestly agree, would probably be smarter to just make a new guide and label this one as outdated.