The Big Purchase

Buckle up kiddos, this is going to be a long one.

In the last post we talked about some of the prep to help with purchasing an SL home. For my workspace, I've decided on a skybox. So now that I've decided on this, I need to find one. Now, if you've done any shopping inworld or on the Marketplace, you know how freaking overwhelming this can be. 

Personally, I'll usually go out to the Marketplace to start, and to help narrow things down I'll put in the style I want. Even still, if you type in, say..."Modern", you're going to get a ton of results. You can start to narrow it down by going to Buildings and Other Structures -> Other Structures -> Sky Boxes, do 96 items per page, and sort by your criteria. If L$ is a constraint, set your range, then you can sort by "Newest First", so you can see the latest and greatest. Or if quality is important, you can sort by "Rating: High to Low". 

When you see one that looks promising, see if they list good details, like the dimensions, the Land Impact, and whether it's available to view inworld. Trust me, that last item is important. You're going to want to see it, walk through it, and determine if it's really what you want before you buy. What may look perfect in the listing, can end up being a dud once you're inside it. If it seems to fit everything you want, add it as a favorite, and keep going. 

Once you have your list of favorites, start checking them out inworld. I'm not going to lie...this can be a slog. For my skybox for this project, I went to countless stores, often more than once, nit-picking everything. Can I afford it? Does it have the space I need? Will it fit? Can I manage a higher LI for the one I want? Are the textures good? Now, you might not be that exacting, and that's fine. But I'm a picky bitch, and want it perfect. 

For my skybox, I wanted "Parisian". My home right now is VERY modern, and I enjoy a contrast, so I wanted this skybox to be the opposite. A little worn and shabby, but still classic and elegant. I had some that already fit the bill, but they were either too large, too new looking, or too small. I had to find my Goldilocks skybox, so shopping I went.

Below is a list of the skyboxes I toured/own, and at the end, the one I finally chose. 

Apple Fall Parisian Skybox - Beautiful, as all Apple Fall stuff is, but too small.
Apple Fall - West Village Belgravia Skybox - Peeked at this while at Apple Fall, but it too was too small. BUT IT'S GORGEOUS. 
Apple Fall - London Apartment - And one from Apple Fall that I already own, and while a favorite, it's just far too big. 
BA - Paris Loft Skybox - One from Barnesworth Anubis that I considered, but in the end was just a bit small.
BA - Paris Penthouse: Deluxe Suite - This skybox from Barnesworth Anubis is one that I have, and while it AMAZING, it was just far too large. But seriously. If you want the ultimate Paris penthouse, this one I highly recommend.
Trompe Loeil Margaux Skybox - Gorgeous, but too small. But ask me how many Trompe Loeil houses I have. (The answer is OH SO MANY.) 
NG-Designs - Life in Provence Skyloft - This one from NG Designs was cute with the outdoor terrace, but it just wasn't quite what I was looking for. 
Milk Motion - Paris Haussmann Apartment - Gorgeous skybox from Milk Motion, but too high in L$ an LI. 
Diamandis - Parisian Apartment Skybox - A pretty little skybox from Diamandis that was, alas, too little for me. (A new to me store, with really great skyboxes!)
Vespertine - Spring Rainy Days Skybox - I actually already own this skybox from Vespertine, and while I love it dearly, it was just a little too cramped. 
Tarte - Primrose Skybox - From Tarte...very pretty, but just didn't strike me.
Tarte - Autumn Attic Skybox - And another from Tarte...this one was actually one of my finalists, but I ended up not wanting an attic-y look, so I passed on it.

AND THE WINNAH IS...
Varonis - Lueur Skybox - From Varonis, a store I'd never heard of before, but OMG, their work is incredible. This apartment is nearly perfect, and I fell in love with it the second I landed inside of it. The LI is a bit high, but I can work around that. (Their other apartments are also incredible, so I highly recommend checking out their selection.)

What did I tell you?? I looked at A LOT of shops, and A LOT of skyboxes to find just the one I wanted. 

Sticking some pictures below of the new place. I'm so excited to get started on it, but that will be in the next post, as this one has gone on entirely too long.