This tutorial will show you how to make the house, which you can then decorate as you wish. There are tutorials for all of the furnishings in this home, and you will find them all here.

Because there are so many items needed to furnish the house, I've tried to make the tutorials relatively easy so you'll be able to get through them all.

Paint Shop Pro. I used version 7.04 but if you are familiar with PSP, you should be able to convert the tutorial without problems. You can download the latest PSP version demo here.

My selection files. Place these in your PSP selections folder (or any location of your choice).

My seamless fill tiles.

A rug for the floor (I've included one in psp format for you).

You may download all of my materials here.

My color chart. Right click on this and save to your computer.

Optional: Alien Skin Xenofex 1 (you can do this tutorial without this filter - I used it to make the clouds in the windows).

Step 1. Open a new image 600 x 600, white background.

Open up the color chart you saved. Copy and paste it as a new layer onto your canvas. Move to the top out of your way. When you need a color, just click on it with your dropper tool.

Step 2. Add a new layer. Load the "01house" selection (go to selections>load from disk - then navigate to the location where you placed your selection files). Flood fill with color #1.

Float the selection (go to selections>select all>selections>float; OR, you can hit "Ctrl+F" on your keyboard).

Set your background color to #2 (you're doing this so it will show up in your recent colors list when you apply a cutout). Apply a cutout using the settings in the screenshot, using color #2 as your shadow color. Just right click on the shadow color box and it'll show up in your recent colors list.

Repeat the cutout, but change the vertical and horizontal to -3.

 

Step 3. Repeat step 2 above for selection 2.

Step 4. Hide your background layer and color chart layer, and merge visible layers. Name this layer "house." All layers you add from this point forward will go underneath the house layer. Turn all your layers back on.

Step 5. Add a new layer and place it underneath the house layer. Choose your selection tool, rectangle. Draw a shape at the bottom for the floor, making it approximately the same size as mine. Flood fill with "01housefill" - set the scale to 40 and the angle to 0.

Step 6. Add a new layer. Place it underneath the house layer. With your selection tool, draw another rectangle for the wall. Flood fill with "02housefill" - set the scale to 80%.

Step 7. Add a new layer, place it underneath the house layer. Draw another rectangular shape, similar to mine. Flood fill with "02housefill." Float the selection (Ctrl+F). Apply a cutout, same settings as you used before.

Step 8. Add a new layer. Draw another shape similar to mine. Flood fill with "02housefill." Float the selection. Apply cutout, same as before.

Your house should look similar to mine, don't worry if it isn't exact.

Step 9. Add a new layer. Load selection 3. Flood fill with "03housefill" - scale 30%. Float the selection. Set your background color to color #3. Apply a cutout, same settings as before (use color #3 as the shadow color).

Step 10. Add a new layer. Load selection 4. Flood fill with black. Keep selected.

Step 11. Add a new layer. Choose your airbrush, using the settings in the screen shot. Set your foreground color to #1 and spray on some color similar to mine.

 

Step 12. Choose your retouch tool, smudge brush, and use the settings in the screenshot. Smudge the colors around a bit to give it some depth.

 

Step 13. Add a new layer (place it on top of the last layer). With your selection tool (set on rectangle), draw a shape at the bottom of your fireplace. Flood fill with "03housefill" (set scale to 30%). Float the selection. Apply a cutout, same settings as before.

Step 14. Add a new layer, and place it on top of your fireplace layer. With your selection tool, draw a shape similar to mine at the top of your fireplace. Flood fill with "05housefill."

Apply an inner bevel, using the settings in the screenshot.

 

Step 15. Add a new layer and place it on top of the fireplace layer (name it divider 1). With your selection tool, draw a long rectangle similar to mine. Flood fill with "05housefill" and apply an inner bevel, same settings as before.

Duplicate this layer (name it divider 2) and place it underneath the fireplace, positioning it similar to mine.

Step 16. Add a new layer. Place it on top of divider 2 but underneath divider 1. Draw a rectanglular shape similar to mine. Flood fill with "01housefill" - scale at 40%.

Step 17. Choose your deformation tool. Hold your shift key down and move the upper right corner of the shape in just a bit.

Step 18. Add a new layer and place it on top of the last layer. Load selection 4. Flood fill with "05house fill" - scale 70%. Apply an inner bevel, same settings as before.

Step 19. Add a new layer. Place it on top of the last layer. Load selection 6. Flood fill with "05house fill" - scale 70%. Apply an inner bevel, same settings as before.

Step 20. Add a new layer. Load selection 20. Flood fill with "05housefill" - scale 70%. Apply inner bevel as before. Duplicate this layer and move it alongside.

Step 21. Add a new layer. Place it underneath the divider 1 layer and the top floor layers. It should be on top of divider 2. Load selection 8. Flood fill with "05housefill" - scale 70%. Apply an inner bevel, same settings as before.

Step 22. Add a new layer. Load selection 9. Flood fill with "05housefill" - scale 70%. Apply an inner bevel, same as before.

Step 23. Make your top floor layer active. Choose your selection tool, rectangle, and draw a small shape right where the stairs come up. Hit the delete key on your keyboard. Float (Ctrl+F). Apply a cutout, using the same settings as earlier.

Step 24. Hide all layers except the two windows. Merge visible. Make your other layers visible again. With the windows layer active, choose your magic wand (tolerance about 50, feather not checked). Click inside each pane. Expand by 2 (go to selections>modify>expand). Add a new layer and place it underneath your windows layer. Flood fill with color #4.

If you have Xenofex 1, open the little fluffy clouds setting and use the settings in the screenshot (shadow color is #5). If you don't have Xenofex, you can make clouds by applying a cloud tube (one comes with PSP), or you can spray some of color #5 with your airbrush and smudge.

 

Step 25. Now go back over things and see if anything needs tweaking - now's the time to do that. When you're satisfied with your creation, delete the color chart, hide the "house" layer and the background layer. Merge visible layers. Save as psp format.

Note: You're saving it with three layers intact (the background, the inside merged layer, and the house outline layer). You're doing this because when you decorate, you'll need to place things underneath the house outline layer.

Step 26. I've gone ahead and added some firewood and a rug to the house. When you're decorating it, always place items in between the merged layer and the house layer.

To add the firewood, just add a new layer. Load selection 10. Flood fill with "06housefill" (scale 120 angle 0). I didn't do, but if you wish, you can apply a cutout (use color #6 as your shadow color, and use 1 for horizontal and vertical).

Step 27. I also added a rug. It's in the materials you downloaded, if you would like to use it. Open it up, copy it, and paste it as a new layer onto your house canvas.

You'll need to change the perspective a bit. Position your rug where you want it. Then choose the Interactive deformation tool. While holding your shift key down, pull out the bottom a bit, similar to mine.

Now your house is ready for more decorating. You can continue on with the other tutorials in this series. I've worked with the image at full size and then when everything is in place, resize everything down to what you want.

Also, when you're done decorating, be sure to save a master psp file with all of your layers intact. That way you can go back later and rearrange and redecorate if you wish.

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial, and as always, please let me know if you experience any problems.