5 top tips for using partition walls, counters and pillars to bring a room to life in Happy Home Paradise

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise brought with it all kinds of exciting new tools for budding interior designers. The addition of partition walls, counters, and pillars in particular mean that indoor creations can be even more inventive and impressive. That furniture menu combined with an empty room can get intimidating though, so if you’re looking for some hints as to how to make the most of these new features, look no further. We’ve taken a look at some of the best Happy Home Paradise creations from across the community to bring together some essential tips and tricks for creating dream vacation homes.    

1. Be divisive

The addition of partitions means endless variety and some impressive illusions but, before we get onto those, let’s celebrate the very basic partition function of being able to split up a larger room into smaller ones. As you can see above, @StarryMynx on Twitter has made Chabwick a perfect home impressively separated into various cosy areas. Each partition being themed to the wall it’s placed against means that the hygge theme continues across the smokehouse kitchen to the living room and bedroom. If you’re inspired to do the same thing, remember to add hanging lights to each dedicated room to make each one feel like a separate living space. And while you can’t add accent flooring in the same way as walls, that’s exactly what rugs are for. Place them correctly and they’ll make perfect carpets for each individual room.    

2. Use accent walls and partitions as balconies 

fyi_you_can_turn_those_otherwise_typically_tacky from r/AnimalCrossing

Now onto the exciting stuff. Sahara has been selling us mysterious walls that end up being beautiful landscapes since Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched but it’s sometimes been hard to accessorise these correctly in our homes. Now though we can use these bold visuals as accent walls and then build the rest of the room around them. Trix_Rabbit on Reddit has the right idea and has created a zen hut with an inviting beach view of the open sea using partitions to create a balcony. With a partition on either side and a well-placed rug nfo a wooden balcony effect, this now looks like we could just step out onto the hot sand for a quick dip. Complete the look by heading into the lighting menu and setting the colour and intensity to the right atmosphere.    

3. Pillars for outdoor areas 

Pillars can also be used to great effect for creating outdoor seating areas for cafes or open cabins. As you can see above, @Tropikitch on Twitter has absolutely mastered the illusion. Keeping the floor and walls rustic and natural means that Angus’ watery retreat is a dream home by the sea. The addition of vehicles with the new update means that ‘outside’ can be more convincing than ever as we bring yachts, tractors, or even cars inside to create these effects. And if you were wondering what the separator is on the porch, that’s a Safety Railing which was one of the many new items that arrived with the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 update. Don’t forget too that if you’ve perfected the inside of your Happy Home Paradise vacation retreats, you can also organise the outside. Once you’ve unlocked all of your own items by finishing Happy Home Paradise, it’s especially satisfying to go back and theme everyone’s gardens too. 

4. Get counter productive 

The two different sizes of counter that arrived with Happy Home Paradise make brilliant additions to your cafe and restaurant facilities, but have so many different uses. @Magicee_Maria on Twitter has created a beautiful little bookshop for Molly using both sizes of counter and the unlockable further customisation options. Each one has been themed to the same brick effect and wood colour and make a striking addition layered in front of each other. With pillars on both sides, these counters look incredible and like a different piece of furniture entirely. Whether you’re displaying merchandise for sale or just want to show off a collection of Gyroids, counters make an essential addition to your vacationers homes. Always remember to head into the customisation options too to make them suit your design. You can either do this in the menu before placing an item or highlight a placed item and then press X to change the colours and patterns.    

5. Use pillars as features 

Finally, remember that pillars aren’t just there for balcony illusions, they can also be used to add depth to walls and as features in their own right. @Wiltedroots on Twitter shows this off expertly above with this cosy natural bedroom. The hanging vines and floral patterned walls deliver a real outdoor feel, and the pillar adds a rustic brick texture to complete the look. The different colours of wood really make the bedroom feel natural as there’s a distinct visual direction but nothing matches too perfectly. Add in the hanging plants and flowers and this room is an ideal Happy Home Paradise retreat for any vacationing villager looking for some peace. Remember, just like custom counters, to unlock more than just the wooden pillar, you’ll need to top up Niko’s Materials Box at the main office.