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Decoration Guide - Version 8 vs Version 9
Mar 29, 2026, 06:01 AM
Converted 4 bullet list(s) to tables
Apr 4, 2026, 10:43 AM
Add wikilinks to table cells (3 new links)
11Overview22Starsand Island features a deep decoration system with roughly 1,000 decorative items spanning multiple visual themes. You can customize your home inside and out, paint walls and building pieces, place furniture with fine-grained control, and even save your own layouts for quick setup. This guide covers everything you need to know about decorating your property, from unlocking the build mode to sourcing furniture sets and mastering placement controls.44Unlocking Build Mode66Build mode unlocks early in the game after completing the tutorial with Solara. Once unlocked, press C on PC (or the equivalent button on controller) while standing on your property to open the Build Menu. You can only enter build mode while standing inside your owned land boundaries.88Three Placement Modes1111The building system uses three camera modes, each suited to a different scale of work:1313ModeCameraBest ForFree-view BuildingOverhead cameraDesigning homes, placing walls, doors, roofs, foundations, stairs, and outdoor structures. Building pieces snap together. Supports batch-select and batch-demolish.Character PerspectiveFirst/third-personDecorating interior and exterior spaces at a personal scale. Placing furniture, hanging wall items, arranging rooms.Local ViewClose-up cameraDecorating small spaces like fishtanks, aquariums, tabletop displays, and shelf arrangements.1515Switch between modes using the camera toggle button in the build menu. Each mode has its strengths; use free-view for structural work and character perspective for fine-tuning room interiors.1616Building Pieces vs. Decorations1818There are two categories of items in the build menu, and they work differently:2020TypePre-Crafting Required?How It WorksBuilding Pieces (walls, floors, roofs, stairs, fences)NoMaterials are consumed directly when you place the piece. No need to craft ahead of time.Decorations and FurnitureYesMust be crafted at a Worktable or purchased from a shop before you can place them.2222Building pieces can be resized after placement using large yellow arrows that appear on the piece. Many blocks, walls, and roof sections are resizable, giving you fine control over your home's dimensions. Non-decoration items like tools, food, or miscellaneous objects can also be placed as decorations.2323Placement Controls2525When placing items in build mode, you have several controls available:2727ActionDetailsRotateScroll wheel (PC) or bumper buttons (controller). Items can be rotated in any direction.Grid snapItems snap to a grid by default for clean alignment. Toggle free placement for more precise positioning.Allow overlapEnable this option in build settings to stack items on top of each other. Useful for creative combinations like placing a campfire on a flower bed.DemolishRemove placed items and building pieces. Demolished furniture returns to your storage.Batch operationsIn free-view mode, select multiple pieces to move or demolish entire sections at once.2929Painting and Textures3030The paint system lets you customize the appearance of building pieces after placement. Click the paint icon at the bottom of the build menu to access the color and texture selector. You can paint walls, floors, roofs, and other structural pieces with any available color or texture.3232Colors and textures are applied per-piece, so you can mix and match throughout your house.Painting is free once you have the materials placed. There is no additional cost to change colors.Exterior and interior surfaces can be painted independently.3434Where to Get Furniture3636Furniture and decorations come from seven main sources. Most pieces require a blueprint before you can craft them at a Worktable, though some are sold as finished items ready to place.3838SourceDescriptionCurrencyLex WoodworksPrimary furniture shop in Starsand Town. Sells blueprints, finished pieces, decorations, and Glowing Shell Exchange exclusives. Open 8 AM to 10 PM.Coins / Glowing ShellsGacha MachineLocated at Chrono Arcade (Loren's shop). Random furniture drops among crafting materials. 20 tokens per pull.Arcade TokensIsland Life MilestonesProgression rewards from the Island Life app. Completing milestones (Home Builder, Bright Star, etc.) unlocks furniture.Free (progression)Drift BottlesWashed up on beaches. Open for random furniture blueprints and items.Free (random)FestivalsSeasonal events with exclusive themed furniture.Event currencyExplorationTreasure chests scattered around the island and in the Moonlit Forest contain blueprints. Some are chest-exclusive.Free (looting)DLC PacksOptional packs like the Forest Cabin Furniture DLC and Classic European Furniture DLC add themed sets.Real money4040Furniture Sets4141Furniture in Starsand Island is organized into themed sets. Collecting all pieces within a set gives your home a cohesive visual style. You can also mix and match pieces from different sets.4343Set NamePiecesMain SourcesSylvan Home50Collection Album, Exploration, Lex Woodworks, Completing Requests, Starsand ManualRhythm Charm39Lex's Showroom, Lex WoodworksMillenium Eve30Island Life, Gacha Machine, Lex Woodworks, Exploration, Drift BottleMeow Hacker14Starsand ManualSmith Workshop9Exploration, Island LifeRemote Work6Island Life, ExplorationPineapple Set6Various sourcesCloud Mousse5Exploration, Gacha Machine, Beach Festival4545See the All Furniture List for a complete catalog of every furniture piece, its set, and where to obtain it.4646Furniture Categories4848The build menu organizes placeable items into categories for easy browsing. These categories appear as icons at the bottom of the screen when you enter build mode:5050CategoryItemsSeatingChairs, sofas, benches, stoolsTablesDining tables, desks, side tables, countersStorageChests, wardrobes, shelves, cabinetsLightingLamps, lanterns, ceiling lights, candlesWall DecorPaintings, clocks, shelves, mirrorsBedsSingle beds, double beds, bunk bedsOutdoorFences, flower pots, garden furniture, path stonesPlantsFlower bundles using collected flowers, potted plantsProductionCrafting stations, processing equipment, animal housing5252Layouts5353Layouts are pre-made house designs that come fully furnished. They let you place an entire house with interior decoration in one step, and they can be customized afterward.5555Unlocking Layouts5757Layouts become available after reaching Island Pro status by completing these milestones:5959Place 6 furniture pieces in your starter houseCollect 2,000 CoinsMeet 10 islandersReach Junior rank in any professionComplete 5 Bulletin Board requests6161Placing a Layout6363Layouts are purchased from Lex Woodworks (Alex's shop) in Starsand Town. To place one:6565Acquire land through the Island Life appEnter build mode on a cleared plotSelect the layout from the bottom menuPosition and align carefully; look for green boundaries indicating proper fitPress place to build instantly6868The layout spans the entire plot area, so any existing building pieces or remnants must be cleared before placement. After placing a layout, you can dismantle unwanted furniture (it goes to storage), rearrange pieces, enable overlap to add items, and save your modified version as a new custom layout.7070Pre-Built Layout Options7272Several pre-built layouts are available, each with a distinct visual style:7474LayoutStyleIncludesCountryside HavenCottage / ruralBeehives, gardens, cottage-style rooms with rustic furnitureRetreatModern / minimalModern living spaces with clean lines and contemporary furnitureClassic CourtyardTraditional / elegantTraditional design with full furniture sets, courtyard area7676Each layout comes pre-equipped with a kitchen, living areas, bedrooms, and outdoor elements. Additional layouts may be added in future updates.7777Preset house templates7979For players who would rather skip designing from scratch, there are eight pre-designed house layouts available, including a "Floating Oasis" houseboat that comes with a water slide. Selecting a template shows all the materials needed upfront, along with matching decoration sets. Templates can be placed as-is or modified after placement.8181Properties and Build Areas8383You have four potential build areas on the island, each unlocking through Island Life progression:8585PropertyUnlock RequirementCharacterHopelandAvailable from the start (tutorial)Default homeCloudrest LakeHome Builder rank in Island LifeLakeside propertyBlue BeachBright Star rank in Island LifeBeachfront propertyWindflute IslandStarsand Legend rank in Island LifeOffshore island property8787All land plots within each property are identical in size with no gameplay advantages between locations. The choice is purely aesthetic. Land purchases are permanent with no refund.8888Day/night preview9090While in build mode, you can adjust the in-game time to preview how your decorations and paint choices look under different lighting. Scroll through the full day/night cycle, from midnight to dawn to sunset, to check how sunlight and moonlight affect color and shadow. Weather conditions can also be changed in the preview.9292Decoration Tips9494Spacing and Aesthetics9696Leave breathing room between furniture pieces. A cluttered layout reduces visual appeal.Group related items together: crafting stations in a workshop area, cooking equipment in a kitchen zone, and relaxation furniture in a living room.Use wall decorations (paintings, shelves, clocks) to fill empty walls and add personality.The flower section lets you place bundles using flowers you have collected. This is one of the easiest ways to beautify your farm and yard.9898Functional Placement100100Place crafting stations near storage chests for efficient material access.Position your bed near the door for quick mornings. You wake up next to your bed each day.Production facilities (Furnace, Loom, Separator) can be placed outdoors to save interior space.Animal housing and feeders should be placed in a dedicated ranching area on your property.102102Style Consistency104104Stick to one furniture set per room for a cohesive look. The Sylvan Home set (50 pieces) offers the most variety.Use the paint system to match building piece colors to your furniture theme.Exterior decorations (fences, path stones, flower pots) help define outdoor zones and pathways.106106Decoration Achievements108108Three achievements are tied directly to furniture and decoration:110110AchievementRequirementNot Empty WallsCraft 10 furniture piecesNot a Shabby RoomPlace 50 unique furniture items in your homeRenovated HomeUnlock 100 unique furniture pieces112112To reach 100 unique pieces for Renovated Home, make sure to check all seven furniture sources regularly. The Gacha Machine at Chrono Arcade is particularly useful since it drops furniture pieces not available elsewhere.113113DLC Furniture115115Optional DLC packs add themed furniture sets that are not available in the base game:117117DLC PackDescriptionForest Cabin Furniture DLCSeven Sylvan Cabin furniture items and their blueprints. Rustic woodland theme.Classic European Furniture DLCClassical furniture set with intricate details and a sophisticated color palette. Castle-inspired aesthetic. Also includes the Elegant Formal Outfit and Pumpkin Carriage vehicle.Chinese New Year Furniture DLCSeasonal themed furniture for traditional celebrations.119119Known issues (Early Access)120120As of the February 2026 Early Access launch, a few decoration-related issues have been reported by players:122122Paint occasionally vanishes from walls, reverting them to a default stone slab look. Repainting fixes it.Grass can grow through flagstone flooring when placing house layouts. A concrete layer underneath prevents this. The developers confirmed that automatic ground clearing is planned for a future patch.Fence pieces sometimes display visual gaps or seams between segments.Deleting placed pieces does not refund materials. Double-check placement before committing to large builds.124124Related Articles126126ItemDescriptionBuildingfull building system guideAll Furniture Listcomplete furniture catalogFurniture Craftingcrafting details and materialsDecoration and Paint Systempaint system detailsBlueprintsblueprint sources and categoriesPlayer Farm and Homesteadproperty overview
