Home Sweet Home in the Sky

I don't know if it's because they're low on cost and prims while also being high on design and creativity or if it's because there's just something wonderful about having a house FLOATING IN THE SKY, but whatever the reason, my love for skyboxes is boundless. My inventory is littered with them, some found in hunts, some purchased, some group gifts, even some constructed by clever friends. I've often considered the possibility of acquiring additional real estate in SL just to have a place to rez my skyboxes; it pains me deeply that so many beautiful ones are gathering dust in my inventory.

Though I've seldom met a skybox that I didn't like, there are some that I simply adore. The most recent is a new release from A:S:S called Aeon.

The floor-to-ceiling windows are perfect for gazing out at the never-ending blue, while the wooden floors and walls suggest the cozy warmth of a well-loved cottage.



Equally and oppositely amazing is the Blizzard skybox from A:S:S. It's not a new release, but is still available in the shop and offers a gorgeously chilly space, all bluish-white and dripping in icicles.

What I like about the A:S:S skyboxes is how incredibly beautiful they are on the inside; like most skyboxes, the key feature isn't how they look from the outside, which is often a deceptively simple box.
My other favourite skyboxes, however, could be used as homes on the ground because they are just as interesting on the outside as they are within.

I lived in Starwind's Bronze skybox for most of a year, having set it up inside an orb that allowed me to change the outside scenery on a whim. The huge wall of windows isn't exactly made for landscape viewing (the rough industrial texture blocks some of the details) but provides its own visual interest, inside and out.

I've never had a chance to properly settle into my other Starwind fave, called Dusty, though I think it would be a great little home. It has a neat sort of Japanese/industrial/beachy flavor to it that I've always liked, and it even has sliding doors upstairs and downstairs so you can come and go freely if it's used on the ground.

As I was preparing this post, I received the newest group gift from A:S:S, the Dandy skybox.

It's a stunning loft-type build of aged bricks and heavy wooden beams, combined with sun-drenched plank floors and huge windows. If there weren't enough good reasons to join the A:S:S update group, the Dandy skybox would surely tip the balance.

The Starwind skyboxes are made by Fleetwind Soulstar and are only available on Marketplace. Fleetwind's builds are few, but each one is lovely and the price can't be beat.

The A:S:S skyboxes are available in-world, in a special section of Photos Nikolaidis' store where you can temporarily rez each one and explore it before making your decision. Like everything else Pho makes, all of his skyboxes (and there are about three dozen to choose from) are gorgeously textured and wonderfully imaginative and shockingly affordable.