Second Life can be expensive.

We do the same thing for the Sims, and most creators (like myself) give away the work we do for free. Which amounts to plenty of hours with low poly models in Milkshape. Plus you don't have to worry about walking on somebodies land and investing alot of time and money to get going.

Also the environmental impact of second life is terrible. All the energy they need to run their servers.

If you are looking for just design, and not interacting I would go the Sims route or even try your hand at Google Sketchup. From the picture I think our stuff (sims) looks better too.

I'm an artist using Second Life for a project, and the interactivity of the platform is pretty cool. There are definitely problems, but it's not better or worse than the Sims, just different.

I've built a ton of houses in SL as well - it's fun, fast and you can be incredibly creative.

whoa, I found the Mitchell Gold house just so amazingly BLAND, looks like a mid west "model-home"... anyone else think so? Surprisingly since I assumed any business owner in the furniture field would "kick it up a notch" for thier own place, I would have to say thier residence does not show thier product to its best advantage...

i also found the article focused way too much on their personal lives and not the home itself or their furniture business.

Mitchell Gold talks a huge game about being green, eco-responsible blahblahblah. THeir DC store leaves all its doors wide open all day long, and cranks the AC way up. You literally feel a gust of arctic air walking by. It was 102 degrees yesterday. I asked them if they could close their doors and they said no, it was "standard retail practice" and "more inviting" to leave them open. I know of no other store that does this and tried to write them an email but the site makes it hard to do (despite their triumphant statements about environmental responsibiltiy). I'm no treehuggger. I'm a realistic everyday guy who hates hypocrisy. Selling Al GOre's wife's photos does not make you an environmentally friendly company when you're needlessly and arrogantly pumping CFCs into the summer air in the hope it helps you sell an extra sectional. Dont believe the hype!!!

I agree completely with greeps comment above. Green is "in" and therefore used to sell ones product, despite often being completely the opposite.

i was disappointed in the two bedroom shots, the beds are sooo poorly made, and the sheet choice is all wrong.

i just looked again, and color choices of the whole house are pretty horrible. its a grandma color scheme, just updated. again, both rooms look terrible.

Midwestern model home? What could that possibly mean?

I suggest you all do a little homework on Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams before you start slamming their environmental responsibility (or *any* kind of responsibility), assuming you know why or how they practice what they preach (or how long they have indeed been practicing it. Hint: Long before any of us starting using "Green" and *not* meaning the Crayon).

Or start, perhaps, by listening to the interview Bob Williams gave to Apartment Therapy.

And if you want to bitch about the irresponsibility of what's going on in the DC store, complain to the DC store manager. Or write a letter to MG BW corporate.

Personally, I love these guys, what they do, how they design, and ALL the things they stand for. Even the designs shown here... they look like calm places to escape from a city that overwhelms. Not every designer designs for headlines or wow factor.

As far as the article being too set on their personal lives, um, I think that was the whole point of the article. It's an intersting story. How many STRAIGHT power couples can you point to that are happily co-inhabiting (even if taking turns) a pied-a-terre? OR even a Midwestern model home, for that matter.

Um, I did complain and was brushed off. I wasnt commenting on anything other than leaving doors wide open in 100 degree heat. Not sure if you're really trying to defend that or how listening to his AT interview will shed any light on it. I like their stuff as well, especially for the price, but that wasn't the point.

Um, you called them hypocrites, no? You said they are masquerading as environmentalists by parading Tipper Gore photos around, no?

Of course not defending the practice of ACing the great outdoors, but to use that example as a reason to bitch about the whole company's environmental stance is really rather unfair, imho.

You call them hypcrites for being green, and you don't know the hows or whys of what they base their standards on... that's why learning more about them might help you understand their company better, and why you'd see how the DC-doors Wide Open incident is perhaps an anomaly and not standard practice for the whole organization.

"Tried to write a letter but the site makes it hard." Huh.

...hypocrites *about* being green, I meant.

(and the ire was not pointed solely at you, greeps, but at Diedre88's comment as well.

hey lets get back to the bed, or the room, the poor color choices made by these gazillionaires.

Ok, gladly.

I don't agree with that, either.

And, I believe the proper term is "gazillionaire philanthropist human rights activists."