Which is the perfect kitchen in Second Life?

The design of a kitchen in Second Life varies depending on the purpose of use. For those who engage in roleplay activities, a kitchen equipped with multiple cooking interactions may be preferable. However, for those who are more interested in aesthetics and taking visually appealing snapshots, functionality may not be a top priority. Meanwhile, others may prioritize cost and prim usage above all else. What’s your preferred kitchen setup in Second Life?

With the recent launch of the Rosemary kitchen collaboration between Dust Bunny and Consignment, it’s a great opportunity to compare it to the Modern Farmhouse kitchen from Hive, which was originally released in May 2019 and received an update in June 2020.

Caution: This is a review and I will be scrutinizing the details. While Second Life may be considered a “game space” by some, it caters to diverse expectations, and I will be evaluating various aspects to cater to different Second Lifestyles.

My experience with Second Life kitchen sets

When it comes to kitchens in Second Life, I’ve used the {vespertine}small spaces kitchen, which is perfect for limited prim and space situations where functionality is not a top priority. Despite only receiving a 4-star rating, I think it deserves 5 stars.

Back in 2016, I purchased a MudHoney kitchen, but when I moved into the Palmview house from ROOST, it looked out of place in the large space. Eventually, I decided to purchase the ROOST kitchen that was made specifically for the Palmview house, and I was very satisfied with it. Although it lacks poses and functionality, it is low in prims and looks great. At the time, having a functional kitchen was not a priority for me.

Dust Bunny & Con Rosemary kitchen

My enthusiasm for the Dust Bunny & Con Rosemary kitchen was initially dampened when I arrived at the store and saw someone sitting on the island bench. Although a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, it struck me as unrealistic for someone to sit on a kitchen countertop like that. Nevertheless, I was still determined to check out the kitchen, particularly the fridge, which I considered to be the standout feature.

The cost of the Rosemary kitchen is 1400L per colour, with four colours to choose from: white, black, navy, and grey. Ultimately, I decided to go with the white version because it’s a versatile color that can match most house interiors. However, I had also seen a picture of the navy version on Flickr and it looked really impressive.

The decor pack for 500L was a bit disappointing, as I had hoped for a clear chart showing all the items included in the pack. It would have been helpful to know at a glance what I was getting. Nonetheless, I proceeded with the purchase and spent a total of 1900L on my new kitchen. Now, it was time to unpack it and see how it looked in my virtual home.

The decor pack has quite a lot in it as you can see below:

Lots of different shapes for cups and glasses by the look of things, but couldn’t be bothered to rezz everything.

When I opened the decor pack, I was surprised to find that it included stools. I had assumed they were part of the kitchen set. However, the stools use AVsitter 2.0, which may not be the latest version (currently, it’s up to 2.2). For those who prioritize having the latest AVsitter, this may be a consideration. Additionally, I found that the poses on the stools were not particularly useful as seats.

Can you explain why there is a ground floor rocking animation on a stool? It doesn’t make sense to me.

I often wonder how Second Life creators decide which poses to include in their furniture. Recently, I came across a piece by Scarlet Creative that left me scratching my head, and I tried a beach chair that didn’t have any poses suitable for lounging in the sun. Do creators just add poses for the sake of it? Personally, I would prefer a few useful poses over a bunch of irrelevant ones. What do you think?

How the Rosemary kitchen may look like once set up and decorated…

How amazing does this look?

The navy kitchen with black tiles looks amazing. It’s interesting how the combination of colors and textures can have an impact on our mood and motivation. Maybe the beautiful appliances will inspire you to whip up some delicious virtual treats in your new kitchen.

To be honest, I had my heart set on just buying the fridge alone, but let’s take a closer look at what comes in the entire pack.

Even though it’s self explanatory, having a picture chart makes thing easier.

I had hoped to utilize some of the items in my existing kitchen, particularly the fridge, but unfortunately, it is integrated with the cabinet, as is everything else. Additionally, I had hoped to use the kitchen island, but it only comes with a sink option. Considering that there are two cabinets with sinks, I find it strange that there is no plain island option available.

The sound of the dishwasher and oven doors bothered me as they come with a door sound, which is the same as when a door or window opens and closes. I always have sound on in Second Life, and it was bizarre to hear the same sound with kitchen appliances. Unless you need to take a picture with the dishwasher door open, or for role-playing, I don’t see why you need it opened at all, and there are no animations, so it would be easy to remove the script and sound. If the creators had to add a sound, they could have used an appropriate one. Also, there is a fitted microwave with no functionality.

It came as a surprise to me that Dust Bunny sells each color of the Rosemary kitchen set separately, unlike other sets like the laundry set which comes with a HUD to change colors and other details. However, considering that it’s a collaboration, it may be more profitable for them to sell each color individually instead of including a HUD.

Second Life Modern Farmhouse kitchen and Cozy kitchen from Hive store

The Modern Farmhouse kitchen is priced at 1375L and offers four color options as well as various countertops to choose from. On the other hand, the Cozy kitchen only comes in one color and costs 750L, but it also offers different countertop options. As indicated by the display, the Cozy kitchen is designed for smaller spaces, but I had no trouble using the Modern Farmhouse kitchen in cramped areas.

In this photo, I used a kitchen island from YourDreams. Although YD has some great furniture, the high prim count often makes it impractical for most settings.

The dishwasher in the Hive Cozy kitchen is static, meaning it cannot be opened, and it only takes up one prim as compared to the five-prims unit from Dust Bunny & Con. Both Hive kitchens offer two versions of the fridge, one with animations and the other without. The static fridge in the Cozy kitchen is three prims, while the full version is five prims. In the Modern Farmhouse kitchen, the fridge is fitted with the cabinet, and the full version is seven prims, while the static version is five prims. On the other hand, the Dust Bunny & Con fridge is 11 prims and lacks animations.

The Hive kitchens offer a wide range of animations, and you can choose between the adult and PG versions. In contrast, the Rosemary kitchen has a limited selection of animations, some of which are unrelated to cooking, offering a mix of adult and PG options.

To clear up any confusion, I inquired about the differences between AVsitter versions from the owner of Hive. She informed me that while they are uncertain about version 1.29, any version from 2.0 and onwards does not have any differences for the user.

I also inquired about how challenging it was to assign names to the poses, as sometimes they are named using random or descriptive terms while other times, they are identified with numbers.

She replied, “I used to name poses, but the buttons are quite small, and attempting to name each pose uniquely while also describing the pose becomes confusing after a while.”

She continued, “I recently released a dining table set at an event and named the dining poses to signify whether you are going to eat a meal or drink something. Therefore, it varies depending on the item, and I like to switch things up.”

According to TheHiveStore, the recent update for the Farmhouse kitchen aimed to improve the scripting and reduce lag and bulk. The result was a significant decrease in land impact, to the point where some cabinets actually went down in LI.

This is especially helpful since I have nine Hive kitchens rezzed in my rental houses, although it might be a tedious task to replace all of them with the updated version.

Regarding kitchen decorations, Hive doesn’t offer a dedicated kitchen pack, but you can discover various kitchen-related items scattered throughout their store.

In conclusion, which is the perfect kitchen in Second Life?

After comparing different aspects of the Hive and Dust Bunny & Conn kitchens, it can be concluded that the perfect kitchen in Second Life depends on individual preferences and needs. For those who prioritize prims and cost, Hive kitchens offer better value and a range of kitchen-related poses for roleplay. On the other hand, Dust Bunny & Conn kitchens are aesthetically pleasing and ideal for photography, but require more prims. Although the price of Dust Bunny & Conn kitchen may seem expensive, the creators have been transparent about the cost being split between two collaborators due to it being a collab. Ultimately, the perfect kitchen depends on the user’s priorities and requirements.

Regarding the time it takes to create furniture in Second Life, I don’t have any specific information, but perhaps SL creators can share their insights in the comments below. During a conversation with Hive about poses, she mentioned that “the more poses you add, the more tedious it is to set up. Setting up ~100 poses recently took me over 12 hours, but it gives customers more options.”

In the end, it all comes down to the value of time, whether it’s in Second Life or Real Life. Creating anything takes time, and for many Second Life creators, it’s a full-time job. Ultimately, it’s up to each creator to determine their pricing and offerings as there are no set rules. As Second Life consumers, the best we can do is provide feedback, though it may not always be well-received.

While the Dust Bunny & Con Rosemary kitchen is undeniably stunning, and I personally have enough prims available, the Hive kitchens better fit my requirements. However, what about you? Which kitchen suits your needs and preferences?

Additionally, it’s worth noting that there are other brands in Second Life offering kitchen designs aside from Dust Bunny & Con and Hive. Recently, there has been an influx of new furniture creators, each with their own unique style and offerings. If you have a favorite kitchen brand, I would love to hear about it.

What are your thoughts on the value of kitchen decor in Second Life? Do you prefer kitchens with more poses and animations, or do you prioritize lower prim count and cost? Let us know in the comments. Please feel free to share links and provide some details on why you like it or why you would recommend it. 

Wishing you a wonderful time in Second Life and take care!