Check out this Animal Crossing New Horizons (ACNH) guide for island ideas! Get inspiration for island (town) design, design tips, & learn how to transform your island layout!!
Table of Contents
| Helpful Articles For Island Design | |
|---|---|
 Custom Design Guide | QR Code Maker Tool |
| Path & Floor Designs | Sign Board Designs |
| Island Layouts Guide | Island Name Guide |
Island Designs - Where To Begin?
Recommended Places To Build In Your Town
So, you want to do something more with your island - that's great! But, maybe you're at a loss for where to start, or maybe you're just lacking the proper inspiration to get you started on a new design adventure. If you're looking for ideas on what else you could add to your island, we recommend building two very basic sections first: A Residential District and an Orchard.
Make A Residential District
A Residential District is essentially an area where you place the houses of all your villagers. Concentrating all residences in one area is a good way to stimulate your island's social scene - it will probably increase your likelihood of talking to your neighbors! This is also a relatively quick process, so we recommend this for those not sure of what to do next on their island.
▼Check out more info on Residential Districts belowSet Up An Orchard
An Orchard can be a location where you plant or relocate tons of fruit trees for easy harvesting access. This process makes your fruit gathering far more efficient, and is visually quite appealing to boot! All you need to do this is fruit trees, making it a very easy task to jump into as a beginner.
▼Check out more info on Orchards belowResidential District Design Idea
Easily Keep Track Of Your Villagers
Placing all of your villager houses in one centralized area will reduce your movement time and ultimately make your daily conversation routine much smoother!
Check Out Our Residential District Building GuideOrchard Design Idea
Easy & Efficient Fruit Gathering
Creating an Orchard will make your life a lot easier when it comes to gathering fruit! Never again will you ask yourself "wait, where was that pear tree again?" - everything will be neatly concentrated in one area. If you sometimes forget to pick fruit from your trees, this method may actually also effectively end up making you more money!
Check Out Our Orchard Building GuideQuarry/Rock Garden Design Idea
Efficient Stone Gathering Spot
A quarry is simply a place for you to place your island's 6 rocks for easy and efficient gathering! And that's not all - you can actually also cause your island's fossils to spawn in this location too, which will no doubt impact your Museum progress!
> How To Make A Quarry/Rock GardenSet The Location Of Trees And Bottles
Aside from rocks and fossils, it's actually also possible to fix the location of trees and message bottles! Since you can get furniture and DIY recipes from these, this can also seriously improve your efficiency. Note that these methods take a bit of time, however.
> How To Set The Location Of Trees
> How To Set The Location Of Bottles
Japanese Themed Island Design
Japanese "Zen" Town
A fan of eastern architecture? Well, as it turns out New Horizons is chock full of Japanese-style furniture and clothes, which means if you put your mind to it you can create a wonderful "Zen" paradise!
Check Out Our Japanese Town Design GuideFlower Field
Flower Bed/Flower Garden
Keeping all your flowers in one neat little area not only has the aesthetic advantage of making your island look stylish, but it also lets you catch bugs that spawn on flowers much easier! Consider making one for your island!
Check Out Our Flower Field GuideBathhouse Design
How To Build A Hot Spring
Speaking of Japanese-inspired designs, how about creating a bathhouse for your island's residents to relax after a hard day of ... well they might not exactly work but they'll surely appreciate a good hot spring!
Check Out Our Hot Spring Guide HereStreet Market Design
A Lively Street Stall District
Another idea is to create a road on your island and line it with tons of colorful street vendors! You can customize stalls to your liking and place small objects on the stalls to make your town look like it has a booming economy!
Check Our Street Stall Market GuideTropical Island Resort
Vacation Resort Getaway
It's true that you're already on a "vacation" of sorts, but why not make a getaway within a getaway and create a tropical resort area somewhere on your island? Decorate the area with palm trees, hang hammocks, and have easy access to the beach for a perfect recreational area!
Check Out Our Tropical Resort Guide HereOutdoor Cafe
Have A Drink And Relax
Why not set up a cozy cafe where your villagers can congregate to gossip over fancy espressos? An outdoor cafe might be just what your island needs!
Check Out Our Cafe Guide HerePark/Playground Design
A Spot For All To Play
If you're lacking recreational spots on your island, it might be worth setting up a small park! Set up some equipment, a jungle gym, or maybe a sandbox and add a family-friendly aura to your island!
Check Out Our Park/Playground GuideMedieval Castle
Fortify Your Island
Want to make your island a more medieval looking place? You've already got king-like authority so you might as well make yourself a castle! Set up an entrance to your castle - you can also choose to make yourself a Daimyo and build up a cool Japanese style castle too!
Check Out Our Castle GuideTheme Park
Add A Little Amusement To Your Island
Although there is certainly a lack of theme park rides such as Roller Coasters and Ferris Wheels, you can still put together an awesome smaller scale amusement park using existing furniture!
Check Out Our Theme Park GuideWedding Hall Design
Get Married In-Game!
June is the official Wedding Season Month, so you might as well use all the Wedding-related Furniture you're getting to make a wedding hall on your island! Then, invite a friend to your island and have your own ceremony!
Check Out Our Wedding Hall GuidePond Designs
Add Some Splash To Your Island
If you feel your island is lacking in blue, why not add some ponds? You can make them in different ways - you have heart-shaped ponds, clover shaped, crescent shaped, and more!
Check Out Our Pond Design GuideBeach Area Designs
Feel The Summer Heat
Can't feel the summer heat? Create a beach area so you can swim and interact with your friends and villagers with this summer themed ideas.
Check Out Our Beach Design GuideSummer Festival Designs
Experience A Japanese Matsuri
Celebrate the hot summer by creating a Japanese-style festival in your island. Make use of Stalls and fences to create a huge festival Turret that will surely be a great photo spot in your island.
Check Out Our Summer Festival GuideIsland Design Tips
Plan Out The Structure First
Island design is a large undertaking - it's important to get a mental picture of your island's structure first before starting. Try drawing it on a piece of paper in front of you - plan exactly where you'll move all important facilities first!
Get Inspiration From Others
There are heaps of people out there also making unique islands of their own. The best way to get ideas on what to do is to browse social media or forums for design ideas. When you see something you'd like to try, or a custom design you'd like to use, go for it! However, we encourage you to be respectful with how you use the designs of others!
Island Design Related Articles
| Custom Design & QR Codes | |
|---|---|
| How To Use The Custom Design Tool | |
| Path & Floor Designs | Sign Board Designs |
| QR Code Maker Tool | |
| Other Related Links | |
|---|---|
| Tree Repositioning | Beach Bottle Spawns |
| Best Island Layout | Island Designer Tool |
| How To Make Waterfalls | House Customization |
| List Of All Furniture | List Of All Fences |
