Originally posted by Kzar:

Originally posted by knighttemplar1960:

I pretty much suck at making my buildings aesthetically pleasing. I was an engineer before I retired not an architect (so they are extremely functional rather than pretty). My solution is to find a nice spot to build and then thumb through some images of nice looking buildings/houses and try to build a close approximation with the tools available (at least on the outside) with maybe a bit of my own personal flair placed here and there.

That has satisfied my desire for aesthetics enough to go forward with. Perhaps it can work for you.

Same, i tend to make all of my buildings squares or rectangles. Interior design can vary, but they're all geometrically perfect (Or as much as i can afford it).
Except for my first house. It sucks, and it looks like a pile of straw, and it's just a wide open space, and it's full of chests on the wall, and it has an overhang for chimney. But i still love it.

I hear you. Actual viking construction wasn't really aesthetically pleasing and much of what you mention mirrors their own buildings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzmI-JmX_ME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXp_C99yEMo