@Jude525, have you seen that site called Hooked on Houses? Tons of inspiration there. They also have the TV sitcom houses on there. I love that site. :)
In other news - I'm still working on fully furnishing the Hickory House. I've completed the second floor and am working on the first floor now, then the landscaping will be last so I won't have to deal with trees getting in the way ;). It's a challenge trying to decorate houses using only the base game selections (furniture, wallpaper, floor plants, etc.) yet it keeps things simpler to do and maybe even less time consuming. I can't seem to find a lot that I really like, but I want to keep my houses (for the exchange, anyway) limited to the base game only, as much as possible. I actually miss the exterior walls in Sims 1!!! Well, I will do the best I can to make Hickory House look at least attractive. ;)