Decided to start building in baby steps...

Your makeover of the Magic Realm looks great! 🙂It is great that are adding items from EBN pack to the lot, splitting up areas, making more space and changing things around.

I also have a slight itch to get into building. I think I'll build off of existing lots to try get the feel of it until I have my own vision. 

Yeah, building seems much different to Sims 3 with more features and not the same tricks as before.

Starting with existing lots or pre-existing rooms, seems like a good start :D

Study Laboratory 1 with bathroom. (Study Laboratory just means containing both two bookshelves and a cauldron to optimize Spellcaster traffic)

Study Laboratory 2

Study Laboratory 3 with bathroom

Kitchen optimized but of course unless you use a sit at table mod, Sims eat where ever X /

Kitchen is more centralized. Now L. Faba barely has to move from fridge -> stove -> counter -> sink (or whomever else is cooking). I also added planters near the space outside the kitchen to prevent dueling near the outside garbage (but it still happens a bit) XD

The B2 room has been place in the attic with two bathrooms.

The outdoor patio library has been made into a botany area.

Central room has been made into a more lounge area.

One thing that annoys me is Sages (especially Morgyn) don't hang out on the second floor patio since renovations. Though a Sage can go there, they don't seem to stay in their usual areas. That is one reason I removed L. Faba's basement area, she stopped hanging out there. But keeping Sages on the same floor is helpful when looking for them.

The build looks great! 🙂The design of the kitchen and dining area is very nice and the study laboratories are great for working on spells. It is good that you have turned the library patio into a botany area. The furnishing and layout of each area is lovely,