Every adventurer needs a base of operations – especially when your game features carry weight, like Skyrim.
When you’re just starting out, you can make do with the slightly cramped but cozy Breezehome. But after you’ve ended the war, saved the world, and accumulated some heavy bags of Septims, you’ll be looking for an upgrade.
Proudspire Manor in the capital city of Solitude is the most upscale residence you can get in Skyrim – and also the most expensive.
If you have the money to invest in Solitude real estate, surely you have enough to conduct some renovations, and there’s no better way to go about it that installing some mods.
Well-educated ladies and gentlemen of Solitude knows the secret to a rich and harmonious interior décor is finding suitable paintings to hang around your home.
The original Proudspire Manor was notoriously lacking in this regard, which is to be expected of a pre-furnished home.
After all, there’s no way to predict the artistic sensibilities of the new lord/lady of the manor.
Paintings for Proudspire Manor by Mharlek1 fills in the gaps with several attractive images depicting flowers, artistic nudes, and scenes of chivalry and glory representative of Imperial values.
Nature paintings are a fantastic way to bring some natural beauty into your stone-walled home, but there’s another convenient way to enjoy nature at home: a nice tea break on your own terrace garden.
The vanilla game features a drab and boring porch, but thanks to this mod by AuraCrimson, you can add some flower planters, candles, and other small details that make it more relaxing.
Once you’ve bought both the porch and kitchen upgrades, you’ll have access to a beautiful exterior space where you can dabble in some gardening or sit down with a friend to enjoy some Honningbrew Mead.
An alternative take on the porch garden concept can be found here.
I’ve always had a bone to pick with the fact that, as a vampire, I often have to sleep in a regular bed in my own home because nobody thought to add a coffin for the pale, clearly vampire-eyed owner.
Proudspire Crypt by Guabuellaitor upgrades Proudspire Manor into a worthy vampire abode by adding a secret crypt.
Here, you and Serana can finally get a good day’s sleep without the risk of your servants unknowingly opening the windows to let some light in and inflicting third-degree burns.
The general image most outsiders have of Solitude is that of a stuck-up bourgeois society that loves to lounge around in their lavish homes without lifting a finger to work.
We know that’s not true of everyone in Solitude – but as the Dragonborn who saved the land from Alduin and his terrible dragon underlings, I think you’ve earned some leisurely time in a luxurious home.
The Burgeoise Apartment Remodel by Boringviln makes Proudspire Manor the perfect place for a socialite Thane of Haafingar to relax, read books, and maybe hit a little moon sugar before heading back out to meet other important people.
Suppose you’re a man of the people with no interest in owning a high-class home in the most cosmopolitan city in Skyrim.
In that case, you’d be better off demolishing the entire manor and replacing it with a lively market, thanks to this mod by Mnikjorn.
A trip to this beautiful marketplace can feel like heading to the local Farmer’s Market in some big city for overpriced produce and hipster points.
It’s a fresh and friendly space where you can find anything from sweets to toys for kids. It’s a far cry from the gray and frankly sad marketplaces of Whiterun and Riften.
Creator Cynndal offers us their take on Proudspire Manor, featuring many practical expansions and more enjoyable lounging spaces for your wealthy Solitude family.
Some useful expansions include crafting stations like a cookpot, an oven, and an alchemy lab.
There’s also plenty of storage, a bathtub, and enough space for up to six kids with the Hearthfire Multiple Adoptions mod.
What I like the most about this home is how the furniture is arranged in a somewhat homely manner without completely throwing away the luxurious aspect of Proudspire.
Have you ever felt like Proudspire Manor is a little too expensive for what you get?
Sure, housing prices are affected by location – but 25,000 Septims?
That’s five times what Breezehome costs! And the internal area really isn’t that much bigger…
Simple Proudspire Improvements by Featherstone aims to make the house look worthy of its price tag with minor additions and adjustments to make it more homely and enjoyable.
Some of the changes include cookery tools like an oven and butter churn, new alchemy and enchanting facilities, and basic smithing equipment to keep your weapons in tip-top shape.
You’ll also notice a nicer bed for your housecarl Jordis and two extra rooms for the rest of your followers. You can add up to four children’s beds for your Hearthfire Multiple Adoptions kids.
Another delicate remodel of Proudspire Manor comes from accomplished creator Anduniel, modder of Anna’s Breezehome and Anna’s Honeyside.
Like their other mods, this Anna’s Proudside Manor adds functionality and style without messing with the house’s core aesthetic.
You can expect to find a ton of new storage – making this an ideal player base – and a fully equipped bathroom for extra realism. Townsfolk might favor an outdoors latrine and bathing in the river, but Solitude lords and ladies would definitely have a bathroom.
The mod also includes a fresh new take on the porch.
It’s not the most elegant placing of planters, but it’s definitely nicer than vanilla.
Where other mods often try to make Proudspire more homey, DoxMAZz doubles down on the idea of a wealthy household.
Every shelf is packed with valuables, and the interior décor makes it look like the interior designer earned their Septims fairly.
You’ll notice a lot more potted plants inside the house, which make it feel fresh and less isolating.
The main hall and kitchen received some of the biggest changes, including an improved bar counter, trophy pedestals, and an all-new alchemy lab.
The main bedroom and the children’s chambers have also been redesigned with a lot more clutter to make them look realistic, including armor mannequins, weapon racks, and bookshelves.
Proudspire Manor TNG by Goatk is easily the most well-known remodel for this opulent Solitude home.
This mod has been around since 2013 when it was released for Skyrim Legendary Edition. The audience’s love for this overhaul made a Special Edition conversion inevitable.
Where the original home can sometimes feel a bit empty, this remodel is packed to the brim with storage and exhibition space – my favorite being the weapon racks on the chandelier over the enchanting table. Simply badass!
Like several other mods on this list, Proudspire Manor TNF can support extra beds for multiple adopted children – you just have to install a little patch.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
