EAxis House of Fail: August

[starlady]

Here is my addition to this month's house of fail remodel.

http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?asset_id=234188 <---Pictures
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=729997 <---Download

I'm not quite sure why it came up as different things. Probably because I am so unawesome.

Everyone's houses look *way* more awesome than mine, but then again, this is my first time participating in this. =p

Either way, I have all EPs/SPs, except Pets and FFS. Well... I have them, I just didn't install them on my computer. Also, please forgive the crappy/pixelated/blurry screenshots ... my graphics card isn't all that shiny.

[Yecats]

Thanks Jolrei, I try!

I have a book that I've spent hours and hours writing in - it's a 5mm quad book that I use to design sims houses.  Sounds Geeky, but it's what I do to pass the time.
The Other Half sits on the couch playing GTA, I sit at my computer designing, or in this case redesigning, houses.  It's a good way to pick up new techniques and colour schemes.

Until joining MATY I would never of thought to put babies in seperate rooms, or locking the kitchen/stairs, but having it in play makes a world of difference.

When I see lots from people like Witch and Emma, I know I have a long way to go in the decorating department!

PS: Seeing my name typed out is weird.  I'm not used to people inside Teh Interwebs calling me Stacey. 

[Annan]

So, my Road to Nowhere is now compact living for the small family, or for a DINK-couple planning on starting a family. It should be awesomespeced, except for the unlevel lot edges. Bummer. Price is §49 477 magic wanded.



Ground floor layout:


Upper floor layout:


The Impossible Former Entrance (new entrance to the right):


Kitchen:


Dining area, indoors:


Living room with caffeination station and study area:


The one desk, to the right is exit to outdoor eating area:



Built with all EPs and SPs except the holiday SP.

[keirra]

Looks great, Annan, can we have a download link?

[Annan]

Looks great, Annan, can we have a download link?

I knew I forgot something. Added to post.

[Emma]

Annan, very nice! I love how you've designed the roof.

[Goggalor]

Nice entries everyone.

Heh Annan, I also made a yellowish house with the old entrance glassed in, but with plants

It has 2 bedrooms + nursery and 3 bathrooms and costs §107,272.
All EP's, no stuff packs.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that the edges have been flattened with the lot adjuster.

Download




Front


Lounge


Old Entrance


Kitchen


Gamesroom

Floorplans:






More pics

[floopyboo]

Annann, I love the retro feel of this place. Nice colours & very open-plan considering the original.

[Zazazu]

Ugh. I'm currently cleaning my parents' computers (I'm thinking about enforcing an only-Firefox rule or taking their Internet away...some bad ass annoying adware and at least two other malwares that Panda is currently searching out...this happens every damned time I visit). Anyway, two things:

I put couches on diagonals all the time.  Pescado. All that happens is that they can walk through the couch. Sometimes it is worth the look.

I'm keeping that stupid gate and fence.

[Emma]

Funniest thing ever is when they ACR woohoo on diagonal couches

[Batelle]

This is my third attempt at redesigning a monthly EAxis House of Fail. The previous two were deleted during fits of petulance over EA's inability to make a complete matching set of anything, and this one nearly went the same way. On Friday night my sister asked me to design a house for when she gets a new computer that can run EP's beyond Pets, preferably one that has space for hobby and or crafty stuff. With that goal in mind, Erin Dreams (2.0) was finished.




Notes: This lot does have even edges.  I have everything and anything that EA has put out under Sims 2.  I always try to keep AwesomeSpecs in mind when I build, but I deviate.  I'm a boring interior designer who has a tendency to get repetitive (Exhibit A: The excess of pine in this house, Exhibit B: The identically designed bathrooms) and I apologize.  I did test with a family of 6- two adults, one teen, two kids and a toddler, and found it to be playable.  If the front gate and narrow-entrance door are locked to non-family, there are few routing issues.  I expect pile-ups when the kids get home from school, but I forgot to play that long.  Oops.

Second Floor: Master bedroom with attached bath, teen room with attached bath, two kids' rooms, freestanding bath, small craft room (you can have two people in there at the same time) and large deck.




First Floor: Sitting/reading area, two empty endtables for mail and/or thinking caps, the One Desk, full bath, small nursery, kitchen, separate dining area (only accessible through kitchen) and separate stairs room. 



Basement: Windows! Reading area, movie corner, poker room, hobby space with barre, radio and electric train.  Full bathroom with shower. Note: The awning on the deck obscures the back left corner if you play with walls up.



Yard: Driveway, garden area, open activity area, fenced in pool and seating area.  Some far-flung shrubberies, but nothing too excessive.


 

Furnished:  $84,959 (wanded down from about $150,000) DOWNLOAD
Unfurnished: $34,865 DOWNLOAD

[floopyboo]

Simple, elegant & warm.

Don't apologise for symmetry. Repeating a theme can be a good thing, and it's a very good idea if you want to keep your decorating simple.

One note - you may want to pull the model railroad away from the window so sims can access that side to add stuff on to it.

[Arina]

Goggalor, I love the arch-things on the side! I might steal that idea for a few of my own houses

[Alex]

Can I just ask how you get connecting stairs to go into a 3 tile space? I've yet to figure it out.

[Goggalor]

Batelle, I like that your house has a very "real home" feeling to it. Warm, like floopyboo said.

Can I just ask how you get connecting stairs to go into a 3 tile space? I've yet to figure it out.

It is possible with moveobjects on, but I don't know of any way to have a wall or fence at the end. I think I saw some EAxis house from the base game or some early EP that had it though.
Maybe it was a house in Pleasantville? I haven't had them in my game for ages so I can't remember though, sorry.

[Batelle]

Thanks for the compliments, guys.  The interior is based on my own house- pine walls in every room and a few brick accents.

One note - you may want to pull the model railroad away from the window so sims can access that side to add stuff on to it.

I knew that and I still kept pushing in back against the wall "for flow".    I hate when I miss stuff like that.

All the houses look great so far.  I'm partial to those who kept the lot "in the desert".  I love the modern design elements and use of stucco in Yecats, Emma, Goggalor and Annan's houses.  I'm definitely going to use Eleonora's house for one of my custom universities- besides being gorgeous, it matches the other buildings perfectly and it's a good size for a larger generation of Young Adults. 

[J. M. Pescado]

You should also be aware that the train set is highly flammable and prone to spontaneous combustion if used, so the room should contain fire protection.

[Alex]

Can I just ask how you get connecting stairs to go into a 3 tile space? I've yet to figure it out.

It is possible with moveobjects on, but I don't know of any way to have a wall or fence at the end. I think I saw some EAxis house from the base game or some early EP that had it though.
Maybe it was a house in Pleasantville? I haven't had them in my game for ages so I can't remember though, sorry.

The European Townhouse has it. I've always wondered how they managed to do it though. Oh well.

[Batelle]

You should also be aware that the train set is highly flammable and prone to spontaneous combustion if used, so the room should contain fire protection.

I guess that's more realistic than spontaneous combustion due to hot tubbing, but it's still ridiculous. 

[twooflower]

(click to see larger)
basement:

main floor:

upstairs:

living room:

master bedroom (in basement):

upstairs bedroom 1:

upstairs bedroom 2 facing toward balcony door:

kitchen:

dining room facing enclosed stairway:

dining room facing enclosed porch:


I fixed the non-level lot by building the house just like the original on a new, flat lot.  I decided to keep it in the desert, and although it isn't my favorite house, I thought it turned out well considering what it once was.  I tried to use awesomespecs, but I forgot to add the one desk.  I'm sure there is room to add one on the main floor somewhere. 

Lot details:

no custom content
§107K
3x2 lot
3-5 bedrooms
2.5 bathrooms
twin nurseries
enclosed porch
balcony
greenhouse
single garage
full "daylight" basement

I have all EPs through FreeTime, and I also have Family Fun and Celebration.   The Stuff Packs may not be needed (although I don't know) since I didn't use any objects from them. 

Download Here (1.3 MB)

[Zazazu]

I like what you did with the greenhouse. Different method for hooking it up to the house with a foundation involved.

[J. M. Pescado]

I guess that's more realistic than spontaneous combustion due to hot tubbing, but it's still ridiculous.

Well, the sims themselves don't combust in the case, just the trains. Maybe those tanker cars haul real gasoline.

[MaayaBee]

twooflower: I like the outdoor western feel of your house.
Annan I just love your house in general. It looks modern, but simple and not too cluttered.

Anyway, this month, I decided to keep it simple and cheap.

When I initially saw this house, I got serial killer vibes. So, I modified the house so that an evil genius/serial killer can maintain his pastime while giving the illusion of Joe Normal.


















For more pictures, check out the slideshow:


Unfortunately, this house was built before the flat-edged version was introduced therefore, be careful when placing in the neighborhood. The house costs a grand total of $70 276. I have all EPs up to Vacation and no SPs.

This house boasts 3.5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, dining/living, kitchen and entrance. Oh, yeah, it does not include the aspiration and career rewards that were pictured in the basement. Oh yeah, it doesn't include the rat nor the secret passage bookcase since I didn't make it.

[Count Four]

I decided to try this one because I've always hated that house, and I figured anything I did to it would have to be an improvement. 
This is nothing so cool as others have posted, and I didn't expand too much on the original size.  I'm no ball of fire on interior decor, but I did add a few things, and stuffed the old stupid entry way with plants and crap. This house is intended for a small family with no babies or toddlers.

Built with Uni, NL, GLS, OFB, SSNS. No custom content. I used the flat lot posted up-thread. $102,589.

http://www.box.net/shared/5ikhnh12cs

Features:
Southwestern-n-stucco theme.
Two bedrooms, three sinkless baths.
Visitor-access controllable kitchen, sleeping area and balcony. Balcony suitable for alien-ogling and peeping-tommery.
Animal defense barrier (for you Pets people) may also serve as visitor control barricade.
Basement rec room is visitor accessable.
The One Desk! (However, house is not recommended for families with more than two school-age spawn.)
Fish pond and starter garden (lack of greenhouse down to the fact that I am on dial up and the file was going to be big enough without it. DIY.)
Note lack of sinks! Sinks are irrelevant to the simish way of life! Shit-n-shower! You need no sink! (Counters available in upstairs toidies for your sink-adding convenience.)
Note lack of dish-washer/trash compactor. Don't waste valuable waste! Compost!

Exterior. Fence across old entry way leaves it 'outdoors', allowing more light into entry/living area.


First floor.

Second floor.

Basement rec room.


A couple shots of my lame interior decorating.





Sorry there are no detail shots of second floor rooms; getting half-way decent screen shots up there defeated me.

New .zip file added in place of first fubared .zip.

[Diala]

I seem to be having a problem downloading your lot, Count Four. The zip file doesn't seem to want to extract correctly. Perhaps reupload it?

Either way, it looks nice. There is a lot of improvement from the original.