Eaxis House of Fail Makeover Challenge

[Roux]

My makeover seems a bit pedestrian after seeing some of the more inventive and elaborate ideas already submitted. It's moderately AwesomeSpec, but not to the letter. I didn't expand the house very much; just added a garage, enclosed part of the back right corner and added space upstairs like many others have done. I changed the exterior to a combo of two stucco tones and used one of the red tile roofs. The landscaping is generally desert/palms, and although the house is shown on lush terrain, I think it would look best on desert terrain. Definitely the most challenging part for me was dealing with those stupid-ass extra chimney walls on the third level.

190 Sim Lane Makeover by Roux
3 BR / 4 BA with garage, pool and greenhouse
Price: 78,481 (depreciated with Magic Wand)
All expansions and stuff packs through K&B installed, with the exception of Teen Style

Click pictures to enlarge, and/or click here to view slideshow with even MOAR pictures.
To download, click here.

Overview: front view; back view; ground floor layout; first floor layout.
Front perimeter fencing provided. Note use of annoying fake chimney for a two-story window above the back door. Kitchen and stairway lockable. Dining room contains caffeination station (front left corner), post-serving counter, and is large enough to add a buffet table for parties (move corner plant). Plenty of room in the yard to expand the greenhouse and add a pond for nature-loving types, place large career rewards, or hold outdoor parties. First floor could be further expanded by using the roof area over the garage.


Ground floor: entryway; living room; dining room; kitchen; bath.
Entryway contains the phone (in the little cubby behind the stairs) and The One Desk. In the living room, I moved the fireplace and used that area for the back door. I've done better living rooms, but it should flow without major traffic jams. The dining room has plenty of seating and room to navigate. Kitchen is neutral with one accenting wall with a backsplash.


First floor bedrooms: master; second; nursery.
I added a stage and plants below the 2-story window in the master bedroom. In both master and second bedrooms, a bedside lamp could be removed and replaced with Sleep Clock. The nursery is not AwesomeSpec, but in a pinch (OMGTWINZ!!11oneeleventyone!) it could hold two cribs and a changing table, and a fridge could go in the hallway. Then upon aging to toddlers, I'd convert the second bedroom into a playroom.


First floor baths: all three of them.



My personal favorite part of the house is the dining room: I really like the contrast of the whitewashed floorboards, purpley walls, and green accents.

With CC, I'd use a modified version of the stairs that are open underneath and store the Lot Debugger, Lot Sync Timer and Macrotastics launcher in the stairwell. This lot was not playtested, but my biggest area of concern is stairwell traffic flow... I prefer landings to be at least 2x2, so there might be some hiccups.

[Night Racer]

OOO ROUX!  that is full of win :O i'm so downloading that 

[Hecubus]

Pedestrian, nothing. That's great! Well me, Roux.

[keirra]

I really like your version, Roux.  You did a great job.

[cwieberdink]

Roux, that is gorgeous!  I can't wait to see these all in the game.

[leaths]

Roux, I adore that house. It's going to look great in my desert neighborhood.

[Cimaronna]

Rohina, lovely work! I love all of the space available! Especially appreciated is the "tribute" to colorblind decorators everywhere! *Cimaronna snatched another one*

Roux, I don't think "pedestrian" applies, here. Wonderful job! *and another*

(Edit) To grab off houses 

[Roux]

Well, it just looked so normal in comparison to Hecubus's and Rohina's! Thanks, everyone. I love house makeover challenges, but I work so slowly on building/decorating that I end up past the deadline and then never submit. So, yay me for finally getting off my butt and entering for once.

I'm about to go on a downloading spree here, meself, and will probably also end up with a 190 Sim Lane neighborhood. So many great houses! Too many to comment on all of them, but I can't wait to see these all in my game.

[gethane]

Excellent work Roux! I loved your colorful bathrooms.

*click download link*

Can't wait to see it in game.

[jennydeenyc]

I've downloaded most of these, and am indeed setting up a Pleasantview with mostly 190 Sim Lane variations :-)

After I installed the clean neighborhood templates, I started over by putting 5 sims through Uni, they're staying as roomies in witch's Luxury Lodgings until they figure out who to settle down with - or at least get knocked-up by. The first rule is, no babies born @ the Luxury Lodgings! I've already got one of my brave new recolonizers set up with her wife in Emma's v.1 makeover, with an adorable toddler and another baby on the way. So far, the lot has played beautifully, and I can't wait to try the others out! Now, if only I weren't so lazy I'd take more pictures of my new breed of Pleasantview-ians for your P&L amusements...

So laaaaazy....

[Emma]

Yay! I've plonked mine in my n'hood, but still have to move sims in. I'm glad it plays well

[witch]

And I've actually, finally, started my makeover. I've got the outside done, all the wallpapers and I'm onto floors. Haven't even started furnishing it yet but tomorrow night's Friday night. Yay! I can play as long as I want and my homework's done for now. In fact I'll go and take a couple of teaser shots for you now.

I was going to make a modern house but every choice I made seemed to push me toward old-fashioned. So it turned out very differently to the way I had it planned.

[Cimaronna]

That's more than just a teaser. It's almost cruel!  Can't wait to see/grab it!

[witch]

Yeah, well, I've just realised I've disqualified myself.  I forgot the exterior wall rule, I didn't change the shape (much), except to widen the bay windows at the front, but I did remove that godawful chimney. I just couldn't live with it! Oh well, I like the house so much I can't wait to play it, so it's not all in vain.

It's taken me about 4-5 hours so far. I was reminded of a poster here once who reckoned he could build and furnish a decent house in a couple of hours. I said bollocks then and I say bollocks now. I reckon just furnishing it will be another couple of hours in addition to the time already spent.

This is probably the part of the sims game I like the most.

[Emma]

Oh, I can't wait to download that witch!

[cwieberdink]

I want it too Witch, even disqualified!

[Cimaronna]

Yeah, well, I've just realised I've disqualified myself.  I forgot the exterior wall rule, I didn't change the shape (much), except to widen the bay windows at the front, but I did remove that godawful chimney. I just couldn't live with it! Oh well, I like the house so much I can't wait to play it, so it's not all in vain.

It's taken me about 4-5 hours so far. I was reminded of a poster here once who reckoned he could build and furnish a decent house in a couple of hours. I said bollocks then and I say bollocks now. I reckon just furnishing it will be another couple of hours in addition to the time already spent.

This is probably the part of the sims game I like the most.

Oops! I'll be glad to get it all the same, though. That chimney! I hear you! I can't imagine why the thing is a whole story above the rest of the house but it's a tried and true pain fur sure! *adding the chimney to Pet Peeves thread  * Either that guy is a master builder or a consummate liar. Doing this with Maxiscrap* takes twice the time, in my opinion.

*All one word is intentional as it seems so appropriate.

[Roux]

Gethane, thank you for the compliment... I have downloaded more than a few of your Maxis-only houses and they've really helped me pick up ideas to expand my decorating palette.

Witch, that looks lovely so far. I made the exterior walls a really bright color as I was building so I would not accidentally change or delete them. I agree with your comment about the time it takes to build and furnish a house. Maybe a quick slap-dab job can be done in an hour, but I spent a good portion of 2 days working on my house. Between some bad starts, making build tweaks as I began furnishing it, and then decorating and redecorating the rooms, it just took time.

[Zazazu]

That chimney! I hear you! I can't imagine why the thing is a whole story above the rest of the house but it's a tried and true pain fur sure! *adding the chimney to Pet Peeves thread  *

I surround chimneys quite a lot, but never that high, and never four squares wide. What the hell? It looks like someone stacked a bunch of life-size legos at the back of the house because they had some left over in the kit and didn't know what to do with them.

[jennydeenyc]

Ooh, forgot to mention that I did have to rotate the shower in the master bedroom's en suite bathroom in Emma's v.1 house so that sims could use it. Apparently the towel bar adjacent to the "entry tile" keeps sims from being able to get in. I opted to rotate the shower rather than lose the towel bar entirely. Stupid EAxis! *shakes fist*

EDIT: Also forgot to mention the lack of lighting in the upstairs hall and kids rooms. Simply fixed to be sure, otherwise though, the actual house layout works really well for my little family :-)

[witch]

I made the exterior walls a really bright color as I was building so I would not accidentally change or delete them.

Huh! Wish I'd thought of that! 

It was only after I posted the pictures, when I went back through the thread to look at all the other lots, that I remembered the external wall rule. I've been doing a few Maxis renovations lately and when I got into the flow - hur, the Zone - I forgot everything else.

BTW I've been meaning to ask, what filesharing sites would you recommend? 4Shared, my current, recently wiped a number of houses and witch sim, merely because I hadn't logged in for a month. I don't like the ones that make people jump through hoops to get the files.

Another of my projects has been writing a website to display all my downloads, but broken computers and too much work have ground that to a halt for the time being.

[Yecats]

For some reason, my first post never worked.


I didn't go overboard with my house - kept it simple because my computer is struggling with all the expansions.
No stuff packs.

2 kids rooms, 1 master room.
kitchen with lockable door, living room/dining/study is all open plan.
visitor bathroom downstairs and two bathrooms upstairs.

The pool isn't very usable in the way of slides or diving boards, but it's long enough that it'll raise body points.
Entertainment area is there generally as a way of filling gaps.

Pictures!

Outside of the house, pool side.


Entertainment area - basket ball hoop, bbq, fire, swing, etc.


Ground floor.  it's very open-plan, with closed off kitchen to stop hungry guests.


Top floor.  3 bedrooms with bathrooms.

It's not the most impressive, but it's small, simple and you can't really *lose* a sim in it.

[Emma]

Ooh, forgot to mention that I did have to rotate the shower in the master bedroom's en suite bathroom in Emma's v.1 house so that sims could use it. Apparently the towel bar adjacent to the "entry tile" keeps sims from being able to get in. I opted to rotate the shower rather than lose the towel bar entirely. Stupid EAxis! *shakes fist*

EDIT: Also forgot to mention the lack of lighting in the upstairs hall and kids rooms. Simply fixed to be sure, otherwise though, the actual house layout works really well for my little family :-)

Tee hee, I'm always forgetting the lights Sorry. I didn't think the towel bar would affect the shower either....can't you tell I hardly ever use the towel bars in-game? Sorry again

[BastDawn]

Nice, Yecats.  Going to share?

[jennydeenyc]

Oh, no worries at all Emma! I wouldn't have thought the towel bar would obstruct the shower either! As for lights, I use the newest version of the Radiance Lighting mod, so I'm always adding more lights in every lot my sims occupy. I really have to look into the tutorial in Peasantry about editing the secret hobby lots, because without extra lighting they're pretty much unplayable for me after 6pm or if it's overcast on the lot :-P