Sims 3 - The Official Building/Remodeling Showboat Thread

[Natsuko]

ZapKid, you need to use colours! Also, you should add a kids area

Kiko, you need more colour also. I also think you should add some more fun. Like add a foosball table, maybe. And, you have an open gap in the middle on the back of your home. You should fill that emptiness with a window or two.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

That is such an awesome library, but yeah I agree with Natsuko that it needs more colour. Maybe you could add a little kid's area, like the one in Sunset Valley that has toys and such?

[kiko94]

thanks guys, I'll try to improve it
@zapkid: the library is amazing, but like the others said it would need a kids area, about the colors I think they are fine, in a library we need dim colors that help you calme down,
thanks for your suggestions I'll take them in cosideration, about the  area above the car, I didn't understand well :p
@Natsuko: I think a foosball table would be a little inappropriate, since this is for elders :p There is a fishing pond, tv, computer, fireplace I think it would be enof for somone who is going to be dead soon, but you are right about the colors and windows? I'll see what I can add
thank you all

[ZapKid]

Thanks guys. In my opinion, the color idea would be a little off, because like kiko said, it is supposed to be a place to calm down. I will try to add a mini kids area near the bathroom, though
Kiko: Forget what I said, it was actually a pretty dumb idea from the start.

[samoht04]

I personally find too much modern influence is more distracting than colour. I find colours calming. It depends on personal taste I think though. Seeing the stuff in your Library is making me suggest Town Stuff for my Birthday, or maybe earlier. 

[xFezIsAFreakx]

@Samoht Have you had a look at the screenshots on the EA website? There's a link on the TLS thread and the screenies show you everything in the SP. They are awesome!

@Zapkid I phrased my post wrong, I meant to say the kids bit needs colour, when you design it, haha. But I love the colours now and I agree with what you said about libraries needing 'dim' colours. They aren't exactly flamboyant places, now are they?

[samoht04]

I'll go take a look now, thanks!

[ZapKid]

First: 100th post! Woo! Can't believe I've done that much in my short time here! Back to my topic: I remodeled my library a bit. I added some more decorations in the bathroom and main bookshelf area to give it more oomph, along with fountains in the small pool outside. But the main thing I did was made a small children play area! I couldn't make it out-of-control red-yellow-green-blue combos, but I think I did a nice color palette of green and brown. Here's a couple of photos:

Little play area:

 

Redid bathroom:





Tell me what you think now  

Also: I'm going to do a gym next. I'll make it another mini-lot, but I will have a small yoga room for aesthetic pleasing and enough exercise machines so your Sims won't have a fit.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

Sorry if I'm sounding uber picky, I know you're a way better builder than me, but the play area looks so small! I know it's a small building itself, though. That is a nice little palette there, I do like the green and brown.

[Katluvr]

@ ZapKid

First of all I want to say how much I love your designs.  I've downloaded a number of the houses you've built as requests for other people and they are lovely!

I think your library is adorable and I particularly like the inside decor.  The outside bothers me a bit, though.  It looks very country/barn to me and I think the contrast is just too much between it and the modern interior.  If you really like the barn style siding, you could try using flat colors instead of wood grained textures - it might make it more harmonious with the interior.  I'd also like to see the half gable roof not be quite so steep - maybe use several small windows instead of 2 big ones.

[norsky]

@ZapKid

Like Katluvr said, the outside looks a little too traditional for the interior. What you could do, is redesign the interior. For your color scheme, use some pastel colors instead of just shades of grays. Your children's area is a little to small, and doesn't look "fun". Putting in more color, toys, and decorations would feel more roomy and fun for the children. Also, for your kids area, you could make it a little bigger.

[Katluvr]

@ kiko

You really do an amazing job with classical design elements.  I love the warm neutral tones of the house and the landcaping is lovely!

Have you considered using rugs to break up the parquet patterns you use on the floor or perhaps using one pattern around the edge of the room and a more subtle pattern in the middle?  I noticed one room has a nice area rug in it and that really adds to the warmth of the room.

I mentioned this before in a PM, but I think you need to watch the size of your rooms.  They still feel a bit too big and empty to me (I'm guilty of the same thing - my rule of thumb is to make the room as big as I want it to be and then make it smaller by 1/3 and it usually works out pretty well).

I agree that the pergola would be more interesting if there were not so many squares - try some diagonals and work with larger spaces instead of 1x1 squares.  Also, there appears to be a pattern underneath the pergola - green fabric maybe?  I personally think it would be better to remove that so that you could see the car and ground underneath.

[ZapKid]

@Kat and Fez:
I think both of the ideas are pretty good, so I will see what I can do with the outside and play area. Mostly the outside area, I agree it looks pretty contrasting to the indoors.

[TheChronicR]

Zap, I think the library is fantastic for the most part. The only thing I don't like (okay, it doesn't really appeal to me) is the kids area. As others have noted, it's just too small. Maybe try adding those toy chests or something? Don't really know, but everything else looks good to me. Well done.

[kiko94]

@ kiko

You really do an amazing job with classical design elements.  I love the warm neutral tones of the house and the landcaping is lovely!

Have you considered using rugs to break up the parquet patterns you use on the floor or perhaps using one pattern around the edge of the room and a more subtle pattern in the middle?  I noticed one room has a nice area rug in it and that really adds to the warmth of the room.

I mentioned this before in a PM, but I think you need to watch the size of your rooms.  They still feel a bit too big and empty to me (I'm guilty of the same thing - my rule of thumb is to make the room as big as I want it to be and then make it smaller by 1/3 and it usually works out pretty well).

I agree that the pergola would be more interesting if there were not so many squares - try some diagonals and work with larger spaces instead of 1x1 squares.  Also, there appears to be a pattern underneath the pergola - green fabric maybe?  I personally think it would be better to remove that so that you could see the car and ground underneath.

I see, I will take it in cosideration