Sims 3 - The Official Building/Remodeling Showboat Thread

[Joria]

Ausette, don't forget all the great garage type items in buy mode from Fast Lane and store items if you have them.  A stack of tires plus all the tool stuff would be great.  How would you design a lift for lifting cars up for fixing underneath?  I wish they had one of those things a mechanic can lay down on and roll around under cars with, and jack stands would be nice.  Maybe EA will come up with more garage stuff.

I've been telling you how I'm remodeling SV for my own playing needs.  (Just wish I could use it for challenges!)  The other day I was sitting looking at the screen, accidentally hit the up button and got a view of the neighborhood I've been focussing on.  Here's how it looks so far.....

The blue house is a work in progress.  It used to be that hideous dump the Alvi's lived in.  I moved them into a different house somewhere else in town.  The laundromat is also a work in progress.  You can see the aspen trees I've planted.  I'm planning on two apartments above the laundromat and have divided the area behind and beside the building into two backyard type facilities.  The part where the aspen trees are is a small child's play area with access only from inside the laundromat.  This way a family can do the wash while the kiddies play safely out back.  There is a high fence blocking this area off from the renters section.  That section has a pool and some flowers plus a barbecue.  It's small so couldn't put much in there.  I've put the elevators in already but am having difficulty in splitting the apartments rooms up so may post some shots of the unfinished inside to get advice from you guys.

The building in the upper, left hand corner is also being worked on.  Another headache for some reason but I think I pretty much have it figured out.  I completely reworked the interior as well as made it a three bedroom home instead of a one bedroom home.

The Sekemoto house hasn't been started yet.  I'm thinking it needs to be a very modern looking house so I'll definitely be asking your guys for ideas!

Really though, isn't it starting to look like a general small town on the verge of becoming a city or something?  I could find a neighborhood like this pretty much anywhere in the US.  Reminds me of where I grew up, (which has become very depressed and ugly looking now.  So sad.)

[danefaith]

Best I could manage of a car lift.

Foundation -> frieze -> platform, then removed the foundation and freeze.

[Joria]

Works for me, Danefaith.  Is it possible to remove some of the middle out so the car is just resting on it's wheels with the bottom open for the mechanic to work?  Probably not because of having to use the car park thing.

[Ausette]

Sweet car lift! I'll definitely fiddle around with that. As Joria suggested, perhaps part of the platform could be cut out or substitued for some "Fie Fie Foe Fencing" mesh. Joria, I don't actually have Fast Lane myself, but Ambitions has plenty of garage/fire station-themed stuff I used instead, including tyre piles, tools and traffic cones. There's also the free Fiesta set from the store which has some cool road signs. As for the rest of the building, here's that closer look at the store danefaith requested:



As fun as it was cluttering up the shelves, I'm not really happy with the colour scheme yet. I'd love some suggestions; I've already switched it around four times!

[Joria]

Maybe make the bookshelves red?  Otherwise I think the color scheme is fine.  Those stores tend to be on the vanilla side anyway.  That bookshelf sort of looks like a snack dispenser.  I miss those items you could get in Sims 2.  I love the way the magazines look!
Have I told you I NEED this for my SV remodel?  lol

[Pam]

This is another challenge house.  Cinnamon Dreamweaver played the Grandmaster challenge.  I built her a small functional house, then expanded it when the challenge was finished.  It's sort of a 70s look with the floor and walls done in Cinnamon's signature color, but she's bought new furniture that breaks up that look.  I built her a loft bedroom that I rather like.  The exterior is nothing special.  I'm not great at exteriors.

[Filly]

I like the look of the bedroom in the loft!

I saw in a post awhile back that you said it was okay to start posting 10 pictures in this thread now but the very first post still says 5.  I want to show off my house but don't want to break any picture posting rules.  Thanks.

[niuri_cigarete]

Congrats Pam for making me want to play the game now when I can't at the moment... I've got loads of data to check for my term paper.

Anyway, I just LOVE the bedroom! I had the similar idea long time ago but somehow I haven't managed to remember it while building some house.

[Micler]

I love that house, Pam! It's very Cinnamon Dreamweaver-ish.

[Pam]

I saw in a post awhile back that you said it was okay to start posting 10 pictures in this thread now but the very first post still says 5.  I want to show off my house but don't want to break any picture posting rules.  Thanks.

Thanks, Filly.  I changed the first post.  10 pictures is the new limit.

[danefaith]

Ausette: What I think needs to be done is the shelves need to be lined up into aisles, like you would find in a convenience store or pit store, instead of lined up along the wall.



It took moveobjects on and a bit of maneuvering with alt, but this feels more convenience store like.  I maneuvered the fences to the right as keep that line of movement seperate from the aisles - (i was lazy and didn't color it, definitely keep the color you're using now!)

Also, while they clutter is excellent make sure there are a couple of functional items in there as well!  That way it serves in game purpose on top of looking realistic.

Hope that helps - and isn't too intrusive.  you're doing an excellent job.

[Joria]

@ Pam:  Love it!  The loft bedroom is the bomb.  I would have opted for more of an olive green color to keep with the 70's Cinnamon look but that's just me.  I also like the way the furniture gives it a look of "I'm stuck in the 70's but this is my way out", kind of thing.  It fits perfectly but gives a hint of her moving along and changing a bit.  In transition.  And there is nothing wrong with your exterior.

[Pam]

@ Pam:  Love it!  The loft bedroom is the bomb.  I would have opted for more of an olive green color to keep with the 70's Cinnamon look but that's just me.  I also like the way the furniture gives it a look of "I'm stuck in the 70's but this is my way out", kind of thing.  It fits perfectly but gives a hint of her moving along and changing a bit.  In transition.  And there is nothing wrong with your exterior.

The green started out as sort of an avocado green in the kitchen, from the 70s.  At one point, she had the orange, avocado green and harvest gold.  The green in the bedroom is supposed to be the same, but I probably don't have the right avocado shade.  I'm glad you got my theme with this!  I wasn't sure I was explaining it right. 

[Ausette]

Thanks for the tips dane, I just spend a while playing around with aisles and car lifts until I got something I liked. Now I just need to package it up for submission to the Swap Shop. I think the Alto Oil Fuel Station is officially finished! 

That's such a sweet little house, Pam. It's always fun to build a home especially for a favourite Sim, and I love the use of the green and cinnamon colours. Nice bathroom too, by the way. A quick suggestion for the exterior because you said you didn't like it: maybe you could add a pair of two-storey columns just in front of the entrance and extend the roof over them? It'd shelter the front door and perhaps add a bit more depth to the roof overall.

[danefaith]

Hi, Pam, lovely house.  Very suiting of the theme.  I like the lanterns.  Are those from Outdoor Living?  I need me some Outdoor Living...

Just a note on something I observed.  Noticed you had some phantom dados and baseboards on the second floor, where the first floor wall ascends to the second.   You might wanna section that part off from the single floor wall textures.