Meh. Modern isn't really my forte. And I really wish I knew how to work with the terrain modification tools to do interesting things with that, but anyway, here we go:


Front view:


Rear view:


A touch of classic and a touch of modern, this 3-bedroom, 1 3/4-bath contemporary is perfect for those who want a little of both. It's the perfect residence for a stylish, active, and growing family.The bold burgundy and white stucco exterior with imposing two-story windows and coordinating mature plantings gives way to neutral, elegant greyscale once inside, providing a peaceful haven for the family or a classy backdrop for elegant dinner parties with equal ease.

Ground Level:

Rooms & Dimensions:
Foyer: 3X5
Living Room: 6x10
Kitchen: 6X5
Den: 5X5
Dining Room: 4X6
Outdoor Meditation Garden: 6X5
Outdoor Courtyard: Irregularly shaped, very roughly 8X7
Garage: 7X9


The ground floor is open and airy, with doorless archways and large windows that let soft washes of natural light into every room. The kitchen is a fully-equipped, black-and-white showplace and is central in the back of the house, servicing both the huge formal living room and the smaller, more intimate den. The formal dining room is directly off the central foyer, and sliding glass doors from this room provide access to the outdoor enclosed courtyard, as well, which is a perfect spot for casual, al-fresco, but still private dining. The courtyard links the main house and the detached, one-car garage. Off the back of the living room is a half-walled meditation garden. Offering both sun and shade, it's an excellent place to relax, to smell the beautiful mature red roses and white oleander, and to listen to the running fountain already in place. There is also a small garden plot within the protective walls of this courtyard, all prepared and ready for your tomato plants.

Kitchen:


Meditation Garden:



Upstairs is home to the home's three very generously-sized bedrooms. The master bedroom includes a private bath with shower room, and there is another 3/4 family bath with a tub/shower on the hall. The home is ready for immediate occupancy; just bring your furniture.

2nd Level:

Rooms & Dimensions:
Master Bedroom: Roughly 7x7 (not square)
Master Bath: Roughly 6X3 (also not square)
Hall Bath: 4X2
Boy's Bedroom: 4X5
Girl's Bedroom: 6X5

Note: I use GunMod's lighting mod in my game, so it makes the little upper hallway that accesses the bedrooms and bathrooms, the only completely interior room in this house, very dark. Since no one was living in the house when I took the pictures, I could not turn on the lights to illuminate that hallway. Hopefully, this isn't a big deal. There's nothing to see there, really.

Smaller lots [2x2 and even 3x1] come with expansions, I don't remember which, as, I have 6 installed. However, you can download small lots, like 1x1, 2x1, etc. from modthesims2, and, you might be permitted to use that for this contest?

Interesting little side conversation! I learned something, or two things, new! Personally, I've never been so bold as to play with the terrain mod tools, and though I've built some cool things, I think that is beyond me. Knowing the turning on/off lights in an unoccupied home is such a useful thing- wish I had known that when I was competing in house contests! :D

On a sad note, SimCharley had to drop out due to RL conflicts. Sorry to lose you SimCharley! Our best wishes to you, and I hope maybe you'll enter a subsequent cycle of this contest.

I am so mad at my game. I spent hours working on my house last night, only had to finish designing a garden left, and I was tired so I quit playing. What does my game do? Crash when it's closing. I'm scared to turn it back on and discover my house is completely gone and I have to do it all over again before tomorrow morning.

A bold modern home that makes a statement! A beautiful two storey family home that boasts plenty of balconies – great for entertaining, or just for a breath of fresh air… The home includes a basement garage. The ground floor has a large living room – ideal for entertaining, the passage to the left leads to the formal dining room which features imported Italian marble tiles. The kitchen features modern black and white counters and includes a breakfast bar. To the right of the living room is the master suite – and following the latest European trends, the master suite has an open plan sleeping and bathing area – separated by a stylish glass partition.

Stairs lead to a family/den area. This floor also includes the kid’s bedrooms – Kiley’s bedroom includes a private balcony. We decided that a balcony was a little inappropriate for an active 10 year boy. A small alcove overlooking the lower floor is ideal for a hobby/study area. A beautifully landscaped garden is a great space to relax or entertain.











Lot Size – 3 x 3
Cost - $38 984

Ground Floor
Kitchen – 4 x 6
Dining Room – 4 x 5
Living Room – 5 x 6
Main Bedroom – 7 x 6
Toilet – 2 x 2

First Floor
Den – 7 x 4
Bedroom 2 – 4 x 4
Bedroom 3 – 4 x 4
Bathroom – 2 x 4

Ground Floor
Formal Living Room: 8x8
Formal Dining Room: 6x7
Kitchen: 7x5
Den: 4x6
Half Bathroom: 2x3

First Floor
Landing: 8x7
Master Bedroom: 5x7
Teens Bedroom: 5x6
Childs Bedroom: 4x5
Full Bathroom: 3x3

Aerial Ground Floor


Aerial First Floor


Front


Back


Landing


Teens Bedroom


Price


The house contains all of the required elements that thi particular family were looking for, right down to the den - which, in this house with its decor, is aimed more at adult entertainment. It would be a great little place to kick back and play Poker, and its huge windows really reflects both the sun and moonlight. The garden is set mainly to the front of the house, and there remains plenty of room for further landscaping in the future.

Thanks, Kattenijin, for the advice! I really do need some time to play around with this sort of thing and do some tutorials and such. But, with working two jobs, there just isn't a whole lot of time.

I do thank you for the boolprop cheat for the lights; I figured there had to be something like that, and that will make things easier.

I'm here at last to upload my stuff.
My internet only had a connection of like 3 mb all night long and I couldn't get on. Hopefully our time zones are only an hour apart or else I'm doing this on the deadline.

---------------------------------------------------------

One Moonspun Shore Drive

This home priced at 38,984s has everything the Miller's -- or any other Sim family -- is hoping for. The kitchen features Eris3000 stainless steel appliances and a built-in broom closet. Also, trendy McAlli lush carpeting is used throughout the home. A white brick fireplace is the focal point in the small family room off the front foyer. A scenic view of Moonspinner Bay can be seen from large windows in the livingroom and diningroom. Off the livingroom, a small hallway leading to a lavatory, den, and garage entry. Double-wide glass doors lead out of the dining room to a patio area.
Upstairs, the Miller children should find plenty of space in their rooms: blue for Kennon, shades of purple for Kiley. A bathroom off the hallway is for their use. The master suite is wallpapered in an elegant design matching the beige carpeting. Brad and Andrea will have their own full bathroom with tub and shower, both.
All the rooms, except the family room and kitchen, have ceiling lighting. The other two have wall lights. There is a double wide coat closet next to the stairway in the foyer.
The garage is roomy enough for the Miller's to keep their riding lawn mower and gardening tools along with their vehicle and car-care items. They could possibly install laundry facilities in the garage, as well, if they wish. The garage is lit by the old standard -- bare light bulbs in wall sockets.
The yard is landscaped in an English Garden style.

Front View:



Rear View:



First Storey:



Second Storey:



Top Shot of the Kitchen:



The broom closet hides half the refridgerator, and inside the closet is a trash basket and hanging broom. There's a light over the sink under the counter in case you were wondering why you couln't see one in the overview of the first floor.

Side View of Yard:



I really like the lawn and garden effects on this lot, but I couldn't find a good angle that shows all the flowers, vines, shrubs, etc, throughout the yard.

The lot is a 3 x 4.

Foyer: 3 x 3
Family Room: 4 x 4
Kitchen: 4 x 5
Dining Room: 5 x 6
Livingroom: 8 x 5 (6 along dining room)
Den: 4 x 5
Lavatory: 2 x 3
Garage: 11 x 5
Boy's Room: 4 x 6
Girl's Room: 5 x 6
Bathroom: 3 x 4
Master Bedroom: 7 x 5
Master Bath: 3 x 4

**** The garage is actually fake, it's there for looks alone. There's an invisible driveway with terrain paint. But Sims can use the garage for other outdoor gear type things and park the car out front.

Okay! Round closed! I am SO glad you all made it in! And from what I can see, this has been another great, creative round! Okay, sending this one off to the judges, and will be posting the next round shortly- in between trying to get my teenagers out the door for school! Good luck everyone in this round's judging!

Round 3- On Golden Pond

Your client for Round 3 is Mr. & Mrs. Platt. After a lifetime of raising their 4 children, hard work, and saving its time for the Platts to retire! They are looking for warm weather so want to move to the Southwestern US. Though they are pretty open to most ideas, there is one thing they dont want- stairs of any kind, so no foundations! Their home should also be kid friendly for when their grandchildren come to visit! Their budget is a whopping $72,931!


~ A Medium sized lot- exact size and shape to your discression
~ A Southwesten style Ranch home
~ A minimum of: 1 Eat-in Kitchen, 3 Bedrooms (including 1 Master Bedroom and two guest bedrooms), at least 1 Full Bathroom, 1 Formal Dining Room, Casual Living Room w/ fireplace
~ A driveway (*See note below!)
~ Ready to move in condition: Completed interior with furnishings.
~ Completed exterior
~ Closed yard area for grandchildren to play
~ Landscaping which includes an area containing a garden for Mrs. Platt
~ Fully Furnished/Decorated inside & out! :D


(*NOTE: If you do not have NL, you may 'fake' the driveway using flooring materials. The specs on your drive should be 5X8 (5 squares wide by 8 squares long) to keep it within the size of the actual driveway. You must add $100 to the cost of your lot as if you were placing a real driveway. You will not be penalized by the judges for doing the driveway this way.)



Materials that need to be submitted for Round 3:
1.) Your name and the Round # in the subject bar of your post.
2.) 6 Photos of your completed design; 1 of the exterior from the front, 1 of the exterior from the rear, 1 overhead with roof removed so layout of rooms can be seen, and 3 photos of your choice highlighting special features of your design.
3.) A list of the names and dimensions of each interior room.
4.) The home's list of amenities.
5.) Total purchase cost of lot.


ROUND 3 DETAILS
You are allowed to use as much or as little custom content in the creation of your lot as you'd like. Foundations/stairs may not be used in this round. Remember to keep your client and their needs in mind when you are designing! REMEMBER- If you have the budget, you may add more to the home than the basic requirements, and it may be to your advantage to impress the client, however, you must stay on budget and the final cost of the home must meet or be under the client's budget!

DEADLINE TO ENTER THIS ROUND IS: TUESDAY, FEB. 10th @ 6:00AM EST!! GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!

I really must step up my game on this one, thus, I need to go find some cheaper decorating objects, as, maxis stuff just costs too much (as far as flowers and trees and bushes go)

However, glad this round is more like the style of house I build. That should help my previous horrible entries a little. LOL.

OH, one more thing. I'm sure its just a mistake, but, we are suppose to furnish this house correct? I only ask, because it states completed interior w/o furnishing, (like always), but then, you have it marked as fully furnished.
So, we do furnish it?

Glad you are liking this round. Thought I would give a little more freedom and a larger budget for this, and the next round. (I am really looking forward to that round myself!)

Yes, you are supposed to fully furnish and decorate both inside and out for this round. Thanks for pointing that out.

This contest looks so fun! I just hope I knew it earlier so I could have joined.

Oh dear. I'm crap at southwestern/ranch style. LOL. And no stairs...darn. :P

Actually, I have a question.

Is it supposed to be a modern south western ranch home that are built in the suburbs nowadays; the ones that look like mini McMansions? Or is it supposed to be like an old style homesteaded in the late 1800's (example) country ranch?

[QUOTE=clw8]I really must step up my game on this one, thus, I need to go find some cheaper decorating objects, as, maxis stuff just costs too much (as far as flowers and trees and bushes go)
QUOTE]

I have the same problem. I was amazed when I still had around 3000 to spend when my house was done for landscaping on the last round.
So, is it legal to go into homecrafter and change prices on walls and floors? I searched the net and found cool stuff to use, but no one ever lists prices, so I ended up with a bunch of stuff that costs as much as or more than Maxis loot. I'd like to use some of it.

Welp, as I state here before, my game had crashed in the process of making getting info on this house, and, therefor I wasn't able to supply you with a picture of the price. Well, I got back on today... and, very fastly, snapped a picture of the price, lol! Luckily I had saved my house before the crash. So, here it is [the price]:


Mr. & Mrs. Platt's SW Ranch
-3x3 lot
-$71,821
-Kitchen, Dinning, Living, 2 spare beds, 1 full bath, Master Suite [bed & bath], fenced in area for children and adults alike, covered car port, gardening plots, pond, lots and lots of flowers, trees and shrubs.
-Fully Furnished, including Lights (indoor and out), phones, and smoke alarm.
front:


back:


Inside View:
kitchen: 8x4
dinning: 6x4
living: 5x4
2 spare beds: 5x4
bath: 3x3
Master bed: 7x7 & bath: 5x2
Entry: 5x5
Hall: 2x4


Extra:
play area

pond

kitchen


-clw8

Definitely not a Mc.Mansion! By definition, a ranch is a home where all the rooms of the home are on the ground floor- the only floor of the house. And a late 1800's style may be too outdated. A great way to get some ideas is to maybe look under real estate sites for say, Los Angeles, Nevada, Arizona.
Some examples.




You can do that? I didnt know that. Finally a reason to break out homecrafter! LOL! I guess that would be okay so long as you dont make everything in your catalog $1 (like the furniture and stuff). I really dont know how to answer that one because its something I didnt anticipate, but I guess for floors/walls its okay.

Okay, thanks for clearing that up, MissTech! I live in north eastern Finland, and we have a distinct lack of southwestern ranch styles here. :P

I meant the walls and floors. All you have to do is load it, clone whatever you want to use, change the price (description, too, if you want), save it and put it in your downloads -- can't remember offhand if it puts it straight into your game or not. I think it does.
You'd have to use SimPE to change prices on everything else and I have yet to figure out that program. So far all I managed with directions in hand was copying a Sim to use in SimPose.

I have a question, too. I want to do the printscreen to get the pic of the lot size and price but my stupid pc cleaner program wipes out "Help" ever since I upgraded to XP so I can't figure out how to use the HP printscreen program that is built into my pc. Does anyone else have HP that can tell me how to get the printscreen image into that so I can use those types of pics?

Thanx. Now I can have the lot description, too. Yayyyyyyyy.
On my first house, I forgot to write the price down on a scrap of paper and had to load my game again to get it.

My scores for Round 2 are in! Great job everyone!

My scores are in. You all did a great job!

Southern California and Nevada have drawn the Platts to enjoy the sunny weather and open aired, cool breeze 1950's ranch style homes. Although built almost sixty years ago, this particular home has been well-kept and recently fitted with a brand new kitchen.



Streetside, this home is like many of the other similar of style in the neighbourhood. Simple and unassuming, the crisp entry is a mixture of wood, stucco, stone, and cast iron atop the fence, to allow for an elegant entry with maximum privacy.



The side/backyard has plenty amenities for the Platts to enjoy in the summer (and winter) sun. There is a pool large enough for laps, or lounging about in an inflatable chaise. A barbeque, patio table, and hammock are all available for entertaining and relaxing, while the yard is also fenced and has a small area off to the side for the grandchildren to play. The yard also is visible from the plethora of windows in the livingroom, kitchen/dining room, and master bedroom. In the corner across the pool is the third guest bedroom in a small separate building.



The floorplan shows the flow and walkthrough of the home, from the front livingroom to the back bedrooms. The third bedroom is located in the guest house in the corner of the yard, which has a double bed and separate full bathroom. While the guest room in the house has a crib and bed for visiting grandchildren, the adult Platt children get the silence and peace from being a bit further away. There is a small garden to the back of the house, accessible from the door at the end of the hallway. It is outside of the fenced yard, and out of reach of grandchildren.

Guesthouse bed: 4x4
Guesthouse bath: 4x1
Livingroom: 3x5
Kitchen:3x3 with 3x2 bar eating area.
Dining/fire seating:3x5
Guestroom kids: 3x5
Master bath: 2x4 +2
Masterbedroom: 5x4



The masterbedroom is wonderfully spacious, with bright windows and glass doors on either side, for a nice and sunny wake up.



The open kitchen and dining has a mixture of woods and "timeless" retro furniture. A small lounge nook is beside the fireplace.



The livingroom is the first thing from the front door, and packs a punch of colour. It may be small, but it's tidy and has views through the yard and to the end of the house.

And the price! Phew, that was close.

Hey everyone, just a quick update....

Ive gotten scores back from 2 of the 3 judges. Scores are supposed to be back to me by 8am today so the third judge does have a little more time to submit. Should they not, I will have to step in as the EJ this round- something I would prefer not to do, but we cannot just put things on hold and wait since there is a time limit to the contest. I am hoping to post the Round 2 rankings/comments sometime to day! So stay tuned....!

Great Round 3 entries thus far! I hope you all are enjoying a little more freedom and the larger budget for this round!

Well, congratulations to you all for a successful Round 2. It was another tight round as far as scoring goes, so you should all be proud of your efforts.
Unfortunately, one of the regular judges was unavailable this round, so I was forced to step in and score this round. Well, that being said, on to the Rankings!


Round 2 Rankings

1.) Contestant #7
2.) Contestant #8
3.) Contestant #1
4.) Contestant #5
5.) Contestant #4
6.) Contestant #6
7.) Contestant #2
8.) Contestant #3
9.) Contestant #10


Judges Comments

Contestant 1
~ Wow! Your home is gorgeous! When can I move in? You nailed the budget, style, and requirements. I really enjoy how you've caught a Frank Lloyd Wright feel to your home. Bravo!
~ Outstanding design. If you were going for a Frank Lloyd Wright feel to your home, you achieved it completely. The lot is attractive and very well landscaped. My favorite part of this home was the living room with the lowered 'ceiling' in the entryway. Just beautiful.


Contestant 2
~ Your house is lovely and I like how you used interesting window shapes! You did go a tad overbudget and I would have liked to have seen more "curb appeal" landscaping, but you've done a great job in your layouts.
~ Overall a nice design, but I found it to be a bit bland for the exterior. Perhaps some more landscaping and pops of color would help. However, I absolutely loved the kitchen you presented. Nice job this round.


Contestant 3
~ The house is quite spacious and very impressive looking! I would have liked to have seen more landscaping and modern touches, but this really is a lovely house.
~ A nice, large home with plenty of room for a family. There is a lot of wasted space on the second floor hallway, but other than that it looks to be a sound, playable design. I would suggest more landscaping to improve the curb appeal of your home. Good effort!


Contestant 4
~ Oh, I like your color choices with the red, black, and white and the meditation garden is a nice touch! There could be more in the way of landscaping, but otherwise good show!
~ A very nice looking home. Nicely landscaped up front, but a little sparse out in the back with the exception of the mediation garden, which was a lovely surprise. Great kitchen as well. Good job this round.


Contestant 5
~ I really like the way you've set the house into the property and the glass ceilings! Is there a way in which you could crop out the "Pause" symbols in the upper left corners? Otherwise, excellent job!
~ Not exactly modern in design, but a nicely designed home. I love the way you used the terrain mod tool to add some depth and character to the lot. It is also well landscaped. Nice open floor plan on the ground floor. Nice job.


Contestant 6
~ What lush landscaping you've created; it's quite lovely indeed! Your layout is nice, however I would like to have seen more in the way of a modern touch to your home's look. Good job!
~ Not exactly modern, but there is something about this home I find very appealing! I love the color used on the exterior. The lot is landscaped extremely well too! Loved the little extra touches in the kitchen. Cute and appealing overall. Great job.


Contestant 7
~ What a fabulous modern aesthetic! This home looks phenomenal and meets all of the requested requirements. There could be a few more exterior plants, but otherwise excellent work!
~ Outstanding modern design! Love the way you used the terrain mod tool to add depth and character to the lot, however, its a bit sparse in the landscaping department. Looks to be a very sound design with little wasted space, and the balconies were a nice addition. Fantastic job this round.


Contestant 8
~ That coral exterior is amazing! This home definitely has a modern feel and I love your choice in windows. Kudos for meeting all of the requirements and for creating such a fabulous design!
~ Outstanding modern design! Great use of terrain mod tool to add depth and character to the lot. There is plenty of landscaping, but somehow it still looks a little sparse. My favorite part of this home is the back with the plant garden within that nook in the house design- fantastic little surprise and a design element Ive not seen before. Also really love the featured bathroom! Fantastic job this round.


Contestant 10
~ The selection of natural stone exterior is very nice and you have a rather whimsical landscaping design. I would have liked to have seen more of a modern influence, but you've done a very nice job (kudos for all of the Maxis content).
~ Interesting design, not very modern unfortunately. I think the use of that particular exterior takes away from the design. More windows, or more modern windows may have helped. Landscaped as required, but again, would have liked to see more! Good job this round though!


(Please note that only 2 of the judges submitted comments for this round!)


So, nice job and a hardy round of applause to everyone for this round! Dont forget, your Round 3 entry is due by 6:00AM EST on Tuesday, Feb 10th!