Charliechomper ConstructoChallenge-tk2now_w/step10

[CharlieChomper]

I had hoped to have this finished much earlier than this, but between real life intervening and mostly my computer periodically going on strike during certain steps (usually just as I was about to save it--certain steps, such as the last two, I can't tell you how many times I had to redo or re-CAS everything). My apologizes in advance for all the photos! I really did try and reduce them (even just the .jpeg quality as well as just the resolution), but any further reduction and I ended up with very poor quality images.

I also had a difficult time deciding between reusing the sisters again versus working with a different sim, as I had to start from scratch (my previous house became corrupted, but I do still have a copy of the sisters themselves). As much fun as the sisters are/were, I felt I needed a break from them this time around and so opted for a new sim. That said...

Step One

This is Fiona Singleton. Her favorite color is red, least favorite avacado green. Her favorite decorating style is a blend of styles known as "High Victorian" with a touch of the 19th-century concept of "Orientalism". She absolutely hates (with a strong emphasis) what she calls "`70s tacky". She recently had purchased an old house in Barnacle Bay that dates back to an earlier time and is in the process of restoring it back to its former glory, room by room--however, she admittedly mostly bought the house due to the views it had of the ocean and beach access, not so much the history.

Her traits are that she's a bookworm, perceptive, charismatic, hopeless romantic, and friendly.

[CharlieChomper]

[CharlieChomper]

This one I had a really hard time with in terms of thinking of a style I had not previously done and opted for country. The cabinets were made from the timbers of an old barn and the kitchen was actually originally done by a previous owner of the home. Fiona opted to leave it as is to focus upon other rooms that needed more attention...

[CharlieChomper]

The item I reused is the wood paneling and wood tone from the bathroom.

[CharlieChomper]

The papers scattered about are due to Fiona's interest in wanting to become a private investigator.

[CharlieChomper]

I'm still not sure why, but I was having a strange lighting issue when I took some of these, as you'll notice some very washed out objects due to the lighting.

[CharlieChomper]

This is a room that was done by a prior owner. Fiona found it to be such a horrifying nightmare to witness, (it was hard to tell what was louder--the mix of patterns/patterns themselves or her screaming at the sight of this room) she's had difficulty in just setting foot it in to redo it yet (she's complained it gives her nightmares just to see it and has taken to having any guest who may stay over sign a waiver or voucher letting them know she did not decorate it, but that it came with the house--as well as to legally cover her should an unfortunate guest happen to pass on whilst sleeping there (either due to fright or feeling it was in such bad taste).

However, the hammer on the table was left by her--for the eventual day she can work up the nerve enough to finally redo it.

For those who are fond of it, she (and I) hope no offense is taken.

On a personal note, this room gave my computer lots of trouble as most times I went in to save, it crashed or caused me to have to reboot it. I guess it wasn't its taste either...

[CharlieChomper]

The secret in this room is that the poster hanging on the wall is a signed copy of one by Fiona's favorite television and film detective (although, she'll deny the part about having a crush on him)--the comic books scattered on the floor are from that same series...

The bookshelves by the fireplace are built in. On a related note, the fireplace and wall do go all the way up and have the same wallpaper and paneling as the rest of the room--it's just that when I took this, I couldn't capture the whole room with the walls all the way up, so had to reduce them to partial.

[CharlieChomper]

This space previously had been the kitchen for the main house (in very old houses in hot climates, the kitchen was almost never part of the "main" house due to the additional heat), but was converted by a previous owner for use as a guest suite--although, they forgot to add indoor plumbing. Fiona has kept it much as it (although, having added family photos and other personal touches) was and added the chamber pot (little wooden "bucket") and pitcher should someone feel the "need" to use them--at least, until whenever she gets around to adding proper restroom facilities to the space.

However, her grandmother hasn't complained about it--so far...

[Theachen7]

Loving all the rooms so far! Especially the granny suite!
Flora seems like an interesting character

[CharlieChomper]

Thanks!

[Felicity]

CC, I just love your house! How you put your decor, colours together, and attention to the finest detail is awesome! I love the detail in every room. Have to admit spending quite some time with each of your pictures to look at the detail!

Granny's suite is so different from the house too! it!! You have done a great job!

Felicity

[Kiri]

I love your granny suite - it looks perfect for a sweet old granny!

The rest of the house is gorgeous as usual. You have a wonderful use of colour and pattern - even in the room that is quite clearly something that Fiona hates (and I don't blame her!). Sounds like your PC has good taste too!

[CharlieChomper]

Thanks!

The room she hates would very likely give me nightmares as well.

[Whitnerd]

I love how you decorate. You use such bold beautiful colors and so much pay attention to details. The rooms are really fun to look at and hear about. I especially like the living room. There's something about those green walls...

But that spare bedroom is, uh, not exactly my taste either.

[CharlieChomper]

This step took longer than I would have anticipated largely due to a combination of a lack of time, recent heat-related issues (ie very hot temperatures+no air conditioning=limiting time in front of the computer to limit the risk of overheating, especially the video card), having to restart the step and especially loads and loads of CAST-work...

Given the Victorians' adoption and adaption of the concepts of "Orientalism" and the "Arabesque" as they existed at that time, and this notion of "Turkish (or "Moorish") 'corners'" (at a minimum--many households, in a show of status and class would often set aside a space devoted to Victorian interpretations of "exotic" lands outside of Europe (in particular, Asia/India; the Middle East/Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey); and North Africa--and to a lesser extent, Sub-Saharan Africa, the South Pacific/Pacific "Rim", and South America) containing decorative objects (even sometimes just the display of a Fez or peacock feathers) from those cultures, as well as sometimes furniture (or just Victorian interpretations of what they thought such items should look like--mostly in relation to furniture and functional items). Plants (palms of various sorts, in particular as well as flowers)--including those found in "the New World"--were also often prominently displayed (the more exotic, the "better").

Some households would devote a literal corner or alcove or sometimes devote entire rooms or significant parts of the home (including sometimes the exterior) to this concept. It was sometimes perceived as a show of wealth, given the great costs involved with importing items from far flung places or to display how "cultured" the occupant may have been to have such items (even items made in "industrialized" nations and societies during that period) or perhaps even well-traveled. It also led to the adoption of other goods, some clothing, and even customs and even aspects of other cultures, such as the Victorian concept of "Turkish baths")), Fiona opted to redesign a previously large, underused bathroom (built by a prior owner) on the upper-floor (which had previously had a deck strangely attached leading to the outside) inspired by this notion and by the Victorian-era's Turkish baths, to bring out the luxuriousness of the space.

She also spared no expense in importing marbles and other precious stones and rocks (the bathtub, for example, was made from one large slab of imported marble) as well as hand-made tiles, hand-woven and silk fabrics, and hand-wrought ironwork to adorn the space. She converted the awkward deck to expand the room and filled it with large floor-to-ceiling windows featuring gorgeous views of the serene landscape and ocean as well as private beach beyond (fortunately, the lot is tucked away enough to where there are no nearby neighbors, while the area is remote enough to where no one ever has reason to pass by).

The furnishings include a combination of genuine antiques with reproductions (the rattan and cheetah print ottoman (which doubles as a storage chest) is a reproduction featuring a fake cheetah print), as well as artwork from various parts of the globe.

The antique, hand-painted Art Noveau screen serves as a divider of the seating area and the bath to ensure privacy while the small oriel window next to the bath provides natural light into the space without sacrificing the bather's privacy.

The armchair is an example of a late Victorian-type of piece that is more of a Victorian interpretation (one term for such a chair would be a "Turkish chair/armchair") and ties the space back into the Victorian aspect versus the "authentic" culture.

[Whitnerd]

Wow, that's pretty. You chose to make the room quite large, but you filled it beautifully. I love the variety of tiles.

[CharlieChomper]

Thanks!

Since Kiri mentioned for it to be a large space, I decided why not go all out and add the hot tub (which required additional) to play up the luxury of the room.

[Jessica]

Oh wow! I absolutely adore your house, CC! Fiona sounds like an interesting lady, and I sure liked reading about her! I like how you take her tastes and what she would do into account when decorating. The house is gorgeous, I love how you decorate, so elegant! I even like the spare bedroom!

But that last room, the big bathroom... just wow. Amazing!!!

[CharlieChomper]

The outside of the house may not seem quite as interesting, but I had to take into account the rather "hodgepodge" or ad hoc history of the place into account, along with some roofing limitations I ran across when working on this.

The warm-colored stonework is from the original construction of the house itself (with the exception of the upper level, which was stone reused from the back of the house during a subsequent renovation), and with three different types of stucco visible (denoting various renovations/additions to the house over the years). The white wood shingles are from an outbuilding that was later relocated closer to the house and converted into the hideous seventies-style nightmare bedroom.

The gate leads to a spiral staircase which leads up to both the large bath and a corridor leading to the second floor balcony, as well as a large store room which Fiona hopes to one day do something with, but for now remains mostly used for storage of miscellaneous items

On a semi-related note, I just realized that I forgot to actually include a screenshot of that room--I thought I had taken one, but it seems it got lost during one of the crashes, so I'll try and take another shot of it next time I load my game.

The opening in the roof is to let light into the small, enclosed courtyard. It's not visible, but the wall opposite the living room has a mural on it to provide something of interest to see out from the windows.

All the woodwork outside was painted in rather bright colors to either bring out the detailing in it or to help it stand out and provide further interest.