Constructo Challenge - 10 step

[Kiri]

Before we start...

This is for all games - Sims1 - Sims2 - Sims3.

All good houses start with an owner. It can be a singleton, a couple or family.

So lets see who you are building the house for - in CAS only please

Sims2 - Pick an aspiration, and traits as usual. But also pick a favourite colour for each member of the house, and a favourite style (Modern, gothic, shabby chic, eclectic, etc, etc).

Sims3 - Pick your traits, and favourites as usual. Also pick a favourite style.

Also - pick their least favourite colour and least favourite style! :evil:

Don't worry - we're not going to be playing them - just using them for reference.

What we'll have:

Sims with traits, favourite colours and favourite styles. hated colours and hated styles.

[Kiri]

Step 1: What is the most important room in the house?

Where do all the babies get born, marriages happen, and greeting of visitors?

The BATHROOM of course!

So here we go

The first room we're going to make is a Bathroom:

18 squares in an L-Configuration.

1. Should have all the normal bathroom functions - showering, Bath, cleaning teeth, etc.

2. Should have an area where babies can be born, and a celebration area.

3. Should have somewhere where at least 2 people can sit.

4. You'll need one or two windows on the outside wall - you decide which one is the outer wall.

5. There should be 1 door on the inner wall for entrance.

This is going to be your main bathroom - but not your only bathroom.

Good luck!

Find a plot that is 40x40. (or 4x4 or... whatever it's measured as) Just something that is big enough.

No money limit on this one. And no limitations on colours, styles or furniture choices.

[Kiri]

Step 2: The Kitchen...

The Kitchen is the heart of the home. It's where people eat, talk, do their homework, listen to each other, and all the things that a family does.

So in this kitchen:

1. It's next to the bathroom. (Because that's how you minimise the plumbing pipes )

2. It's 35 squares in an L configuration. No. Not all the rooms are going to be L shaped.

3. There needs to be a table that the whole household can sit around and 1-2 family friends. e.g. If you have a 3 person house like mine, you'll need to be able to seat 5 people. If you have a 1 person house, then seating for 3 is ok.

4. I've always loved having a pantry where we can keep all the food stuffs, vacuum cleaners and etc. We'll have a pantry in this house too. It can be a cupboard type pantry, or you can section a part of the room off - up to you.

5. Clutter! On the table, in the cupboards, on the counters and shelves - make the kitchen look used! If you can put food stains somewhere - even better!

6. Logistics - At least 1 window or more on the outside wall. You decide what the outside wall is. No doors this time - use arches! Single, Double, up to you.

7. Style: This is a style that NONE of your sims like or hate! And if it's a style you yourself have never attempted before - so much the better!

No money limit - go for it!

[Kiri]

Step 3: The Entrance...

The Entrance is the place where you screen your visitors, let them know who you are, and get ready for indoor life after being outside.

1. Up to 28 squares to use, and the room should NOT be square. There should be a door going out, and an archway to lead to the living room, and a door to another room. You may choose to connect it to an existing room as well - but this is optional.

The door outside should be a double door.

2. This is a 2-storey room, where the upstairs is the same shape as downstairs, but only half upstairs has a floor (not counted in the 28 squares). Depending on whether you want to put some rooms upstairs or not, you may wish to consider how you use this space (it could end up as a connecting space between rooms). Anywhere that you have windows downstairs, you have windows upstairs. Also windows for your outside door.

3. Style - something everyone likes should go in here. No colours that people hate. If there are some clashing styles... choose a style that is similiar but different. (eg... Bizarre -> Eclectic)

4. A picture or knick-knack from each person. Something that says that they live here.

5. A Burglar alarm, somewhere to sit (to clean mud off shoes) and somewhere to place bills. If you haven't placed a phone yet, you may choose to place one here.

6. A path to the entrance from the road. Knock yourself out with decorations. Please note - you still haven't clad the outside of your building - and that won't happen until later.

7. One thing from the bathroom or kitchen to be repeated in the Entrance. (e.g. Light, colour, etc)

No Money Limit - feel free to Motherlode, Rosebud, or Kaching

[Kiri]

Step 4: Working on it!

This next room is a working space. Not a true study - it's what your sims do when they are working on their passion.

This room is through that door at the entrance - not the arch, but the other door.

1. For Symmetry's sake - have the same wall formation and windows as the other side of the entrance.

2. This room is 35 squares, and any shape you like, as long as point 1 is met.

3. The important thing is the floor. It's intricate - so plain painted walls (i.e. no patterns, you can have footboards, etc). The floor needs to have at least 4 different floors patterns. Any colour or type.

4. For each of your sims, give them a workspace in the room - whatever their aspiration/LTW/personality selects for them. Example - easel for a painter, PC for business/computer geek, gardening tools and books for a gardener.

5. All Sims need a bookcase and somewhere nice to sit in their workspace. (You don't need more than 1 of each, regardless of how many live there although you can have more than one as well)

6. Finally each of their workspaces should suit their style and/or colour preferences.

No money limit.

[Kiri]

Step 5: Livin' Large!

OK. The one who pays the bills is the one who gets to choose the decorating!

1. The style of the room is from the favourite style of the breadwinner.
2. 50 Squares. Can be a little over or a little under depending on what fits the room.
3. Any Shape.
4. One double door to the outside.
5. 1-2 windows - floor to ceiling (or similiar size)
6. Plain floor - it's the walls that are on show in this room.
7. A Feature wall! (Feature wall is a wall that is setup differently to the other walls. It is generally interesting from a textural or aesthetic point of view).
8. The Living room is for living - so put in stuff for living! Your choice.

OK. Here's the addendums.

1. If you've put the Living room to the side of the entrance, you need to remember the symmetrical rule from last step.

2. Where are you putting your bedrooms? If you are putting them downstairs - you need to put a door for every bedroom attached to this room. If you are putting them upstairs, you need to include a staircase which is NOT against more than 1 wall. And the space around the staircase needs to be used as well. (i.e. no dead space)

[Kiri]

Step 6: To Sleep, perchance to dream

This one is going to be much easier... and much harder!

1. No square limit - however many squares you need you use.

2. There are 2 bedrooms, one with a double bed, and the other with only single beds!

3. Each bedroom must have a reserved outside. If they are upstairs, they get their own private balcony. Downstairs, their own private fenced in patio or verandah.

4. The Single Room is decorated in the colour preference of one person, and the style preference of the other. If you only have one or two sims - you choose the colour and style of the hated version for the 2nd bedroom.

So - 1 person - double bedroom - in colour and style likes, twin bedroom in colour and style hates.
2 person - double bedroom - in colour and style 1 person likes. Twin bedroom in Colour that person 2 likes, and the style that person 1 hates.
3 person - double bedroom in colour and style that person 1 likes.
Twin bedroom in colour that person 2 likes, and the style that person 3 likes.

That's regardless of who sleeps where.

The double bedroom needs a built-in (can be wardrobe, knick knack shelves or book case). Must have a dresser, and also one thing that is a secret from anyone else.

The Twin Bedroom needs to be set up to simulate but not be separate sleeping spaces for whoever sleeps in there (at least beds for two). They can share a dresser, but must have their own separate lighting and bedside tables.

If the bedrooms are upstairs, then the bedrooms should be able to be accessed from the upper Entrance hall.

Good Luck!

[Kiri]

Step 7: Grandma is coming to stay!

Here we go. 36 squares in any configuration.

(For Sims1, I suggest making a granny flat out the back).

Either Upstairs or out the back.

Granny needs somewhere to sleep, a kitchenette: somewhere to cook and eat, and a place for her to watch TV and do her knitting.

Regardless of what styles your sims have, Granny's style is classic, antiques, and lots of floral material.

If it's a granny flat out the back - you'll need to provide her with an outhouse as well. Or maybe a Po for under her bed?

If it's inside, she can use the main bathroom (next step).

Granny likes curtains on her windows - the frillier the better.

Old paintings, muted colours. And photos of her family everywhere!

Also you can divide the space up if you want, after all Granny doesn't entertain in her bedroom! She's not that sort of Granny!

[Kiri]

Step 8: Sometimes you just gotta soak...

1. 30+ squares in any configuration
2. Near the main bedrooms.
3. Feel free to create a corridor if you need to, to make it connect.

This is not a bathroom for just doing the necessary in, it's a bathroom for luxuriating, for soaking and enjoying a vast range of hygienic experiences.

Style: Whatever is your favourite style of your sims, but exagerate it. It's got to be over the top. (If you want to make it AbFab gorgeous, go for it!)

Contents: Bath, and the usual accoutrements of bathrooms. Toilet needs to be in a separate space. If you're having a soak in the bath, you don't want to be interrupted with someone having to go... now!

Hot Tubs, Massage Tables, TV's, Chaise Longue, bottles of bubbly... all are considered fair game.

A Feature Wall, fancy floor, and picture windows with curtains are needed as well.

[Kiri]

Step 9: Finishing the Building

Only one more step after this.... the landscaping! Duh Duh Duh Doom!

1. Basement/Attic/Shed - Depending on what works for your building - it's time to add storage space. This is where you keep all the bits and pieces that don't fit anywhere anymore. Things from childhood, old souvenirs, cleaning and DIY gear. Your sims barely ever go into this place, so dirty, cobwebby, and musty is good.

Size - what you like. BUT if it's an Attic, it needs to have 1 wall on all outer walls, and a dormer window or two. If it's a Basement - at least half as big as the size of the Ground Floor. If it's a shed - big enough to fit some decent decor (4x6 minimum)

Style - What you like with a layer of grime.

2. Cladding the building - It's time to pretty up the outside. Bricks, Stones, Siding, Panelling, etc. etc. More than 1 type of wallpaper please. (e.g. Walls and quoins, One wall a different material to others, etc, etc).

3. Doing the Roof. The roof can NOT be the Auto Roof. Please make at least two differing roof shapes.

in Sims1, you're going to need to use Roof objects on your First Floor to shape out the roof, of course if you've done a two storey roof in Sims1, you have the auto roof - but Bunny Wuffles did some great 3rd Storey fakes to use... hint, hint)

in Sims2 and Sims3 you can shape your own roof. Make it interesting!

[Kiri]

Step 10: Bringing the Elements together.

There are 4 elements: Fire, Earth, Air and Water. One Yard.

Your mission to represent those elements in the grounds of your house.

The style is yours to choose, but there needs to be a different style for each element.

If you're having trouble thinking of styles - (wilderness,manicured,modern,apocalyptic,shabby chic, etc, etc)

You can divide your grounds in any fashion you like - but the division needs to be equal. So the same amount of tiles for each.

There needs to be a functional object in each element area - and if the object relates to the element at all - so much the better.

Lots of wonderful grand tour photos would be nice, also photos showing your sims enjoying their new home.

As usual - money is no object!