@Vampire aninyoseloh - Bee-yoo-tiful! You deserve the QuickDraw Builder Award! Nicely decorated and landscaped, too - love the shady garden pergola!
@PiT91 - lovely Roman Villa! Looks and feels like olden times - love the tiny but efficient latrina! The windows look like the exterior side does not match well to the walls, too grey-toned. It may just be a matter of EA's sh***y lighting, though, since I can tell the inside-side has been matched.
@sandymdh - Great job! I don't usually like the utramodern monochrome theme, but the touches of orange and grays livens this up without going overboard or Blecch-neon. Your build-tricks work very well (the pool bridge and the bendy roof) and maintain the modern style. The hole - nice idea, but it doesn't "feel" modern - the benches look OLD. Maybe reCAST them to look like plastic and in orange? Or find more modern seating in the catalog - you can outdoorize most any loveseat with CAST. Also some additional landscaping (ideally a rock garden or xeriscaping - which would be WAY hard without cacti!) would make the house look like Mother Nature liked it, too!
Good luck, one and all, be ye superspeedy or cautiousslow!

yup, mostly it is this the main fact, because I tried oh so many different textures, but they change when I change my angle. That was driving me crazy, so I put the better one I found and goodbye. I'd maybe decide to change everything and take new photos, but I'm waaaaaaaaay tooooooooo laaaaaaazyyyyyy. =D

you can tell surely by this image:
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/6950/r38.jpg
the upper floor results as an open area, while the mid-one is considered as a closed one. *BEHOLD THE DIFFERENCE!* (in a dramatic tone)

Yea... now you think of it... does seem a bit too blue. And I'm not an expert builder ether, especially for modern styled homes.



I tried putting plants in, but the plants like are CC. I guess I'll try again seeing how both the color and the counters are messed up now >_<' Maybe I should be a bit slower for round 4, I rush too much. (On almost everything I do)

Well, it's good to take your time, yes, but now that you've gotten your entry up, this is the best time to get critique on it. You have all week to fix it up.

It's just a lot of blue. You can break up the blue with white or cream and still keep that modern feel. Also, the other person is right, landscaping would really help you. Look up video tutorials and websites about modern landscaping, how it looks, what you can do. There are plenty of plants and shrubbery that EA gives that, if you're a little creative, can get you whatever look you're going for.

Damn... I wish Late Night was out... I could make that stupid hole a hot tub...

I know! All I keep thinking is like "oooh this would have looked good with a curved pool", this could have been an apartment or something like that

Exactly my thoughts!!!!

Local genius (and loon) Rainier de'Lorme, being the environmentalist that he was, chose to convert a small, abandoned tree farm in Riverview into his new home. Even so, he refused to give up his comforts and had up to date furnishings. Unfortunately for Rainier, only a year after the completion of his home, he met his demise in his lab. Pity that the formula he was creating to quadruple the effectiveness of life fruit was off by one quarter of an ounce.

The home is now up for sale and, due to the unique structure and landscaping, will not be available for long. La Maison d'Arbre is perfect for anyone wishing to escape from the reality of our world. There are 5 large windows overlooking inward in the property; two in the kitchen overlooking the center garden and living room, one in the living room with a mirror image, one in the bedroom with forest views, and one in the bathroom overlooking the lake. If you're going to live in the wilderness, make sure to take full advantage! Mr. de'Lorme carefully designed his house so that each room conveyed a specific mood and retained a specific purpose in observance with that mood. The interior colors of the home reflect each mood.

Front:

Side View:

Orange: It symbolizes balance and enthusiasm, both which with Rainier used in creating his formulas. They are fundamental truths which should never be forgotten in any kitchen.

Blue: The color of cleanliness, tranquility, and security. The color of cleanliness for a bathroom; how original. And maybe to help you feel more "secure" in your birthday suit?

Yellow: The symbol of friendship, it also represents optimism and hope. A perfect color for a living room, where new friendships often start and the place more most living takes place.

Green: This color denotes health, renewal, and fertility. I don't think this one needs any further explanation.

Garden: Perfect for quiet solitude and meditation or even as a spot for house parties, the garden embodies charm and life.

Overhead View: Because the bedroom is built between the wings of the lower level, I am able to show both levels at once. (Trees are still there, they have just disappeared from having zoomed in).


No CC was used in this lot. Some store items along with buydebug items (fish and insects). Yes, it actually is playable. I spent a long time once I moved my Sim in moving trees and such so she could use the stairs and swim in the "lake".
Furnished: §62,851
Unfurnished: §44,375

Gorgeous! Just one thing... that tree sticking trough the window

I know, I know! It's the stupid angle. If I go straight to center and look from the bed, it's not there. But then you can't see as much of the room. I'm not sure if I should "cheat" and move the tree for a picture and then put it back, try a different angle, or just leave it be. It is a tree house after all, it can be magic glass!

It's not glass, it's mosquito netting!

I don't think the judges would mind if you move the tree one rotate for that picture only and then move it back. But ofcourse a judge would have to confirm that

Hi HP, Can I swap solid foundation pieces for the foundation on stilts pieces as long as I don't change the footprint?

@heaven_sent_8_18
That's a really interesting looking house, totally off the wall idea and really well executed too. If I remember my language lessons from back in my school days, and assuming it's French (if not I'll probably sound like a loon hehe), I'm guessing "La Maison d'Arbre" loosely translates to "The House of Trees"? Either way it's a really clever idea and well done .

These early lots are really setting the bar high for the rest of us too and each round the entries seem to get better and better. I kind of feel sorry for the poor judges, I really don't envy their task of trying to judge these lots at all!

@Porkypine

Assuming the rules haven't changed since round 1, someone did ask the question back then and HP said yes you can switch the brick foundation for the wooden deck one so long as the footprint is the same, a link to the actual post is here and below is a quote from it .

Anyone else having "problems" with downloading the 3rd foundation? =(

I also think that it said somewhere that the shape and the height had to stay the same

heaven_sent...I really love that house. It would be absolutely perfect...but the tree...I just can't get past it sticking through the window. But the rest of it...WOW, WOW, WOW. I'm doing a cabin as well for this round. Nothing like that though; probably not as good.

Its amazing all the different ideas people are coming up with. Everyone's building skills are improving too. I know mine is. But the problem with that is this house is taking longer than the other two put together. I figured it would be. I'm about halfway there. Can't wait to post it. I may just forfeit sleep and finish it tonight so I can post tomorrow. I can always edit it a thousand times like I did the last one.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's houses!

Aaaaaaand...break over. Back to building.

I'm sticking with modern because that's what I'm best at...This time instead of being blue...it's yellow :D! Gonna get some sleep and continue tomorrow...but I must say that this is fun!!

EDIT: nevermind.

Love the tree house idea. It's... making me nervous!

Kinda unsure what I'm going to do with this foundation!

Oh my gosh. How do you people come up with these things, I decided on jamacian resortish but its laim pfft. I suck. Having a bad week does not help at all either ...

HP, I have a rules question regarding custom content. Would placing the Foundation lot in a non-EA town / world map be considered using a piece of custom content?

On one hand you could say that the world is external to the lot itself so it could technically be irrelevant, but on the other hand you could also say that the world could be considered a "decorative object" since lot placement may be important when it comes to the taking of the pictures.

I guess I'll err on the side of caution and assume it'd count as a piece of Custom Content for the purposes of the contest, but if you could clarify that would be awesome .

I changed the picture!!! It took me over an hour just to zoom in and out, tab and untab, turn to the left or right, etc, etc so I could get the angle just right so the tree is NOT coming through that window. Ugh...but it is done.

Feldynn - Yes...loosely. According to freetranslation.com that is. I am horrible with languages but wanted an interesting name/story and French for "tree house" sounded the prettiest. How shallow is that?

Think I should have an overhead with roof and trees to show what the lot would actually look like and/or a shot of the foundation level?

Oh no, my lot for foundation 3 is in a non-EA world! Because the world is largely empty. I think it should be OK, at least I hope it is! I mean, if there's a building full of CCs next door it wouldn't be considered part of the lot, right?

The contest is about what you do with the foundation on a 30x30 lot. Anything outside of that lot is nothing to do with the contest except maybe providing a pretty backdrop for your pics.

Annie Hanson knew from a very young age what her lifetime wish was going to be - to have the perfect garden! After succeeding at that, raising 2 children and losing her husband, this house has become too big for her and she needs to sell quick! Won't you take a look around? I promise you it won't disappoint.









When building this cabin, Annie tried as well as she could to build around the nature there, but with two kids on the way, she had some expanding to do! The atrium was the one thing she could not part with. It can be seen from five different areas of the cabin! The pond in back was built by her husband when they first bought the house. Annie would enjoy sitting with him under the willow tree, while enjoying a view of her beautiful, but exhausting, garden. These days she shares this spot with her younger, rock star boyfriend. "Its the mohawk, definitely, that does it for me" she says.






The upper deck is great for throwing a small get-together. It overlooks the beautiful garden in the back, as well as the pond and greenhouse. What is the point of having a spectacular garden if you don't show it off? The members of Annie's garden club were always so envious!






Annie never changed the bedrooms after her kids grew up. So there's a master bedroom, double bed bedroom, and a nursery. The dining room has a table that seats eight people, and there's a bar in there also built by Annie's husband in their younger days. This magical house is perfect for your family! Just make sure you hire a gardener. Or two. Or three...

Thanks for viewing my Round 3 submission!
-No CC
-Base game and Ambitions
-Store items (most from the fairy set)
-Buydebug items

(Final Draft-I'm pleased!)

Here is my entry for the Round 3

Somewhere in the early 90's this house was full of life. Kids were playing in the garden, their mother was cooking dinner for her family and their father was sitting comfortably in the living room, watching football on the television.

All of a sudden there is a terrible shriek! The mother came screaming from the kitchen, and pulled her husband off the sofa: "The kitchen is on fire, the kitchen is on fire!!"

She had been making meatballs on the stove, and the grease had bursted into flames. She panicked and tossed a heap of water onto the fire, unfortunately, this only makes grease fires explode into a large fireball.

The father tried to put out the fire, however, with no luck, the grease had spread even more and the whole kitchen started to burn down. They could not gain access to the bathroom, because the fire was now blocking their way.

The kids outside were still playing. Suddenly the older one, a boy, notices smoke coming from the kitchen windows. He took his sister by hand and ran her to safety. After making sure she wouldn’t come in after him he ran back to the house screaming for their parents.

The backdoor was locked, so he had to run around to the front door. When he got in he saw through the inner windows that his mother and father were trapped into the burning kitchen. The fire had spread to the hall and the bathroom so there was no way for the boy to stop the fire.

There was nothing he could do to save their parents. When he thought of calling the fire department it was too late, the fire had reached the sitting room and the phone next to backdoor was unreachable. He hurried out and started running towards the town, screaming for help. Although the distance wasn't long it still took him 5 minutes to run to the town and ring the doorbell of the first house he found.

An old couple was taking a nap when they heard the doorbell and the scream of the boy. When they opened the door the boy ran in blabbing about the fire and his parents. The old man took the phone and alerted the fire department. The old lady tried to calm down the boy, but he was in a state of shock and started running back home.

Not long after the fire truck raced past him. The boy felt a sudden relief; all was going to end well now. But how wrong was he...
When the firemen arrived at the house it had almost burnt down. They tried to put out the fire and eventually managed, but it was too late. The parents had already died.

They searched the house and uncovered a sad realisation. The little girl hadn't stayed outside at all, but, however went in to the house and tried to rescue mom. They found her body resting under the dining table, where the little girl had crawled to hide when she realised she couldn't get to her parents.

Years later a young man woke up screaming in his apartment. The terrible memories from his past still haunt the boy to this day.


Now that I have either your full attention, or managed to drive off this post, I can show the lot to you.
Or actually, before the pics I wanna tell you that I had so much fun making this house. Maybe I have hidden trait of a pyromaniac


The house is a medium sized two-storey house. In it's glory days it used to have very vibrant colors and a lovely garden. Now the years have done their job and the once love house is just an abandoned ruin, a memory of the past.

http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860
http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905904

The plants have taken over the house. The boy didn't want the house cleaned and restored, or teared down, so it was left as it was after the fire.

http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860

Although the fire started from the kitchen, it wasn't the room that suffered the most damages.

http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860

The bedroom for example took it worse, the little bed of the girl, the bed of the parents, all burned.

http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905904

The livingroom was also burned pretty bad, and the plants have taken it over.

http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860

Same on the dining area, and the last hideout of the little girl. Burned and taken over by plants.

http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860


The house, detailed description:
- Huge porch on the front entrance with cafetable
- Entrance hall
- Open living-diningroom, some artwork, bookshelves, fireplace, sofas...
- Inner garden, used to have glass walls (they shattered on the fire)
- A bathroom with both shower and tub, and laundry, some towels and french parfyme
- Kitchen, the starter of the fire
- A bedroom with burned beds
- A boys bedroom on the second floor
- A reading corner on the second floor
- A garden that used to be very lovely. Now the ground has fallen down and the water has taken over the space. The flowers and weed all growing wild.

Floorplans:

http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860
http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860
http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860
http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860

...and the foundation:

http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums...pg?t=1280905860

I used items and plants from Base game, WA and Ambitions. No CC or Store content was used in this lot.

I hope you enjoy looking at the pics at least half as much as I enjoyed making the lot

-armiel-

p.s. Thanks and a hug for everyone who commented on the pics on the time of making this lot.
p.s.s. Even bigger hug and thanks to Flabaliki for opinions and correcting the main text/story

EDIT:
As some of you may notice, I did remake this lot completely after all. The more I thinked it, the more ashamed I became of the lot I had posted earlier.
Thanks for Alan_Gast, Beer76, leesester, Whiterider, HP, Tom, Flabs, Kaylarox, Em, Kelra, Sheldrake, Tree.... Probably I'm forgetting many names of the people who helped and gave opinions/feedback. Thanks guys!! :lovestruc

I wish wish wish we would have been allowed to post more pictures