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Instructor
Original Poster
#1 Old 9th Nov 2014 at 2:14 PM
Default 20x20 Tudor Revival: To upload or not to upload?


I think I started this lot sometime before University, and it's been in and out of the bin worked on slowly ever since then. This morning, I gave it a much improved exterior wallpapering and gave it a new front door from IP.

I've always loved this lot, but I've also always been hesitant about uploading. The complex stairs, which are ingeniously space-saving and completely functional, are extremely cramped.



It's that bit that really worries me. For a house with eight bedrooms, I can't imagine herding everyone around if the house is filled. I know this is something I would mention if I uploaded, but I've always tried to only share lots with more ideal playability. Or is this just something one can expect from a 20x20 lot house?

I've put up pics of the full floor plan, so you can see how any expansion of the stair/landing would really cut into the the rest of the house.
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Test Subject
#2 Old 9th Nov 2014 at 4:29 PM
I love the layout but I do see the stairs being an issue. Seems like there is a lot of bedrooms. Maybe even too many bedrooms, but I think this looks even more so true because they are all mostly the same. Maybe some different color schemes for each room would help break it up.
Instructor
Original Poster
#3 Old 9th Nov 2014 at 5:28 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Golddisk
Seems like there is a lot of bedrooms. Maybe even too many bedrooms, but I think this looks even more so true because they are all mostly the same.


Oh you reminded me of something I forget to mention. At one point I thought of using it as a dorm or fraternity/sorority for University. So I put in beds, dressers, and desks in each room to assess the space. But I realized having seven Sims in the house that you can't control would probably make the tight stairs even worse. So I never even attempted testing that out. I will definitely individualize the bedrooms a bit if I upload. Or make some not bedrooms. One on the third floor has kinda terrible windows for natural light.
Scholar
#4 Old 9th Nov 2014 at 5:50 PM
It looks beautiful! You've been very clever with the layout. In my book there isn't such a thing as too many bedrooms, but if you wanted to lose a bedroom, then I'd suggest knocking together the two single bedrooms that are located next to each other upstairs, add a fireplace and make that room the master bedroom. And because there isn't such a thing as too many fireplaces, I'd swap the double bed and desk around in the room across the landing and add a fireplace on the chimneybreast in that room. As for the bedroom lacking much natural light. I think in real life there would be more natural light through those windows than what the game has at the moment. I think there's a mod somewhere that makes the amount of light each window lets in more realistic and proportionate to their size?
Instructor
Original Poster
#5 Old 11th Nov 2014 at 9:29 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Fergus' Mind
In my book there isn't such a thing as too many bedrooms ... And because there isn't such a thing as too many fireplaces


Oh Ferg, you know I love ya. I would expect nothing less from you.

Okay, a couple things have happened here. First, I looked at my screenshots. I know it's a common suggestion for improvement--take pics and look at them. It really adjusts your perspective. I don't really need to have the split stairs. The split stairs happened, because I had "U" stairs to start with. Way back when, I didn't have all the rooms I do now above the garage. Secondly, Ferg really reminded me of how the house was before all the rooms above the garage happened. I originally had a single large master with a fireplace above the living room, with an en suite under the third floor landing and most of the pace above the garage as a terrace.

So I'm leaning toward a two version upload.

So in one version, I recreated how the house once was. Now five bedrooms with 3.5 baths still. I'm not super keen on the terrace above the garage, which is why I originally built more rooms on there. Terraces on garages just seems tired to me or something. I also got rid of the tiny shed dormers, since the problem bedroom on the third floor now has a proper, better positioned window. Pics included of those changes.

In another version, i will straighten out the stairs, I think. Tried that just now, but ran into an issues with not having a wall where I want one to be. I will probably need to rework the stairs to the basement as well. But the straight version stairs will give me room to make the half bath on the main floor into a full.

Not yet convinced on a fireplace in the bedroom above the kitchen. Bedrooms still need to be individualized.
Screenshots
Scholar
#6 Old 11th Nov 2014 at 12:01 PM Last edited by tsyokawe : 11th Nov 2014 at 5:14 PM. Reason: added an O to to[ ]
I really like the changes for the interior, but I preferred the original exterior (the one without the terrace).
Speaking as someone pretty clueless about all things architectural,
one of the things I like about a tudoresque exterior is its sense of grand verticalness.

I feel that the terrace takes things a bit too horizontally, putting toO much wideness in the view...




p.s. I like your chimney tops.
Instructor
Original Poster
#7 Old 11th Nov 2014 at 1:27 PM
Quote: Originally posted by tsyokawe
...one of the things I like about a tudoresque exterior is its sense of grand verticalness.
I feel that the terrace takes things a bit too horizontally, putting to much wideness in the view...


Hrm, that may be exactly why I didn't like it too! I'll see if I can do something to break up the horizontal expanse of the garage.
Inconceivable!
#8 Old 16th Nov 2014 at 2:28 AM
I'm a huge fan of all your builds, and this one is no exception. I love it, and I really really REALLY hope you upload it someday. =)

For the interior, I personally have no issue with a large house and narrow stairs. Just because you've built the lot with eight bedrooms doesn't necessarily mean that they are all going to be utilized at once. I can totally picture an old scrooge type with bucketfuls of money and no relatives to speak of liking a place like this. And, as you said, you would make note of it in the upload text, so people can judge for themselves whether or not it's a problem for them. That said, I probably wouldn't put a super ginormous family in the house, but a smaller family with three or fewer kids? Absolutely, and I doubt I would run into many routing issues either.

Finally, while I like both versions of the house, I'm honestly partial to the original one in your first post. It was sort of cramped in places, but it felt more authentic to me. However, I will admit that for game play purposes the layout you showed in your third post does seem preferable. And just to be contrary, I quite like the terrace! I'm a sucker for outdoor living space, lol, but they make for some great photo opportunities. Either way you decide to go with it, though, I'm sure it will look fantastic.

Looking forward to seeing what you end up with! Great job so far. <3
Scholar
#9 Old 8th Dec 2014 at 12:53 AM
Ooh, I love this. Especially the first version, though I do see what you mean about the potential routing issues. If you'd like some help playtesting to see just how much of a problem that would be, I'd be happy to give it a go. I've a fair bit of experience with managing large households and even happen to have a household sitting in my bin at the moment who'd be pretty good for testing this.

Also, for perspective on the "wow, so many bedrooms=so many sims=argh so much foot-stomping" thing. No one ever said that all those rooms have to be bedrooms. Think artist's studio, writer's study, musician's practice room. Hell, even an alchemy room! Storage room for an explorer's found treasures! Martial arts studio! There are so many possibilities. All those rooms that you don't realise you need until you've been playing a family for a while and new hobbies are being discovered and all this stuff keeps accumulating and you've nowhere to put it. Spare rooms can be a lifesaver.

And damn, I really have fallen in love with those stairs. Screw practicality, they have so much character!

no power in the verse can stop me
ge smak daun, gyon op nodotaim
jus nou drein jus daun
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