August 2010 Building Contest Feedback Thread

[AriaGirl77]

If you submitted an entry to the August Building Contest, you are welcome to receive comments here with the following guidelines:

- You must post that you would like to receive either compliments and/or constructive criticism.
- Feedback must only be given on builders who have requested Feedback, any other comments related to builders who have NOT asked for comments will be removed.
- Respect and courtesy are expected.  Anything considered inappropriate or disrespectful will be removed.

[Twinmum]

I'll happily accept comments on my house, whether they be compliments or things I could have done better.

Norma

[samoht04]

@Norma - I liked your house, it looked very nice from the front but it didn't seem to me that the planting carried on around back which would have got an extra mark from me, but then I am a Landscape freak so go figure!  The House was very nice and the inside is very suitable for a young family.

[Joria]

Always willing to learn how to do it better, so go ahead and send comments.

[curlybennett]

Me too! Please tell me how to improve my house.

[TommyT]

I'll take any comments as well, there was some pretty creative stuff I liked this time around - I'll post some comments in a bit.

[TommyT]

Twinmum - I like that you went for a big roof with a wrap-around deck, it fits the theme very well.  If you use the 'moveobjects on' cheat you can add fencing to the deck and place columns over the fence which would make the front and back entry stand out more.  I like your use of terrain paints in the backyard and the frontyard is very colorful.  The back wall seems bare though, so a couple shrubs there to break up the flat white wall could help.  This was a tight-budget build and you made a bold move on creating the upstairs and basement, it's too bad there was no money to furnish them - at least until lazy Sim's get jobs   Overall it's a great house and a real looker from the street

[TommyT]

Joria - I like the unique layout of your house, it seems like everything flows out from the main room.  You created some killer landscaping out front and when it's that intense I expect to see it everywhere.  The backyard and side of the house look a little bare in comparison and it's a big contrast.  I'd either tone down the front or go all-out in the back.  The roof makes the exterior look sectional, I think it'd flow better if there was a long part going from left to right in addition to what's already there.  You were definitely able to pack a lot in to this house for such a small budget!  You were allowed two more pictures, start showing off I'd like to get a better look at the family room and deck.

[TommyT]

curlybennett - I really like the exterior of your house, the landscaping, the layout were all great.  Warmer colors would make the house seem more inviting.  I would have put some trees or something in the non-fenced area of the backyard just to break up the grass a bit.  I think you did the whole blue/aqua theme very well on the inside, it's very 'in-your-face' but in a reserved way, which I think is done by offsetting all the blues with the whites.  That 1x1 square wall in the kitchen is very creative and a good way to integrate island counters into a wrap-around kitchen setup.

[AriaGirl77]

Solstice sent me a private message before the contest was over to let me know that she would be out of town for the next week, but that she would like to receive comments about her house.

[Lilygirl]

I would appreciate comments too.

[MomOfMany]

I would gladly take some constructive criticism and comments. I didn't do well in this one so it could really help me. 

[samoht04]

@ momofmany - Well, the Blue walls on the outside are just a bit too bright and 'blue' for me, I think something more subtle would have looked better. Inside looks good, the Garden could have some different terrain paint and different fence. 

@ lilygirl - I liked the Farm house theme you had, that style was my favourite in S2! (That Red one) I think the yellow was a bit, not my style but I am fussy. I do not like that terrain paint at the front, it is way too bright and stands out over the darker grass below, if it was layered and blended it might have looked okay. 

@ Solstice - I have to say I really, really liked Solstices. It just looks so not under budget, I also like the use of recolouring and tinting inside, the landscaping is also done rather well! 

[DeNile]

@lilygirl First off, I'd like to say that overall, you did an amazing job on that house! I love the farm style with the wraparound porch. I've always found that without a foundation a deck can be tricky to pull off, but you did it amazingly. I thought that the plantings throughout the yard, especially the tree by the slide, were nice touches, it made the yard look more alive. The yellow you used on the exterior of your house was a great shade, it's not an overwhelming colour but at the same time it still stands out and draws your eyes to the house. You're interior was also great, I especially loved your use of CAS with the counters, which made them look much nicer than they usually do. The touches of blue throughout the house are very nice as well, you managed to incorporate the clients favourite colours without overwhelming the eyes. I also loved your uniquely shaped master bathroom and the little entryway inside the front door.

What I think could be improved: It's great that you have a theme carrying throughout your bathrooms, but I feel as though the pattern can become a bit overwhelming at times, perhaps a less vibrant pattern would be better suited, with dramatic accents to liven it up. I also feel as though the stripe on the master bedroom's wall and the pattern on the bedspread clash a bit. They are both blue, but perhaps too blue, I think a duller blue would have worked well in there. I like the decorations you have in the kitchen, but I feel as though you forgot about them in the rest of the house. The result is a kitchen that feels homey and the rest of the house look barren in comparison. This is understandable because of your budget, but I think more 'little things' - like toilet paper rolls in the bathroom and a plant on the coffee table, would go a long way to making your house feel like a home. Your landscaping around the front really stands out from everything else, and takes away from the beauty of the house, it might look better layered in, so that it looks more natural instead of eye-poppingly overwhelming.

All in all, you had a great build, it might just need a few touch-ups to be fantastic.