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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 31st Jul 2014 at 10:44 PM Last edited by bluegirl45 : 1st Aug 2014 at 10:15 AM.
Default A Beach House - What Improvments Should I Make?
I took twelve pictures of my new building project. I really wanted you to get to see every angle of this thing even though it's pretty small. I would by no means call myself a good builder, I'd to get some suggestions to improve this.
I like coastal themed builds probably because I live on the coast and have lived in a beach house before. It was a great experience and the house looked amazing. That is was inspired the style and feel of the build. I'm trying to keep things cheap and straight-forward. I'm not going for a luxurious three-floor castle. I'm also trying to keep things base game just for simplicity. So, without further ado, here are the pictures.

Older Pictures:


So I've made a couple changes and have some new pictures. Does anyone have any more suggestions, does this look okay?



The new pool. The older one was pretty bad, how does this look?


The study is still pretty empty but I've decorated it a little and added some windows.


I didn't change the bedroom much, I might add some rugs or something in there later.


I added a vase on the counter, other than that, didn't touch it.


I moved the furniture around and added some folding screens. Do they out of place? Still certainly unfinished, I haven't decorated the other corner yet.


New rug, new wallpaper and floor tiles.


Front yard, porch and the landscaping.

So that's the house. There are many details and parts I look at and go "meh." Definitely a work in progress, I decided to post this because I am looking for suggestions to help with those uncertainties during the building progress. Are there any aspects that should I should change? Should add anything? Do these two patterns look horrid together? Please let me know.
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#2 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 12:28 AM
Just curious - but why are there no windows on the two street-facing parts of the house? The outside shots look kind of blank without windows, imo. I can tell from the inside pictures that there are windows, just not where they can be seen?

Interior decorating seems fine to me, but you're right about the living room seeming a little empty - looks fine in the closeup shot, but the top-down shows how little is in there.
If you wanted to make the pool 'pop' you could try different CAST ideas, like tile or something.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#3 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 7:25 AM
Quote: Originally posted by skmt999
Just curious - but why are there no windows on the two street-facing parts of the house? The outside shots look kind of blank without windows, imo. I can tell from the inside pictures that there are windows, just not where they can be seen?

Interior decorating seems fine to me, but you're right about the living room seeming a little empty - looks fine in the closeup shot, but the top-down shows how little is in there.
If you wanted to make the pool 'pop' you could try different CAST ideas, like tile or something.

Thanks for the feedback. I definitely will do that. I completely overlooked windows, that certainly a big flaw, when I looked at the front view but I thought something was missing but couldn't figure out what.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#4 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 10:01 AM
Completely remade the OP. New photos!
Pretty Space Pony
retired moderator
#5 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 10:42 AM
This looks like a promising start, great job! I have a couple of suggestions for improvement, feel free to do whatever you want with them Also, I find it easier when you post updated pics as a new post, rather than editing the first post. Makes it easier to see what's new and what's old, most people do it that way

- When I think of beachy, I usually picture it as very light and airy with lots of windows. It's great to see that you've added some windows, maybe you could add even more, especially to the bedroom. The right side of the house still looks a little empty.
- You could try and make the exterior a bit more interesting by using an extra wall pattern, such as lightgrey bricks or wood. Or maybe a different colour stucco if you'd prefer to use only one material. I've never lived in a beach house so you know better what would fit the style
- I would get rid of the screens in the living room, it's nice to have a spacious living room, you don't need to divide it up. I know you don't want to make it too expensive, so instead of adding more furniture, you could try and place it a bit more towards the middle of the room, away from the walls, so the room looks less empty. When you hold down 'ALT', you can place the objects off-grid, and rotate it at any angle.
- I see you've used lots of terrain paint already, try adding some dirt underneath tree and bushes too. I find it makes gardens look a bit more realistic that way.
- I would add a sink to the kitchen, especially since you don't seem to have a dishwasher, else they will do the dishes in the bathroom If you still have money left to spare, add a bookcase to the study.
- I really love your garden! And I think the furniture around the pool looks much better. Here, like in the living room, play around with 'ALT' and rotations, it will make the area more interesting to look at

Have fun and I'm curious to see your changes
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#6 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 10:55 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Klaartje
This looks like a promising start, great job! I have a couple of suggestions for improvement, feel free to do whatever you want with them Also, I find it easier when you post updated pics as a new post, rather than editing the first post. Makes it easier to see what's new and what's old, most people do it that way

- When I think of beachy, I usually picture it as very light and airy with lots of windows. It's great to see that you've added some windows, maybe you could add even more, especially to the bedroom. The right side of the house still looks a little empty.
- You could try and make the exterior a bit more interesting by using an extra wall pattern, such as lightgrey bricks or wood. Or maybe a different colour stucco if you'd prefer to use only one material. I've never lived in a beach house so you know better what would fit the style
- I would get rid of the screens in the living room, it's nice to have a spacious living room, you don't need to divide it up. I know you don't want to make it too expensive, so instead of adding more furniture, you could try and place it a bit more towards the middle of the room, away from the walls, so the room looks less empty. When you hold down 'ALT', you can place the objects off-grid, and rotate it at any angle.
- I see you've used lots of terrain paint already, try adding some dirt underneath tree and bushes too. I find it makes gardens look a bit more realistic that way.
- I would add a sink to the kitchen, especially since you don't seem to have a dishwasher, else they will do the dishes in the bathroom If you still have money left to spare, add a bookcase to the study.
- I really love your garden! And I think the furniture around the pool looks much better. Here, like in the living room, play around with 'ALT' and rotations, it will make the area more interesting to look at

Have fun and I'm curious to see your changes

Thank you, your remarks are very helpful! I will add my new pictures in a reply from this point on.
I only just noticed there was no kitchen sink, I wondered why the kitchen looked so empty. I'm still playing around the living room furniture, I will keep the comment about the screens in mind. The living room is the most lacking part of the house, I'm still working on it. I might post some new pictures later today or tomorrow. I'm essentially going to keep playing around and changing things until I end up with a product I like.
I feel like I've done the landscaping justice and I'm going to just call it pretty much done.
My agenda is: Make a better living room, flatten the edges of the lot, kitchen sink, perhaps a coffee maker and put some rugs in the bedroom.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#7 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 2:42 PM Last edited by bluegirl45 : 1st Aug 2014 at 5:07 PM.
So, I've done a little work with the living room. This is what it looks like at the moment, subject to change.

I plan to get rid of the double curtains by the TV and fiddle around with those chairs, the chairs seem too close together. After that, I do a little more work before I will call this house done. Unless anyone has any more suggestions?
Pretty Space Pony
retired moderator
#8 Old 1st Aug 2014 at 3:09 PM
That looks so much better, well done!
Scholar
#9 Old 2nd Aug 2014 at 4:25 AM
Very pretty! Just a couple of thoughts. I see two lights in the room - one on the coffee table and one in the bottom left corner. Perhaps move that ceiling light more toward the center of the left side (in the picture) of the room and add another light - if you can afford it - in the middle right side of the room (in the picture). Also, just for symmetry, I'd move the plant on the top left of the picture to the bottom left of the picture - certainly not a bit deal.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#10 Old 2nd Aug 2014 at 8:47 AM
Thanks to all of you who have given feedback you all have been very helpful! The first pictures I've taken looked pretty bad compared to how it looks now. I have reviewed the house, addressed some of the concerns and taken the final screenshots I'll need to submit my lot.
I've swapped out many of the wallpaper and floors. I've added two more windows, put some carpet in the living room. The ceiling was discolored, I fixed that. I changed quite a bit around.
For closure, here's two pictures of the final product.

Scholar
#11 Old 3rd Aug 2014 at 3:24 AM
Very nice! You might want to take your front view from a different angle as the streetlight is obscuring the view of the house.
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