Wanna join me building a castle for my royals? This series will cover the process and also introduce you to the Royal family. I assume there will be 6-8 blog posts posted more or less weekly.
I never built this big before, and I like details and logics, so I will definitely include a bit of back-and-for thoughts in addition to the building and interior. If you see some CC of interest, just drop a comment and I'll look up credits and link. I have too much CC to give links as we go. This will probably be my only chance to go wild with the extravaganza (not my specialty, btw), so I must try my best making it all both spacious, impressive and practical. Plus - it's not a bad thing if it is also playable, once I'm done :)
So, this is Chateau Peak, located at The Pinnacles in Del Sol Valley. Not your 400 rooms castle with impressive towers, but at least it has a splendid view. With 3 full floors plus a basement it's easily the largest in my game. The building has a backstory, but was upgraded for this new royal family in my Year 150. This is the 2nd exterior I try, I want to avoid the very rustic stonewalls, because Year 150 is less than a century ago. I started with bright sand color, but found that it looks better with a tad darker color, because shapes and details will show better.
Yes, it looks a bit plain and dull, but I'll add some more trims, deco and adjust stuff like windows later. I'll leave the exterior for now - let's look inside! Just saying what you see is not the final result ;)
The sims you will see in the pictures of this series are actually real sims in the royal family tree, but many of them are dead by now. They are ancestors or other relatives to the current Monarch. Below is Queen Evez playing the piano. She died about 30 years ago, but is not aware of that yet...
You might think she is in a fully decorated room, but no - this was just a random shot while hardly any room in the castle was livable - at least not for a Queen. Her full name is Evez Marabell Luxe-Hamper. It was her late father and mother who were crowned King and Queen of Mazaloom in Year 150, back then Evez was a teenager and they moved gere from Tartosa, where House of Luxe-Hamper had the Tredony barony ever since Year 4. They still have Castello Tredony there, home to the barony, but the much bigger «Chateau Peak» is of course their new main seat. Queen Evez' younger brother, Prince Millam, inherited the Tredony barony when their father died - unlike the kingdom, it required a male successor and evez could not have both.
Her is the main saloon where guests are entertained when the Throne Room is not used, or used as a drawing room at bigger events. Below is how it looked while everything was still early planning. I often place possible, but a bit random items in certain rooms as a way to plan the usage of each room. This way I will kind of feel that I deal with items that the family already owns, when it's time to decorate.
Because each of the 4 floors will have numerous rooms, I plan 2 blog posts per floor.
Before we move on, let's see a map of the entire 1st floor (tagged ROYAL). This floor is intended to contain all rooms needed for ceremonial events, and also some events that are smaller but requires a certain level of official treatment. I've split the 1st floor in 2: All the administrative facilities are grouped to the left (blue, H+I+J especially), and all rooms mainly used for bigger events are to the right (yellow).
I want most rooms to have a name (what is used in this series might be subject to change, though). You can't tell the Butler to serve dinner in the 3rd dining room on 2nd floor. Please serve in the Butterfly room is a much more precise direction, which can not be misunderstood when the Butler passes on the needed commands to members of the staff:
A. Grand Mazaloom Hall (entrance, heart of building, big enough for mingling)
B. Tybe's Dining room (formal, but not too big for small parties)
C. Anne Drawing room (number one pick for small gatherings)
D. Throne Room (most formal and biggest room suitable for all kinds gala or with very large groups)
E. Orangery
F. Small kitchen (a practical staff station between the basement kitchen and dining)
G. The Gallery (a wide corridor connecting A with K and L)
H. Monarch's office
I. Meeting room
J. Press room
K. Chapel
L. Saloon (not decided theme or name yet)
X. Small staircase towers used by servants only
In addition thee are 2-3 toilet rooms, centered (between G and D).
1A. Grand Mazaloom Hall
This is a natural place to start - the grand entrance hall spanning two floors, and connecting several sections of the build via stairs and balcony passages.
The picture above is from early on (sorry, it's a bit dark). I had major problems with the main stairs, as I used modular stairs and platforms, not realizing sims would need more space to walk through. I have a bad habit of synchronizing big stairs like these. The stair structure is mirrored on each side, there are stairs leading from the hall all the way up to 3rd floor (privat) but because of platforms they are not on the very same tiles. The walk feels effective, but I need to find a way to lock of sections to separate household/guests/staff. In all my noble estates the Butler is in charge of restricting routing.
Note the passage right under those wall flags to save the walker some time not needing to hit the ground floor to get from left to right and vice versa. I might still adjust windows, panels and railings, but at least it is a decent start:
It's quite challenging to equip a hall like this - in fact it looks better with less furniture. You don't want the Monarch to prefer the Hall to sit down to read or include any objects that might attract the household members. I placed a few exhibition cabinets there, assuming the royal family might show off some of their collection etc.
Right now there's just a lot of woodworking horses, and the cabinets might need a version with a glass top shelter. Subject to change obviously :)
The small table is intended for (condolence/congratulations) protocols or (as is the thing at the moment) guests just wanting to write "hello Monarch, you are the bestest!". The banner shows House of Luxe-Hamper's Coat of Arms, but Mazaloom's official color is actually royal blue, so there is some additional blue fabric décor. Up at the walk passage hangs Queen Evez' official crowning portrait (dated Year 179). Today it has been replaced with the portrait of her oldest son.
The entrance of this hall has kept some of the build's old flavor. I'm yet not decided whether it looks too rustic, I think I will adjust the brick stones. The side rooms I imagine were used as weapon rooms and deliveries etc in early days, and these days I thought it was just cool to have a couple side rooms with no particular usage. They are big enough for small exhibitions or perhaps a very intimate concert, or I might add a toilet/restroom to one of them. For now they will not get my attention.
The tables right there on the floor might not stay either, but I figured some surface will be in handy when say serving drinks or finger food at certain events where the formal rooms are not used. The Hall is large enough for mingling at certain time limited events, or as a meet up spot for the grander stuff.
Turning right to explore the (yellow) section intended for parties and events:
Did you spot the gnome?
1B. Tybe's Dining Room
This is where the first Monarch, King Tybe, preferred to have his meals served, despite having dining facilities on both 2nd and 3rd floor. Nowadays it is used when serving dinner to a small to medium formal group. The table is CC intended for a Medieval setting, I used it because it's wider than what the game has on offer, but I realize it looks too Medieval, so I plan to have it replaced. I also downloaded a bunch of Medieval dining chairs, and some of those I will keep. Not only do they bring historical vibes to the rooms, but they will not be found in any of my regular houses so this is my chance to use them.
Btw, I have a system to keep track on what rugs (and other expensive stuff) are owned by which house. I do my best to avoid using the same swatch in several houses, so the swatches you see pictured might very well change before this building goes alive.
Next to Tybe's Dining Room (B) is Anne Drawing Room (C).
1C. Anne Drawing Room
This is the room where you saw Queen Evez practicing her piano skill.
It's one of the larger saloons of the building, so it is not restricted to withdrawing when the main event takes place in the Throne Room. This rom is mainly for mingling, or for some easy entertaining. It won't be locked off, so it might attract the household which is okay - too early to tell.
Pictured above is teenager Crown Prince Tarriot playing the piano while several relatives are listening. One day he will become the Monach (in fact that day came 30 years ago), and both he and his younger brother, Prince Blaise, do perform their various skills as part of their education.
Crown Prince Tarriot is not very good at this instrument, but I guess that is of less importance...
Want a quick introduction to some members of House of Luxe-Hamper?
Centered on front row is Queen Evez and Prince Consort Clempus. All to the left is the queen's brother, Prince Millam, the Baron de Tredony. Standing to the right is their 3rd sibling, Prince Barris. The sitting woman wearing a hat is Prince Barris' wife, the eccentric Princess Astoria. The seated black haired wearing a turquoise dress is Queen Evez' cousin, Lady Whilma Luxe-Hamper (has a daughter from a marriage, but divorced and took back her maiden name). Back in the corner looking up on a painting is the queen's second teenager son, Prince Blaise.
I will add links to their bio pages as soon as their family tree goes online.
Moving on to the main room of this section:
1D. Throne Room
In the Medieval age the King would sit on his thrown when debating issues with citizens of his kingdom. These days they book a meeting in his office, perhaps they will meet with the royal Superintendant. The throne and crown is used mostly on Coronation Day. So, I decided to skip a huge throne installment to be used only once by each generation. They got two old chairs to be used only for coronation, and a podium that will be used for many things.
The Throne Room is used for banquets, balls, investitures and other knighting, major press releases and of course gala dinners. The picture above gives you a hint of the original size of this room. I realized that with the 8 sims limit, I really could do with a smaller Throne Room, so on the picture I just shrunk it to add a new room right behind the podium. It's still more than big enough!
The podium is a stage, but it is also where the Monarch and consort will be seated at gala dinners. Probably also where the Bride and Groom of a wedding will sit with their parents. Slightly above the others.
The outdoors terrace can be accessed from this room and on a hot Summer day I can imagine serving the tea outside ;)
Again, there will be more paintings and deco, and perhaps different statues, too. But you hopefully get the idea. Chairs will be replaced whenever a next Monarch or Superintendant wants to upgrade.
The small kitchen (F) is nearby, but I did not yet equip it. At the moment it is filled with urns from ancestors who are no longer around. They will be moved to a crypt in the basement eventually. The main kitchen is in the basement right below the Throne Room, to make sure food reaches the guests while it's still hot. These stairs (X) will become very busy (although I might have to imagine just that, as teleporting servants is even more effective).
Only one more room to see:
1E. Orangery
Originally I saw this room right behind the Throne Room as a very formal saloon intended for guests after a gala ceremony etc, perhaps with small sitting groups but mainly a collection of sculptures and other physical arts. But I found that making it span two floors, it got tall enough for a palm tree :) This 1st floor is already highest walls, so with the extra medium height (2nd floor) added, it was more than spacious enough for an orangery or winter garden.
I just love the sunlight effects in this room! If it was not on ground level it would make for a great Wellness studio :)
Plants and furniture are rather random, perhaps not elegant enough for a castle, but I love this room and I think so does Queen Evez.
It comes across as very peaceful, and a perfect spot to retire after a busy day. Tea, anyone? There are two large murals on end walls. The room might be too moist for these walls, but hey-ho. Might add a small fountain and some sculptures, but I'll leave minor adjustments like that to the household. I realize that its location is too far off for everyday use, though - after all the household will mainly reside on 3rd floor and would easily waste one hour walking down here. So its main function will be storing exotic garden plants for the Winter.
There's no door to the garden yet, but it would seem weird not adding one. I'll deal with that later though, at this point there is not even a garden out there...
Next time we'll walk through the other section of this 1st floor, including the administrative area and the chapel. Below you see the Chapel before anything was done to it - again, daylight effects is a wonderful feature - so glad I just recovered it!
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