Review of SuperPogimon

I apologize that it's taken me so long to get back here and post this review but I've been rather a busy guy lately with just too many irons in the fire and not enough hours in the day.

Now to get started with this review, I want to say that I have always had mixed feelings about Pogi's (SuperPogimon) work. Not because I don't think he's a really great builder but because he has a tendency to push the envelope and sometimes he has pushed it further than I'm willing to go.

When I first went to his showcase thread, I saw some houses that I thought; "Do ya think ya could add some more patterns to that room?" being sarcastic as he is a guy who loves patterns and this is probably where he sometimes goes too far with me.

Now that I've said that negative, I want to say something very positive; he is a very creative and an amazing builder. He is someone who is not afraid to go way out on a limb to create;  which is the sign of a true artist. A true artist is never going to please everyone with their work. They are going to be criticized more than most because they see something that others don't see and because of that extra site, they will create things that others will not understand or appreciate.

Now I'm going to show you some of his work that I appreciate. And when I Do appreciate his work, I really appreciate his work.

Let's start with his "Victorian Apartment Life"

 To me, this is a very fine mix of architecture and landscaping. His use of different color coordination with each one shows a great eye for colors which is one of  Pogi's strong suits. The windows, the balconies, the flower plots; all make for a very appealing place. This is where you hope to see a sale sign so you can have a chance to at least go in and take a look around even if you know you can't afford to move here.

 Now I don't know how practical this build is being that we don't have a TS3 version of "Apartment Life" yet but what a nice lot to have in any neighborhood. The real estate prices are bound to go up.

Now everyone knows I pride myself on my interior design abilities. I go by certain rules when it comes to interior design. Pogi has broken every rule I know of when it comes to interior design and has the ability to shine when he does it. The above room to me is a very impressive room and just spells complete comfort and great color. Yet he has all these different patterns that I would say is a "no-no" but for some reason, they all work well together. This is something the Fidler can not do but Pogi is the real artist here and some way can paint the most beautiful picture. What does help here is the fact that it is a Victorian designed room and we all know that if you can find an elderly, widowed lady who has a Victorian house, she'll have all kinds of patterns in a room.  Here's just a couple more photos of rooms in this build that defies the Old Fidler rules:

Now anyone who knows Pogi, knows his forte is Asian design. This next build is a mixture of Asian and modern. I don't know how he pulled it off but then, that's Pogi and his ability to do things that no one else can do.

The Modern Tamura:

When I first looked at this covershot, I was a little taken back. I thought; "What kind of contraption is this?" I see this mix of Asian architecture and then this obvious modern architecture all mixed up together. I thought to myself "This was a day that Pogi went out and had too many drinks and came home and started building."

Then, the more I looked at it, the more I appreciated it. I will say that it's not the architecture that I like about it the most but it does have a certain confusing appeal to it. But, I want to move inside and show you some of my favorite rooms that got what I call the "WOW" factor out of me.

This of course is a very classical Asian interior design. Great colors and great furniture set up. The ceiling light also adds to  the whole picture. this room also includes one of Pogi's signature designs and that is a floor aquarium. This one doesn't seem to have any fish but he has some that do and it's an incredible design. One other aspect of this room that makes it so appealing is the windows and the sun roof.

I chose to show you this bathroom because I think that though it is not the usual colorful and wildly decorated rooms that Pogi is so well known for but because that to me, this is just as beautiful of a room. It's the subtlety of this room that makes it so appealing; the easy patterns and the light colors. It also conveys both the modern look and the Asian look combined in a simple way. The shower idea is also one that I will steal without remorse. This is probably where Pogi was wishing for the simple shower nozzle we had in TS2 so that we can design showers like this without putting a whole shower in there.

Gosh, I could go on and on with this review because Pogi has got some great work. I want to add that he is also a very talented Sim creator as I saw when I went through his showcase thread. This blog is about lots or I'd show you some of them but I will include the link to his thread at the end of this review and I do encourage you to go over there when you have some time to really take a look through some of the 39 pages at this time, of his work. You'll enjoy it if you do.

But, its time to get down to Pogi's most recent work and what I think is his finest work. I was amazed by the architecture when he first displayed it on my Workshop thread.

The IKEBANA

 I think the most interesting aspect of this build that stands out the most is the roof design. I think that Pogi out did himself completely here. The tier design completely compels me to want to look at this house all day. Only thing I wanted to strangle Pogi about was the tree right up in front. But then, even it adds to the overall appeal of this house. He probably should retire from building from this point because I can't imagine that he could ever possibly build anything else that will add up to the grandeur of this home. I'm only kidding of course; I'm sure Pogi will pull another rabbit out of his house just as well as Chris Angel can come up with another death defying magical trick to out do his last one.

Here is yet again one of Pogi's floor aquariums as you can see. What I really like about this living room set up is the whole idea of it in the first place; and that is the fact that it looks like a porch. Can't you just imagine inviting some well chosen friends over and sitting around on a cool evening enjoying some drinks from a beautiful and well planned dinner? The curtains were a really creative idea on Pogi's part. The whole set up is just very inviting to me. Wide open windows and the entertainment of the floor aquarium.

I felt I need to show both these photos of the dining area because you need them both to fully appreciate the room. Again he employed the use of the curtains on the windows which frame the beautiful blossomed trees just outside.  The accent wall is perfect in color and design.  This is my favorite room out of them all.

Now just to top it all off; a twilight view:

  

Overall, Pogi is more of an artist than anything else. He puts allot of self expression into his work and because of it,  he stands apart from all the other builders with unique designs that defies any rule book.

To download any of Pogi's design's you can go to the following link to his showcase thread. There's much more to look at as you'll see. 

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/102760.page

Review of Ruthless_KK

It's been a while since I've posted any updates on this blog. I suppose because it has gone so slowly that I've come to the point of almost giving up on it.

But then I realize; Rome wasn't built in a day and I must continue to be persistent if I am to succeed.

On to Ruthless_kk, or as I will refer to her in her given name;  Ruth.

Ruth is one of my judges for my monthly challenges and I consider her the main judge as she's been with me from the beginning and she also devised the very fair scoring system we use. She's a very intelligent and logic minded individual and I highly respect her for that.

Ruth is well known for her talents with Victorian architecture but she is not limited to that. I've watched her talents since TS2 and I know she has a far ranging ability with building in the Sims environment.

Lets see; where to get started with her body of work. I think I will start with a Victorian called "Willow Bend". I particularly liked the color of this house as I'm a fan of turquoise or blue-greens; I'm not sure which to call it. It features a garden on one side of it and a wrap around porch.

I think the architecture is done very smartly with the roof section around the porch and the dormer on the roof.  I'm still new to Victorian design but I think this is a classical but unique at the same time. I will say I'm not a fan of the red brick walk way but it does match well with the chimney on the left side of the house.

I think a question anybody ask themselves when they first look at a house, though it be in real life or in the Sims environment is "Would I enjoy living there?" That is one of the qualities of Ruth's homes is the feeling of invitation to come rest your weary bones and enjoy the simple pleasures of this simple home.

Lets take a look at the interior of  this simple home. First is the living room:

Now I'd like to mention that I think this house was built before the advent of certain store items, stuff packs and expansion packs and was built with some of the base game items. I'd have to confirm that with her but I think so. Still Ruth was able to still create a comfortable home that is not only inviting, but subtlety sumptuous. The colors are quiet and simple and yet compelling. Those who know me, know I'm one for bright colors but I can appreciate the softer side which this room shows.

Now this kitchen is much more my taste:

 

I love a cheery kitchen. There's something about a room that is the first place you're going to spend time in the morning for a  hearty breakfast of eggs and hash-browns. Her simple geometric stripe on the walls and the old fashion cabinets and dining chairs completes the picture for me.

Here's the link to this house for those who'd like to own it:

http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=305027

Lets move on to another fine house that I particularly liked that Ruth calls the Suburban. 

I really like the colors and textures along with the architecture of this house. The porch with it's white columns and then the green trimming makes for a very attractive picture and I know if I drove by it on the street, I'd have thoughts of  "What a nice little home this is". Knowing me, I'd also be thinking about the price too. LOL!!! Then, that of course would depend on the town and area it's in.

The living room:

Again, a quite, subtle room with simple colors and not overdone.

This nursery I think has a really nice color combination.

I am a fan of red for sure and the way she uses it in this room is wonderful. I would have done something different with the chair but other than that, a wonderful room. This room reminds me of why we need rockers. I came from a family that believed in the Mother rocking her baby to sleep at night in a rocking chair.

The link to this house is:

http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=351822

Now to be fair, I should also show you something Ruth has done beyond Victorian. I think this next house is a fine example. I don't particularly know what style it is but I will call it "70's Modern". I'll be waiting for a correction of that but it reminds me of the 70s, so I will call it that, and believe me; Fidler well remembers the 70s; the days of my youth.

To me, this house is very well put together as far as the structure. I also like the great combination of blue wood paneling and masonry. Then the throw in of rock around the door is a sign of pure genius on Ruth's part. I've seen many builders try to use three different textures on homes before and usually with terrible results. I usually advise against it. But Ruth, being the master she is has proven it can be done and with great results. I really love the flower bed built into the side of the house ont he left and the front fireplace. I suppose she may have gotten this idea from a real house but a great choice. The white stone walkway also works really well with this house.

A bedroom;

Ruth's use of the accent stone wall in this room is exceptional. There's a slight clash going on with the lamp shades but easily overlooked. Her color coordination is very well pulled off and makes this room a delightful and cheerful oasis.

I tried to find this house in Ruth's studio without luck. I will hopefully get an update to share with you folks once I can talk to Ruth again and possibly get that link.

As I went through her studio looking for this link, I was pleasantly surprised at her many beautiful homes. Though I love her Victorians, I especially liked the homes she stepped out of her usual box and built.  Saying that, I think it would serve any of you well to go to Ruth's Studio and take a look at many of her fine homes. I'm sure you will enjoy the trip. Here is the link for her main studio:

http://www.thesims3.com/userExchange.html?action=default&persona=ruthless_kk

I'll be keeping an eye on this builder for future masterpieces.

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