Summer Hacienda Home | A Sims 4 Stop Motion Build | No CC
- Feather Charm
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Hello Everyone!
The latest Sims Stop Motion Build video is up, and this time, we’re going full summer! This month’s theme, if you haven’t already guessed is a Hacienda style build. Now I’ll explain it all in a bit, but if you haven’t watched the video yet, you can check it out here.
Ok, so let’s get on with the blog post. This time I chose a Hacienda style home, because of course I need to; it’s summer, it’s hot, and what says “hot” more than “hacienda” (it actually means “tax authorities”). Anyway, in this blog post, I’ll outline why I chose this build, what I like about it, and what kind of stories I imagine being told in this house. So, let’s get to it! Here’s my Summer Hacienda Home.
The Reason Behind The Summer Hacienda Home
First of all, I chose a hacienda styled home, because, like I said, it’s summer, and I didn’t want to make a build full of carpets, woods and textiles that could make you, as the viewer, hotter than you already are. So, I decided to go with a style that some warmer countries adopt. Of course, that’s not the only reason.
Last year, around this time, I also did a hacienda inspired build, called the Mini Oasis Abode. Granted, it’s not an actual hacienda, but the architectural style of the build drew inspiration from actual haciendas, with the limestone rendering to the walls and the terracotta roof tiles.
However, now that I have more free time, I wanted to expand on that Hacienda look and actually make a house that is a hacienda. Mind you, the inspiration I took came from mainland Spain, not Mexico or South America. I wanted to stay true to the origins of a hacienda, and that’s why you see a lot of Moroccan influences here, like the lattice doors, mosaics and the thick white spandrels that you see, in the main courtyard.
History Fact
Spain and the surrounding region were once occupied by the Moroccans, who heavily influenced the culture in the south of Spain, and Portugal. That’s why a lot of the architecture and the culture, in the south of Spain, like in the Andalusian region, has a lot of Islamic and Moroccan features.
Dark Vs Light
I love this house. I say that with all my houses, but I do love this one, because it’s so different to the ones I usually make. I mean, take the open courtyard, in the middle of the build, for example. It just creates this oasis in an arid and hot environment, and all the water features that are dotted around the space really helps to make the home feel much cooler.
Not only that, but I’m so glad that the For Rent pack came with more hot climate features (which usually belongs Asian cultures – I see the Thai and Vietnamese influences in the windows), because I wouldn’t be able to have those shuttered windows that you see towards the back of the house. While they're more Asian inspired, they really do make the build feel more Mediterranean.
You might also notice that many of the windows are small, compared to the walls of the build. That’s because, the idea is to filter the sunlight out of a home. I wanted to emulate that architectural decision, where smaller windows are used instead of bigger ones, because in hotter climates, when the sun can be scorching, having wide, open windows can be detrimental to a home. They lend a greenhouse effect to the house, because the sun’s just freely shining into the space.
It’s why, for many homes in hotter countries, the windows are smaller and are sometimes even barred or made with patterned lattices that cannot be removed. That’s because the less light that’s let through, the cooler a room will be. Yes, the heat of the day will still seep in, but it won’t be as harsh as with rooms with giant windows. Not to mention, it saves on air conditioning costs. That’s why I have many smaller windows in this build, rather than big wall-to-ceiling ones.
A Brief History Of The Hacienda
You may have noticed I briefly mentioned that “hacienda” actually means “tax authorities”, well, that’s because, traditionally, haciendas were the homes of ruling lords and dukes, in Spain. These estates were the homes of those that ruled over the land, after they retook the Iberian Peninsula, from the Moroccans, and contained, not just the estate, but farms and even mines, if the land was big enough, or if they were located in the right spot.
Now of course, my build doesn’t include a mine or a farm (thank lot constraints on the Sims 4), however, that’s a plan for another time. It is also one of the reasons why I’m going back to creating another lot this month, and it’s not a residential building. The next sims build will be a community lot, or a venue lot, which ties into the hacienda theme. So, you’ll be seeing this style again, in the next week or two.
My Favourite Part Of The Build
While I love the pool area in the back, nothing beats the main courtyard, with the fountain and the many plant pots that have been placed in it, to water them. I love the contrast between the plain tiles and the mosaic flooring that dominates most of the build. I also love the little fountain corner in the stairwell that leads upstairs. Like I said before, the main courtyard is like an oasis in the desert (since we’ve plopped our house into a desert world, in the Sims 4).
Another part of the house that I love is the upper lounge. You can really see the Moroccan influences here. I actually took inspiration from Egypt, for this part, because this house kind of reminds me of some of those old Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot films and TV shows that took place in Egypt (iykyk…I really need to stop saying that). Anyway, the upper lounge, and even the bar lounge, at the back of the house are probably my favourite rooms. I can just imagine lazing about, looking over the courtyard, or outside the house, and just taking in the views. After all, the house is on a hill, and there’s nothing but rocks and desert for miles, beyond the small neighbourhood here.
What Stories Do I See Being Made Here?
Well, I can see plenty, as usual. One of them is that a noble Spanish aristocrat lives here, and looks after the land well, employing all those who are looking for a job, and while he might be generous to the people he governs, he’s not quite so kind to his family. Of course, he loves them, very much, but he has high expectations of his children and expects them to do well in all their studies, even going so far as to teaching them etiquette, even though they’re around 7 years old. I can imagine the children being pressured to always remain good, quiet little children, and to not make a fuss, and the only time they can be themselves is in their own room.
Of course, you can also spin the story, another way, and the house can be owned by a mafia lord (although, without mods, that’s going to be a bit difficult to establish, in the Sims 4), and the children, while they’re free to roam the house, they cannot have their belongings outside of their rooms, or his office, where he can keep an eye on them, while they work.
In both stories, I can imagine the mother of the children is just happy to be there. She loves her children very much, and when their father is being particularly strict on them, or they’ve just had a fight with him, she comforts them, tells them stories in the library, and has fun in the pool with them. I also imagine that late at night, when their children are in bed, or even during the day, at school, she and her husband find moments to reconnect and fall in love with each other over and over again, with a sweet cocktail or a glass of wine in their hand. I also imagine she’s an artist, or she used to be, before marrying and having children. Now, she enjoys cooking and lazing about, because, what else is there to do?
What About You? What Stories Do You See In The Summer Hacienda Home?
Ok, I’ve said a lot. I hope you guys are inspired by this house, and by this post. I’m pretty proud of what I’ve made, and while it’s not as big as the Art Nouveau Manor, it’s still pretty big, since the house is on a 30x40 lot, so there was a lot of space to cover and decorate. Now, of course, you guys can change up what’s in the house. You don’t need to strictly stick with what I’ve made, and if you want to download it, well, look no further. Here’s a compressed folder just for you!
Just remember, download all the files inside to your TRAY folder (not mods), that way it pops up in your gallery library, ready for you to use.
Well, that’s it from me today, I’m off to create the community build (hint, it was a present from the children’s father to their mother, because he loved her so much). While I do that, please don’t forget to like, subscribe, comment, share and follow me, here on Feather’s Charm, on my YouTube channel, on my other social media channels and on Patreon. Your support really helps me make more content like this, for you guys.
And as always, be kind, be creative, and be unique.
I’ll see you later!
Feather, out!
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