Here is the outline for my next mod, The Gardens of Versailles. It will be in the concept and design stages until at least May, and hopefully be completed no later than August, so I'm leaving it here for comments and such until I get it started.
This mod is going to be a surprise for my mother. She knows I plan on building her a computer, and I expressed interest in modding one for her, but we never discussed anything besides possibly making the theme landscaping/flowers. In the summer after 8th grade I had the opportunity to visit France for two weeks with a tour group, and we made a day long stop at the Palace of Versailles. If anyone knows anything about Versailles and the eccentric Louis's that lived there, you know that it sits on a huge parcel of land, most of which is gardens. One place that particularly struck me was the Orangerie, just outside the main palace.
The Orangerie:
So with that in mind, I then chose my components. These may change, but it doesn't really matter:
HEC 7106WW Beige White Steel ATX Desktop Computer Case
MSI P43 Neo3-F LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard
SPARKLE GeForce 9400 GT
Athena Power 550W Power Supply
Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz CPU
A-DATA 2GB DDR2 800 Memory
Western Digital Caviar 160GB 7200 RPM SATA Drive
LITE-ON 16X DVD-ROM
ASUS P5A2-8SB4W CPU Cooler
So here is the sketchup model:
I'm going to try and keep the colors dull and simple. I don't want it to be a huge flashy case due to color, I'd rather it be something you can set on top of a nightstand next to a desk and actually look like a representation of the Orangerie. I didn't bother putting the components in the case, but the holes will be backed by 1/8" clear plexiglass, and the 120mm fan in the center will glow blue to simulate water throughout the cutout. I am going to have the cutout custom cut at a local metal shop to ensure the complexity stays. I'll probably get the trees at a local train hobby store, and all that would be left to do is paint the thing and put it together.
Thats about all I can think about right now, what does everyone think?