Apr
23
Dream Home 2010: Home Style
We’ve discussed location: East Coast, out west, even a few votes for Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico!
Now let’s debate home style. What do you think? Stately Victorian? Modern townhome? Cozy cottage? Italian-style villa, rustic cabin, adobe ranch? My vote’s for a Federal-style limestone house — but then, I love historic homes.
Here are a few photos to serve as inspiration:
Photo credits: Townhouse by pnwra, cottage by Mackinac Cowgirl, villa by Ramayadi.Net, brownstone by David Paul Ohmer, cabin by Jeremy Levine Design, Victorian by iLoveButter.
I wasn’t able to get in on the location discussion- but I’d say somewhere with snow for part of the year…such as Lake Tahoe, NV or Boulder, CO.
For the style of home- craftsman style, with modern flair.
I’d like to see a stately victorian or a nicely laid out ranch, I mean over-the-top ranch, since this is a dream home!
I’m struggling with a vision of an adobe ranch as a dream home. But for the sake of those who want a one story home, I can go along with a rancher.
Rustic cabin or cozy cottage is more of blog cabin to me. Townhome – no.
Italian style villa – would it be really upscale? If so, I can see that.
I think the view would determine the type of house. I love water. Mountains are great too. But I think a dream home should have its own outdoor space.
Look forward to seeing what others think.
Trying to decide the kind of home I would like to live in if I could live in any home, regardless of cost.
My heart still loves the craftsman type home with an elevator. These are truly beautiful homes with the elegance of a newer-looking place but with the old-style home look which would appeal to most people.
For practicality reasons I like homes with all living on one floor with a full basement, and upstairs for the needed room and an attached garage.
There really are so many styles of home that would be beautiful for a dream home with the deciding factor being where it is and what other homes are in the area.
Townhome–no way.
Mackinaw island for life!
Residential home style preference is possibly at least as diverse as site location opinions. Over the years I’ve found eye-catching favorites in just about every possible architectural niche. For me, it depends so much on the part of the country, and whether it’s inland or coastal, in town or country. I have mental pictures for the Cape Cod style of home, which brings to mind suburban Northeast; for the Craftsman, I think of Western U.S; Victorian for me would be the widest-ranging, though preferably suburban and with plenty of square footage. Colonial fits into the Eastern seaboard; Southern style is self-defining, though Southern Country works best as a mountain home, while the formal Plantation Estate Home calls for the Deep South’s wide-open, rolling landscape. The shingled Beach “Cottage” is perfectly coastal, the rambling Ranch is a true Westerner, and Hacienda is native to the Southwest, with variations on the Mediterranean theme being truly at home in Florida, Southern California and extending into the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Pin me down and ask me to pick just one, regardless of site; I’d likely say Southern. From Beach Cottage to Ranch, Hacienda to Mediterranean, Craftsman to Cape Cod, and Colonial to Victorian, Southern “soul” appeals most to my senses, evoking the grand lifestyles of the past with a gracious nod to the present. This ordered formality combined with a genteel air of serenity serves to remind me to slow down and savor the moment. Life is too short to dispense with one’s dreams and live solely for the sake of industry.
Southern style—well-heeled Country or traditional Plantation, which Southern Belle will HGTV charm us with in 2010?
Lahaina, Maui – it would be a lifetime vacation. How can you miss with such beauty. An open style ranch would be perfect.
If I may comment on my Dream design, it would be a cozy, warm and inviting Log Home. A Rustic feel to it. With a large floor to ceiling stone fireplace as the focal point to the great room, with large picture windows on both sides over looking a picture perfect view of Mammoth Lakes California! A sitting room/library with an old style feel to it. A kitchen that mixes a tuscan yet rustic cabin effect, large enough for the family to pitch in to help prepare meals. An outside fireplace, and beautiful landscaped back yard, far away enough from any neighbors to stay private. Large mature trees, and close enough to any creeks that may be nearby to enjoy! Thank you!
Maine would be the perfect place for the home. A cozy fireplace with beautiful surroundings. Southern Maine is perfect… You have the ocean, the mountains, the county and a short drive to Boston for the city life.
Wondering about the few posts on here this time. Any thoughts on that??
Your planners, scouts, execs dropped the ball.
I would love to see the home in Virgina. It is lovely there.
Based on the pictures above, the most aesthetically pleasing IMO is either the Villa or the Victorian ranked respectively.
I can’t believe that the HGTV Green Home is sponsored by Sherwin Williams Paint, whose corporate logo is the Earth LITERALLY getting covered with paint. Is no one else bothered by this?
I would love to see the home in the Pacific Northwest around Coeur’D Alene Idaho, beautiful mountains and all the four seasons. Natural glacier lake Great sking Beautiful gondola ride to Silver Mountain. fun all year round some of the best biking and hiking trails, Good Hunting and Fishing. and only about 6 hours from Seattle
If it were me, deciding such things, I would choose somewhere “tropical” such as Belize, Costa Rica, or Margarita Island down by Venezuela… Maybe even the Dominican Republic. It would be a totally “green” beach house with solar panels, a tankless water heater, bamboo flooring and rain water catch tanks. All sorts of eco-friendly materials to help our environment. That would be MY Dream Home… Thanks to Carter for teaching me all about Eco-friendly building and remodelling. He is my hero and He Rocks! As we all know… “Carter Can!”
Long term safety is an important issue! Away from rising waters, away from blizzards, away from drought. How about a more circular design so the bad winds just blow on past the home. But doesn’t have to be just like the famous hurricane proof “dome home” in Florida!
Could be a home on cement pillars? Or on a slope with a basement. Having a food producing greenhouse attached! A fireplace for heat in case the power is knocked out. etc. etc.
I like what collegemom said:
QUOTE: “My heart still loves the craftsman type home with an elevator. These are truly beautiful homes with the elegance of a newer-looking place but with the old-style home look which would appeal to most people.
For practicality reasons I like homes with all living on one floor with a full basement, and upstairs for the needed room and an attached garage.” said by collegemom.
As I approach retirement and haveing lived in Montana for going on 20 years; I would love to win a home in a tropical climate. I envision a nice Italian-style villa high above the water with wrap-around porch. Tile floors, beautiful entry and kitchen. Top it off with a wonderful outdoor living space, master bed, and bath in brilliant colors.
I would like see a cabin with a nise front and back, siting back a lane with tree lined drive way, and a creek on it.
cabin with a nice front and back pouch.
It is claimed that you can enter the 2009 sweepstakes every day by e-mail. Unfortunately, two days in a row I am receiving a server error (server cannot process your request). I would contact someone but the only info in the rules for Scripps and Ritway is snail mail and there is no other contact info on the HGTV website.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ONE HERE IN PUERTO RICO, I’VE BEEN A FAN OF HGTV HOMES FOR ABOUT 8 OR 9 YEARS AND I’VE SEEN HOMES IN LAKE TAHOE, IN FLORIDA IN CALIFORNIA AND OTHER PLCES WHY NOT TRY PUERTO RICO, ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT THAT PUERTO RICO DOES NOT SHW AS ONE OF THE STATES WHEN ASKED, AND I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE ADDED SINCE WE HAVE MANY OF THE PRODUCTS IN YOUR LISTING HERE THAT WE DO PURCHASE
Either style in Row Two would serve as a great and beautiful dream home. Picture One in Row Two should be built in Los Angeles,CA and Picutre Two in Row Two should be built in Manhattan or New York, New York with private roof top deck access. I just hope this year HGTV allows for 4-5 bedrooms. I can’t wait to see where it is and what it will be! Good Luck to everyone!!!
Okay Mary: I would pick the Victorian by iLoveButter (although I’m a bit confused about the photostream I find atached to that site)!!!
I’m still loving the idea of a Georgian Dream Home location, with a Plantation house that features striking exteriors constructed of stuccoed brick combined with tall French windows accented with soaring columned porches. I DREAM BIG with thoughts of swinging on the porch in the late afternoon breezes with a mint julep in one hand & the other holding on to a wonderful novel…maybe “My Dearest Cecelia”, a Novel of the Southern Belle Who Stole General Sherman’s Heart…there would be soft light filtered by wooden shutters on the interior. I picture southern hospitality with a two-to-two-and-a-half story rectangular “Plantation” style house that would welcome visitors with those soaring columned porches that run across all four sides of the house. The exterior facade features stuccoed brick at the ground level paired with wood at upper level captivating the old world charm….consider the overall ambience. It would be elegant!
Soooooo, based on the style of 19th century country manor homes in the deep South, I would vote for a Plantation house that would reflect a combination of rural practicality, and often seen surrounded by Spanish-moss draped live oaks!! You would find such homes throughout the Gulf States!! Family-friendly Plantation homes bring a rich sense of regional history to country, suburban and coastal neighborhoods.
I love Coop’s idea of Southern style, “well-heeled Country” or “traditional Plantation” as a true Southern Belle (okay maybe “Georgia Cracker” could be a better description) either one is on my “Dream” list!!!
DREAM BIG!!!!
Marie, I thought perhaps you were off to Georgia scouting new locations with Jack Thomasson. Well, we won’t tell another soul—just between us, does Jack have Georgia on his mind?
Well, moving on to Dream Home Style: after plenty of intense study, fellow blogger and Southern stargazer Marie Miller, I’ve decided your ‘True Southern Belle’ estate home is one of the most thoughtfully planned designs I’ve come across in many years. The attraction is far more than just skin deep—it has been carefully crafted with unusual attention to the smallest architectural detail—like a finely painted work of art that needs a setting worthy of its exquisite beauty. Usually homes of this size and stature are poorly-organized, notorious space-wasters; this one brings every element neatly together, including several kitchen sinks!
So, try as I might, there were very few alterations I’d choose to make to your ‘True Southern Belle’ to suit my needs. On the Main floor, I borrowed a smidgen of space from the kitchen pantry to make a 3/4 bath out of the 1/2 bath, added a few cabinet doors in the Study, and enlarged the over-garage Guest Bedroom closet. At the Second floor, I repurposed the Media/Play Room into a Library-Reading and computer lounge, and in the downstairs level I added wall space and french doors to separate the Great Room and Game Room areas, turning the entire walk-out basement into finished living space that rivals the two upper floors in every respect.
This is definitely a ‘True Southern Belle’ that dreams BIG—and while it’s without question a dream that would command a pretty penny in upkeep, once again, if HGTV is building, I’m in the game all the way.
If you didn’t catch it first time around in Marie’s post, or wish to revisit the plan, y’all can find it at:
http://www.eplans.com/colonial_house-plans/HWEPL14291.hwx
I really think a great spot for the newest home would be upstate NY in the Adirondacks.
Just a beautiful location.
I love many styles like other posters here. Favorites would be Tuscan villa, French countryside (lots of natural stone), an adobe New Mexican style would be nice………. but what I’d really love no matter what style the house is would be a return to a more gentile style of living where the kitchen is concerned. So far it seems like all the dream houses have had the kitchen out in the open where everybody could see the boiling pots, chopping, dirty dishes, greasy frying smells, etc. I’d like to see the older, more gentile, and certainly more luxurious style come back into play where the kitchen is set off and away from the guest and even family areas. With the economy going down the tubes I see the popularity of the “workhorse” kitchen coming back in style where you can treat your guests with honor and respect; where the food automatically appears in a beautiful dining room without the entire guest list witnessing all the hard work that went into it. It’s so much more hospitable to shield your guest from all of the mess. And some of us serious cooks want to disappear into our “back of the house” kitchen to work our masterpieces and come out with a finished beautiful product for our guests to enjoy. Never let them see you sweat
Can we please do away with the family style “everybody in” kitchens already? Let’s let this cruel fad die and bring back gentility and true entertaining style.
I have always loved Victorian homes, but I think a great HGTV challenge would be to do a Victorian home with a modern edge to it. I would love to see that come together! As far as location, some place that is almost always sunny, nice seasonal changes, and never too cold! (Sorry for the Alaska votes)
I would really like to see a very earthy down home feel house. Kinda country cabin farm house. Large open rooms. A true eat in country kitchen, large pantry, sperated from the dinning room. Like my comments when the location was discuss.
I would like the house to be built in to a hill with a large front porch with screening because of the water from the lake, with a beautiful view in the evening and in the morning. Yes I would like to see more than 3 bedrooms also. All rooms on the main floor, except the large master suite and master bath should be on the 2nd floor with a balcony. Also there should be a basement and garage on the bottom floor, with a green house/sun room attachment.
I really like photo #2 top row right. I have always loved the wrap around porch on the 2nd level to overlook out on the landscape.
As soon as you tell us where the home is located, I will be able to make a more informed choice on the appropriate style. I just can’t seem to picture a log cabin in NYC. Nor can I picture a southern plantation style in Aspen Colorado.
By the way Coop thanks for posting the plans for the plantation home! I made the mistake of pulling it up when my better half was looking over my shoulder. Now she want one just like it!! I should have never married a Southern Belle!
A modern townhome in NYC: YES!!! or a cottage in upstate NY.
I am all for a house to look like the 3rd home pictured above. So glamorous Hollywood looking. I would love to step out at night and see my pool and the reflection of the stars in it. That’s a girls dream right there.
didnt get in on the site,but would love to have a very big victorian home or an english castle home. washington near Spokane or near Ritzville,WA.
Based on the 800 plus posts in the previous thread (whew!), location is a hot topic for the Dream Home. While “Dream Home 2010: Home Style” is our current thread topic, I thought I’d lay out the following facts and figures that bloggers so generously provided in “Where Could It Be?”
So, in another feat of amazing late night toil, I have painstakingly put together the following essential and long-awaited data for Mary and her friends at HGTV:
Who asked for it, you got it?! Non-scientifically speaking, the most often mentioned States as favorite Dream Homes sites were (in the Top 10): 1. Virginia 2. New York 3. California 4. Florida 5. Georgia and North Carolina (tied) 6. Tennessee 7. South Carolina 8. Maine 9. Arizona, Michigan, and Texas (tied) 10. Colorado.
Since the Commonwealth of Virginia came out well ahead of all other contenders, it must truly be the State for lovers, or simply those who love the State. Regionally, the Southeast (here including Virginia, Florida, Georgia/ North Carolina and South Carolina) swept four of the Top 10 spots. Maine was the only New England State, coming in at #8; New York and Michigan, #2 and #9 respectively, were the two States bordering the Great Lakes region; Tennessee was the lone Deep South State at #6; the Southwest claimed Arizona and Texas, both tied at #9 (with Michigan), and Colorado pulled into position #10 to represent the New West, leaving the most populous Pacific Coastal State of California at the #3 slot.
So, based on tabulations, are we heading to Virginia, MARY? Perhaps the ‘Keswick Estate’ at Charlottesville, or the ‘Shores of York’, minutes from Williamsburg and Richmond? Next vital question: can you give us a heads-up on the timeframe for getting a few new clues?
And, yeah, sorry about that, Ed in Oregon. That ‘True Southern Belle’ is a charmer all right. Maybe you could reduce the print size by 60%—that would bring the total square footage on Marie’s plantation estate down to a more manageable 3,200 square feet….making it a mini McMansion.
I watch this station all the time I do mean all the time. I would like to see my dream home on the east coast.
How about an adobe house. We have seen so many other types but not the adobe. I posted a picture of an adobe house which outshines some of the houses I have seen on your show already. Let the public vote on the type of house and furniture but the winner should have the final say.
I like the idea of a house like graceland like the one on the front page here.
DB COOP= do you think they may choose Charlottesville? That would be Awesome, I absolutely Love it there!!!!! The Colonial style homes, Monticello, the history– I would want this so bad!!!! Many times I’ve thougt about moving back there again. ( I actually lived a little South of there though) I still wear sweatshirts from U.V.A. in the winter. Life is Good in Virginia! It is a beautiful place to live and work. When you scout out Pine Mountain, give us an update too!!!
Diana B.
MARY= I’d chose a VICTORIAN, COLONIAL or a FEDERAL-STYLE house,(I’m pretty sure I remember those and how sturdy and official they look)— but I guess it depends on Where the Dream Home will be.
Everyone Chose and Suggested Wonderful Homesites, but if ONE of those 3 Destinations that were Featured and Listed will be the Next Dream Home for 2010, I’m Voting for ORIENT POINT, NY. I did some “Googling”, and it is a Lovely Site and Community. I didn’t bother looking into Maine though—it’s Too Icy Cold there. Maine would not be a good destination for the warm-blooded entrants!!! Tangier Island is nice and quaint, but it would be a nuisance getting on and off the island.
I changed my mind about the “”Hamptons” though. I went on a real estate site this past weekend, and could you believe that some re-sales have a $ Price Tag of over $6 Million? Well, unless gold mines or land for drilling oil are part of the included amenities, that’s Crazy!!!!
I spoke to my cousin and she explained the location of Orient Point. When you drive to the Very, Very End of the Long Island area, there is a Fork in the Road. You could only then Either drive South or North. The “Hamptons” are on the South End, and “Orient Point” is on the North End!!!! So, HGTV Picked a Site that could Not be any Closer to the Hamptons!!!! If the Destination is ONE of those 3 that were featured– This Has to be the Site for 2010!!!! When I googled it, I also found out that it was Rated “One of the Top 10 Family Beaches in the U.S. in 2007” too!!! There is an Orient Point State Park, along with 4 other adjoining Nature Preserves and State Parks. The website describes Orient Point Park as, “a rare maritime forest with red cedar, black-jack oak trees and prickly-pear cactus. You can swim, hike, bike, or walk on a Nature Trail too. “ And when in the mood to go shopping—-you can head out to the Energetic and Culturally Diverse Manhattan for a Fun Filled day, maybe even catch a Broadway show! It seems that Orient Point is a Desired pick for Royal Real Estate, so HGTV sure has chosen a Gem, if this is the site!
Diana B.
This is just my personal dream house. I love Craftsman & Prairie School. For my particular situation, I’d like it to be in a “vacationy” part of the Midwest with summer and winter activities within driving distance, like Lake Geneva, WI; starved Rock, IL; or New Buffalo, MI. I need lots and lots of bedrooms for my large family and guests.
Also Green, Green, Green is mandatory for my family. All the next generation are involved in eco-issues from environmental engineering to habitat rehabilitation to hydrogeology.
I think old Victorian for sure, these house’s always have style no matter what year they come into!! Or a historic plantation-style home like somewhere in the south, they are beautiful with so much history behind them, you can find the coast with such scenery to. These to style of houses are true classics and always wonderful to look at and you always fill like you are at home. EXCITED to see the next location and style of the next home.
A row house/brownstone in Baltimore, particularly Fells Point would be a great idea. It is close to the water, close to bigger cities like Philly and NYC, has a lot of culture, and has a beauty that is overlooked because of it’s shipping and industrial roots.
definitely a victorian!!! NO CABINS!!! DIY already does that. you vote on what you want the house to look like outside and in even down to the color and lay of the roof shingles.. its the Blog Cabin. a super upscale villa would be sort of nice too, but a genuine plantation/victorian style home in new england with the water and lighthouses in plain sight.. amazing!
I would love a victorian with plenty of bed rooms they are always making houses with only 3 bedrooms. we need one for a big family.would love it one the east coast.
I would love to see a spectacular cottage home in the Colorado area, with beautiful fireplaces throughout- a rustic yet tranquil feel to the home.
Fort Collins, CO
I have been researching some geodome manufacters websites and think a geodome project would not only be intresting,but would also give the green home in Port st. Lucie a run for its eco dollar.To build anything less in times like this would not be in the intrest of anybody.(the winner might even be able to keep the house.)
Saw a real interesting, and work of art, house on a news show a while back. It is called a container house, they use old shipping containers as the base. Other parts of the world also use these containers for schools, etc. A great way to recycle a product that will just sit around and take up space.
Check out on google-container house-and you will see different ways they can be built. Our family favorite is the one in Maine with the all the glass. Truly a beautiful home and would certainly qualify as a dream home for us.
I would love to have a beautiful country/plantation type home in Wyoming. Not many people talk about all the beautiful places that are not on he west or east coast. I think it would make an awesome site for a home.
A brownstone! yes! A brownstone in a busy city! perfect! Nobody has thought of that as a dream home, but really how could it get better than that? The perfect home in a city with everything with a block of you. NYC? could that be the next place? I have always wanted to live in NYC.
I have another thought,why not a Frank Lloyd Wright design?I have read some people mention prairie style and forms of organic architecture ,why not revisit this forgotten icon?
Coop, oops I mean Show Me, no no that’s right Coop!! Gosh I get confused!! I truly hope that Jack T. has Georgia on his mind! Otherwise, Ira will be sooooo disappointed..he’s been hard at work with the family figuring out the menu!! The “True Southern Belle” estate home seems to be the right fit for Georgia, and maybe some of the other southern states. I’m happy that you paid some respect to the plans, and I do agree with you about making the 1/2 bath into a 3/4 bath with only compromising a bit of the pantry..PERFECT!! And, thank you for posting the plans again for all to see! After reading your next post, I must say I’m very impressed with the amount of time it must has taken for you to poll all the comments to come up with the top 10 most desirable locations, but you forgot to mention my wild shot….Utah! I’m hoping it is not in Utah ’cause I don’t see my “Southern Belle” as a perfect fit there, and the collective desire of Virginia would be much better! But, maybe HGTV has a card up their sleeve!
By the way, loved your comment about a smaller “Belle”…you know, the “Mini McMansion!!” You make me smile every day!! 
Ed: I’m glad your wife agreed with the style of the “Belle”, but I’m sorry that you might have to build one for her if HGTV doesn’t!! By the way, where in Georgia is your wife from? Hey, we have some similarities here…you live in Oregon, I live in Oregon…your wife is from Georgia..I’m from Georgia!! We could really form a “mutual admiration’s club” here!!
Ynotme: So happy to see your post & love your ideas of fair of loveliness of simple elegance in the kitchen, but please tell me you don’t cook in high heels? I now have this vision of you in the kitchen, like the fifties, when the domestic ideal was the “June Cleaver type,” a stay-at-home mom who was busily cooking and cleaning away, in her high heels and pearls. This was the decade of Tupperware parties, Jell-O molds, and aluminum glasses!! Fun era!!
HGTV: We definitely need to stop this insanity with a few new clues! We do need a new post & something new to ponder!! Or, have you not decided on the new location? If not, please take a closer look in Georgia…maybe a place close to where you can wander through distinctive gardens (each showcasing the wonders of Mother Nature in its own special style)…a place where you could live close to unique trails covering over 17 miles, maybe a place that was originally named Chipley? This town began in 1882 when the railroad spread to Pine Mountain from Columbus. Could this place be Pine Mountain, Georgia? Yes it could be!! “An area that has emerged from its days as a farming community into a primary tourism location, greatly due to the efforts of President Franklin Roosevelt and Callaway Gardens’ Cason Callaway.”
Quoting further: “Today, Pine Mountain serves as the gateway to the 14,000-acre Callaway Gardens, created to provide a beautiful, natural setting for education and recreational pursuits. The gardens that Cason Callaway opened to the public in 1952 have blossomed into an exclusive retreat with stunning floral displays year-round, 63 holes of championship golf, fishing lakes, and an array of hiking and biking trails.”
Okay HGTV, my vote is in!!
Style of the next dream home has to be fully site-dependent. A beach cottage in the Rockies or a log cabin in Puerto Rico? Ask the question again once the site is public.
I would just love to actually have a home I can afford and keep up with maintenance! Mine was built in 1049/50 and I LOVE the country charm of the old frame farm house… I’m going to have to move out in July, me and my 3 kids because the 29 windows are too old and the attic is wasting most of my energy. My bills average $500 per month for city utilities. This may not seem like much to some, but my city manager says that I am paying 4 times the amount of the same size home and family inside the city limits. I need all new siding, windows, and insulation…. house is not level…the dogs that lived here before have really stunk up the place… I need to replace all the carpet, repaint the UGLY colors on the walls. I’m a single mom, one income and I just am not going to be albe to make it there. If I don’t win, i’ll be renting again (havent’ since i was 19 years old, lived in an apartment) It’s so hard to imagine with my 2 youngest ages 8 and 10! And I have a 3 bdrm w/bonus room now… It is a design and remodel disaster! I’ve been there 2.6 years and struggling to keep it up all that time! I work too hard for too little money like a lot of others, and spend all my time working (11 hrs gone per day M-F) and the rest trying to paint, do floors, and CLEAN!! Omg, I need major overhaul!! lol! Any good shows that might be willing to help me? Maybe get all the favorites together for one big extravaganza of a show?! It’d be awesome and I have a WONDERFUL candidate of a home! So much potential and we are all so sad that we will be forced to leave mainly due to high utility costs…The time I’m gone to work… is an issue for the kids too! My 10 yr old could use a lesson or 2 from a Nanny! Total disrespect for the house I’ve worked so hard to keep!
How about a mountain home by a stream/river with a view of the valley, harnessing the sun and wind using at night , battery banks or generators. This close to nature, quite mountain home could be a contemporary, custom cedar or maybe pull off a traditional.
OOPS…..time it must “has” taken for you, should have read “have” taken you!
I would like to see an indoor spa that could be used yearround. A corner fireplace with a small pool and hot tub with a steam room or sauna as well. the room should have a vaulted ceiling covered in ceder. Right outside the spa area there could be a wood burning firepit and stone patio area. The house could be a ranch style home for easy window washing and home care. The foam/concrete foundation and wall structure is very energy effitient
Danny, I love your idea of a ‘Wright’ home and incorporating William’s ideas would be nice also. Would be nice to have pocket doors (whole wall of them) open up the main floor to the outside for further enjoyment of the outside and inside.
I guess a dream home for me is any home I cannot build myself because of financial constraints. I think we would love any style of house that was built. No townhomes. I like the idea of a home that is ‘to the ground’ and reflects the area around it, a berm house would be nice also, as well as my previously mentioned container house, though not a fan of the southern plantation style–to pretengious.
Hi my is John and I saw the green house in Florida. WOW!! What a magnificent home. If I every had a chance to build home or own one it be a home like that. I thought when I saw this home how great it would be to have something like that. Because I think it is a wonderful house and how it so engery efficient it is. I have always dreamed of a home like this for my wife, kids and me. I just love it.
If you win a dream home, how can one afford the tax on it?? How can you keep it?
Home of the future…… year 2110
The three places you discussed previously, Coast of Maine, Orient Point, NY and the Chesepeake in VA call for a modern day Victorian or Craftsman syle house. And, I agree that more bedrooms are necessary
. For me it would be a family vacation home with a big country kitchen and a big great room, a wrap around porch with a porch swing and screen room to warrant off the bugs. All of these areas get cool to cold so a big fireplace, but lots of windows too to let in the summer breeze and sunshine.
On the west coast for sure! I like to see houses that work well with their surroundings! I don’t like to see an Italian villa on the beach, unless the architect really worked it out well. If it’s in Hawaii ~ a beautiful Lanai! In the pacific Northwest there should be a sunroom with a hot tub or lap pool. In Pacific Grove it should be a wonderful beachy golf retreat. At Lake Tahoe, a beautiful cabin with vaulted ceilings and lots of exposed wood.
Cheers,
Dionne
Hi, I missed the location discussion, but I think and REALLY would LOVE to have to HGTV dream home 2010 on Long Island , NY. Preferably in the city of Dix Hills. I love NY and expecially Dix Hills it is VERY family oriented and a great community. I think that would be the PERFECT place for the dream home 2010.
Although I have no real Southern “roots”, I know that for me, and millions of others, the Plantation style home is part of a long and proud architectural legacy in our young history as a nation of builders, as are so many other styles, whether born and bred in the USA or adopted and adapted to American tastes, ranging from Colonial to Cape Cod, Victorian to Federal, Craftsman to Contemporary, from Log Cabin to Ranch, and Mediterranean to Mid-Century Modern. ALL bear the stamp of American ingenuity and creativity, and each and every style and variant stands as a visible and living testament to the diversity of American tastes and the dreams of its people.
From modular to mansion, the range of opinions are as varied as individual dreams and desires, but all deserve our due respect, if not our appreciation, by always remaining in positive territory so that everyone can enjoy all that the HGTV Dream Home sweepstakes, and as a natural and fun extension of that, the HGTV blogs, offer to us.
As always, hats off to MARY for her hard work keeping up with all the blogging action and constantly providing us with new insights and creative challenges. Now, does that get us another clue?!
Oh….I love the Victorian style! That would be lovely surrounded by stately trees and a lovely rose garden.
)
have any of the talented people ever considered the people considered us folks that are stuck on one level?
have any of the talented people ever considered the people that are stuck on one level?
Please consider us one level folks
Well, for something a lot different why don’t you all take something little from each style and combine them together to being one house. You can call it the “Coleman Style” lol just thought. I don’t know what you would actually call it. I think that is a neat yet crazy idea.
carol ann has good points!
QUOTE:
“This is just my personal dream house. I love Craftsman & Prairie School. For my particular situation, I’d like it to be in a “vacationy” part of the Midwest with summer and winter activities within driving distance, like Lake Geneva, WI; starved Rock, IL; or New Buffalo, MI. I need lots and lots of bedrooms for my large family and guests.
Also Green, Green, Green is mandatory for my family. All the next generation are involved in eco-issues from environmental engineering to habitat rehabilitation to hydrogeology.”
By Carol Ann
___________________________
right many bedrooms needed. big enough bedrooms so if unemployed family wants to move in, all i have to do is add more beds per room. just like they did in the depression or recession what ever they calling it.
tally up your bill by how many rooms you had, appliances you had, if a vaccum was in closet, how many cars, how many guns, etc.?
didn’t the old-time ‘revenuers’
AND GOING ‘GREEN’ WILL SAVE US MONEY IF THE HOME ‘ALREADY’ HAS ‘GREEN’ FEATURES!
linda woodrum would make it dreamy… again!
I liked the idea of the 2010 Dream Home being on the East Coast, possibly Maine, Virginia, or Long Island, NY. But Hawaii is beautiful, and Arizona sounds nice. As far as the style of the home, most of my wood pieces of furniture are rustic and made in Mexico. It would be great if you chose an adobe style home. However, I love a cozy cottage or seaside beach style home. I would never get tired of the beach. And don’t forget to include an in-home-gym to the floorplan. I need my daily workout on the treadmill. One last detail: I am a democrat, could you please choose a Blue State?
I would love to see a dream home built in the San Juan Islands WA Orcas Island is beautiful and would be ideal for a beautiful Green Home.
Style of a house is so incredibly varied, how does a person decide. While I see the convenience of a one floor home, the beautiful picture a two story home has is so regal looking, the berm house and other ‘green’ houses makes me envision helping the earth, a plantation home gives me visions of winding staircases and ball gowns (impractical for me), victorians are a daughter’s favorite, farmhouses with wrap around porches stir memories of friend’s places sitting at night looking at stars, and the cape cod and cottage looking houses bring make memories of summer days on the east coast. They all have their advantages and appeal for different reasons-and while not one or the other is better- I can almost guess the network may have or needs to soon decide on the style for next year’s house.
I can see the advantage of many different styles of house but probably for me the upmost important decision if building is location, location, location.
i would love to see a cottage style home i love cottages they are just warm and inviting or an older historic style home somewhere south with big wonderful trees
Pennsylvania is a beautiful state. Has all 4-seasons, close to beaches AND the mountains. Best of both worlds. The stately Victorian sounds beautiful however, I think an over the top Italian Villa would be gorgeous. The landscape-endless.
I would love to see a large room 3 bedroom ranch with a great room in the southern part of New Jersey with half acre landscaped plot. not too far from malls and conveniences.
i think the new dream home should be all modern with clean lines or like the 2009 one wear it feels very welcoming
We have been to the beach; the mountians; the woods, the counrtyside. Near sea, river, lakes and stream.
Let 2010 be the year you blew everyone’s minds away with something never done before.
Ultra modern desert living. Desert Modernism. Something on the order of say, the works of a Kendrick Bangs Kellogg?
A desert jewel.
I love to see a dream home built in Alaska or somewhere far north like maine. Anywhere north. Whatever style you choose make it a single family home on at least two to five acres. Make it cozy with a traditional/modern feel. Not regal and ornate.
All the houses have been so beautiful. I would love to see a Craftman style cottage.
My dream home would be a luxury Victorian, somewhere in Cripple Creek Colorado, overlooking the awesome mountains; perhaps, even have several types of designs included, such as European style a flair of a villa contrast, castle. Definitely the outside stucco/stone. Gardens everywhere, tall trees, a place that when you drive on the grounds you feel the peace the gentle breeze, fresh mountain air, where you know there is a God.
Just a quick line, Marie Miller, to let you know that while I kept my tally posting of locations to the top ten for purposes of brevity (so unlike me) I have to say that Utah was not left out in the snow, and did receive a respectable mention of 10 votes. There were only two states that received no mention at all; they will remain nameless to protect the innocent. Your current home state of Oregon received 12 mentions, placing it among the nine other states (besides the Top Ten) that “scored” in the double digits. So continue to hold your head high, for North, South, East or West, you’ve racked up the points and you’ve done your best!
Collegemom, I agree that a two-story home can have such a regal presence, but like you, I find winding staircases and ball gowns impractical. (Well, I could handle the winding staircase part, and I imagine Deryck would have a field day sliding down those banisters and sailing across the entry foyer.) Anyway, that’s why, when it comes to two-story homes these days, main floor Master Bedroom Suites are coming much more into demand—especially for aging baby-boomers. As I like to say, paraphrasing your comment, for the more mature folks among us, the most important decisions in home-building are “location, locomotion, and lumbar!”
I think that a cozzy cottage right by the Colorado moutains. Filled with cozzy and warm blankets to keep warm with. It should be more of a family home so that if a family is the winner, they can fit their family in the wonderfull home. But even if a family does not win, then they still have the space to do something with that room.
The style of house depends on the location. If it’s on the East Coast then I would have to say Victorian, but has to be on the water.
I also love the Italian style villa but that would have to be in Italy.
I would love to see something with an Italian or Mediterranean flare in Napa Valley or Traverse City, Mi. Imagine something open, breezy and colorful with high celings, pillars, built in nooks and wicker ceiling fans with vertically rotating blades. The home will need to have a lovely valley or water views.
Beautiful Hawaii is the perfect place for an Italian Style Villa overlooking the ocean!!!
WHAT EVER HOUSE YOU ALL DECIDE TO BUILD AND WHERE EVER THE HGTV DH IS BUILT JUST REMEMBER TODAY’S ECONOMY, LET’S KEEP IT AS GREEN AS POSSIBLE, WE DON’T REALLY NEED ANYTHING LIKE A MANSION. I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE IT IN THE RURAL/COUNTRY LIFE STYLE. BUT CLOSE ENOUGH TO A TOWN OR CITY FOR THOSE OF US WHO CAN’T RETIRE YET. I HOPE IT COME WITH A PIECE OF PROPERTY AT LEAST 1/2 -1 ACRE..I DO LOVE TENN,VIRGINIA OR EVEN GEORGIA.
During these stressful times ……….anywhere
on the islands. Maui, kauai, molokai,
Sunset, beach, would be WONDERFUL.
Love your paraphrase Coop “location,locomotion & lumbar”. You definitely have a way with words! I definitely am starting to emphathize with that attitude of the master bedroom on the first floor. My dad always said the older you got the more you hurt. I plan on hurting a lot more!
She was born in Jacksonville. Her mother was from Albama & taught her to be gracious. It’s amazing what some of those sweet Southern terms really mean. I am a Yankee who was born in Worcester MA, so I tend to speak what’s on my mind. We met in Santa Clare in high school. It’s been an interesting & happy 42 years. I persnally hope the home isn’t on the East Coast. Too humid for me. I am old enough now to where I no longer enjoy four seasons.
Marie Miller – my wife let me know she’s not a “cracker”
Hey, enough already with Dream Homes on the East Coast, Florida and the South!!!! It is so humid in those places. How about the West Coast…like Washington. The San Juan Islands between the US and Canda are a great place to build the 2010 Dream Home! There are so many islands to choose from and the air is so fresh and clean up here and the beauty of the Northwest is breathtaking. My idea of a dream home is a French Chateau high on a mountain overlooking the San Juan Islands where your soul can breathe and you can see the storms roll in on a winter day, and in summer you can see all the way to Victoria, Canada. Ces si bon!
I too would like to see it somewhere in the mountains. Snow is great but the view is more important that anything else. Craftsman style with lots of archetectural details, masonry fireplace and open plan.
There you go, Ed, 42 good years of marriage.
That’s why I think that if we’re living our ‘Golden Years’, these aches and pains are akin to ‘gold fever’—it’s tough work if you can get it, but the rewards can be mighty comforting.
As to the weather, I know plenty of folks out there are enthusiastic about the four seasons, and not to take anything away from them, but personally, I’m with you: living in Southern California, my words for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter consist of, respectively, Warming, Warmest, Not So Warm, and No Longer Warm. By the way, I AM a fan of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. (I prefer to hear the seasons go by in stereo.)
Now, it’s time for my evening glass of port and a favorite CD.
Wow, I got so involved with the Golden Years and the Four Seasons, I almost forgot the reason I signed back on the blog to begin with! (yes, a Senior Moment, one of the downsides to ‘gold fever’.) Thankfully, I usually remember what was on my mind, eventually. That’s a good sign!
With all of the opinions and suggestions and requests and, well, demands, so many active and involved bloggers have presented to the folks at HGTV lately about site locations and home styles, I’ve written my own little poetic version to sum up MY thoughts about the Dream Homes, past, present, and future. Which if you don’t know by now, go something like this:
ODE TO THE DREAM HOME
Cape Cod to Ranch, and Gothic to Georgian,
or Spanish to French, even Tudor’n Victorian.
From mansion to modular, they all meet the test,
just make ‘em spectacular, and we’ll do the rest.
If large or if small, one story or two,
I like ‘em all, I’m tellin’ it true.
Go lean n’ go green, ahead of the pack,
With site and design from Linda and Jack.
So North on to South, and East or to West,
by blog ‘n by mouth, we’re seein’ the best.
No matter the year, the Dream sets the tone,
that’s why folks are here, for keys to the Home!
I think It would be nice to have a sweepstakes giveaway home Located in Hawaii.
Hawaii is one of the best places to put an extreme sweepstakes Like this one. And I would consider doing a Italian-style villa with a saltwater pool in the back.
How about creating a nice affordable home that people could actually afford to pay the taxes on and move into and live. Has any winner ever been able to afford to live in any Dream Home? Most I would imagine, have to sell the property (probably at below market value) just to pay off the tax burden and then buy a more reasonably priced home somewhere else with the left over money.
Beside all of that, how about building a stone and timber traditional Texas Ranch House / Villa in the Texas Hill country between San Antonio and Austin, Texas.
Of the 6 home choices I definitely love the Victorian. I know that the location for the 2010 dreamhome has been chosen(though not revealed yet), but 2011 is open for my suggestion of Whidbey Island, Washington. Many Victorian style homes are there. It is so beautiful on that island. The south end accessible by a short ferry ride and the north end has a bridge. It is located in a rain shadow so it has many, many sunny days, mild temperatures and the wind could power the home to make it a greener choice as is the concern of many of the bloggers and viewers. There are many public gardens to enjoy. Whale watching. Excellent clamming and oystering, crabbing and fishing. World renowned mussels come from Penn Cove which is in the middle of the island. Close enough to Seattle (1.5 hrs) for a day trip and far enough away to have none of that big city traffic. Just 25 miles away are the awesome tulip farms which take your breath away when in bloom in April every year.
Coop good description of the weather at my house in San Diego. Except “No longer warm” was usually no longer dry too! Not as bad as Vivaldi’s icy rain would make one feel, but cool enough. Liked the poem. “Gold Fever” is apt too. Even with my French, Scotch Irish & German background I am not really a fan of violin concertos, even though my tastes in music are pretty ecclectic. Good night all. Bon Nuit Coop.
How about a beautiful, multi-level open log cabin in the mountains somewhere overlooking a lake with an entertaining type wrap around deck. Not rustic, but modern interior. Maybe Virginia. A decent amount of yard space would be great in the front for kids.
Or maybe a Tuscan Villa home in Cali.
a townhome or cabin would be nice. But definetly a victorian. That is actully dream home. or a modern cape cod(depending on the location
I vote for a ranch in an elegant style. A “U” shape with a garden in the middle of the “U” would be nice.
If a two-story style is chosen, I’d like it to have a guest room and master bedroom on the first floor. With aging parents visiting, it’s difficult when there is no ground floor level bedroom for them.
I’d also like to see a home office/art studio with an outside door entrance since so many are working from home these days. The office/art studio could also be placed in a detached garage. It would be extra inspirational if this space had a view of the garden.
A dream home to me would be a home with 5 big bed room and 1 big master bed room with 3 bathrooms and a really big kitchen. we are foster parents and we got 2 of our own it would be great to have a bigger home for we could help out more kids.
How about a stylish, stately, no luxury spared Ranch? Don’t forget the full basement and all the amenities that one can imagine…such as a horse barn, iron security fence and gate, rolling hills, pool, BBQ pergola’d patio. I also say the Mid Mid-west–ya know the Gateway to the West somewhere near St. Louis Mo.
What about a house in the Midwest in Illinois. Like Wilmette or Winneka, Illinois. They have beautiful houses and I would like somewhere where it snows and always have a white Christmas. Or, how about Mexico? Puerto Vallarta or Cancun.
My vote is with Mary. A Federal-style limestone house would be beautiful. I love historical homes as well. Go Mary!!!!
Laura
Midwestern lady
Okay, MARY, talk about being behind the eight ball this year….or are we?
Seems like the HGTV clue machine is stuck in “park” this year. Here it is April 28, and we’re not even in low gear yet. All the other neighborhood kids had the first clue out of the vault on February 19 last year, and by April 16, HGTV, via Franklin Cole, announced the 2009 Dream Home location with a video by Jack Thomasson. Waaaaaaaaaaaah! Everybody else got early clues last year, we want ours too!
If that whiny request doesn’t get the eight ball rolling, how about something very adult, like, can we have our clues now, please, fair and square, direct and upfront?
Location was fun, and home style’s a treat, but when the clues start acomin’, oh won’t that be sweet.
Signed,
Clueless
(I’ve chosen to submit this request anonymously in order to avoid the possible revocation of blog privileges due to any adverse reactions from Scripps Networks, LLC d/b/a Home & Garden Television, and all Participating Product Sponsors and their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, parent corporations, advertising and promotion agencies, all local sponsors, and their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees and agents, and any and all Internet servers and access provider(s))
Well, Seeing as how I”M going to win the next dream home, I think it should be a majestic log home overlooking Lake Tahoe. Make it really special guys! Didn’t want the dream home in Sonoma anyway because I was waiting for the beautiful log home in Tahoe…
I think it would be fantastic if you would pick one of the foreclosed homes in one of the major foreclosure areas and re-do it to be the perfect house in everyway. Alot of these homes have been destroyed by the previous owners…a little TLC and restoration would really uplift a falling community.
Good luck with your search.
The common thread as far as a person’s style of housing seems to be location. And we are hearing more and more about the main level master suite so along those lines I would like to comment that not only should the master suite along with living, kitchen, etc. be on the main floor but it should also include laundry room and furnace/utilities for the house.
I would be would love to see the 2010 HGTV pick a temperate/warm climate destination for the next home site becasue it is necessary for this style of home. Will explain further below. Also, important is having a peice of land with an interesting topography, perhaps on the side of a hill, and located near a body of water. As far as style I am think thinking of a mediterranean villa, perhaps something similar to villas found in Santorini. The architect sense behind the villa would be to have multiple object biulding simple in style but arranged thoughtfully with form, function, views and perspective in mind. The home should be intregrated with the landscape and should include multiple transitional indoor/outdoor zones taking advantage of important views and connecting the homes living spaces. just have fun.
Please! It’s time to stop this cycle of decadance and insanity.Do any of us really want to live in one of those out of reach temples deadecated to one’s ego or do you think of the things that are really important? Things like a decent place and area to raise your kids? A home you can afford to live your life in comfort and security ? Someplace that somebody can’t take from you other than God? I know a few people who live in those fancy houses , and very few of them have the things that I have mentioned here .If I had any choice of the outcome of this I would be more intrested in seeing how HGTV would handle the real life challenges that we all face when we stike out to build our own dreamhouse .Like working with a limited budget (How much bang can you get for your buck?) Being able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle?Built in quality instead of built in expense and excess?You see people on tv and in print , the so called “A listers” doeing out big bucks for the latest “gadjet” or the most conspicuis statis symbol to appitamise the vision of all thier hard work.I encourage everybody to not think about what’s impossable but what’s possable and a wise choice.
How about a beautiful cabin on the shores of Lake Superior in Minnesota or Wisconsin. We have all the seasons and because views of ocean going vessels all within 160 miles of a major metropolitian city but with the beautiful senerity of the largest great lake.
I only agree that the home should be in warm climate. Not PR only because not everyone can live there. If the first language was English then maybe that would be a good location. Don’t get me wrong I loved to visit PR, but I can not see the average american moving there. My pick would be Georgia or San Diego.
Hi i am so happy to have you people to work the way you are working to make some others peoples dreams come true. Now i will WIN, a 2010 green home, but it need to be build in utah area, specific in SALT LAKE CITY, OK!! SO NEXT PLACE FOR BUILDING A DREAM HOME WILL BE IN SALT LAKE CITY.
THANK YOU AND SEE YOU GUYS WHEN I WILL PICK MY HOUSE KEYS.
Sounds like Danny is a little negative, why are you line even looking at the Dream Homes, Bet you wouldn’t turn it down if you won it….
Danny while I agree with you on the vast size and scope of these houses being too much, I seem to be outvoted because the bottom line is the winner sells the house for tons of money and then builds what they want. Does this leave a huge monstrosity sitting empty for a while, I don’t know. From what people blog-they eventually sell leave the winner with gobs of money.
I would prefer to see a contest where the winner is the one who helps design the house, knows the location, and works within the 2.5 million the network and sponsors say the ‘Dream’ house they just built cost–or is that the value of it–not sure. Either way lots more money than the average family needs to build their dream house, I would think, but what do I know.
The vehicle is the winner’s to keep, give to a child, relative, donate–whatever as well as all the furnishings. It really is a great idea but I would hate to have to pay for this place for months until it does sell. Hopefully doesn’t take that long for the winner to realize their financial windfall and build their true dream house.
It’s a dream house so I dream big. I have a large family & we all enjoy the great outdoors. Lake Tahoe Nv.,Hawaii,Big Sir,Ca. would all be great locations for my hgtv dream house. 5-acres or more would be great. We also love amimals & they need their space.
I would love a cabin or cottage style home of around 2100 sq’. More than that would be too much to keep up with! I would really love some place warm but green – not hot, not excessively humid, no hurricanes please!
Oh…almost forgot 2 of the most important things! First, that it be geothermal or another ‘off the grid’ energy option. Second, an art studio big enough for both myself and hubbie.
I think it should be something more affordable. Top of the line fixtures and a luxurious-feeling interior, but a more modest-sized home. Something where the property taxes are around what you would pay if you had an actual mortgage. ( Between $1100 and $1700 a month). And I agree with the idea of getting the input from the winner. Although, you wouldn’t have the beautifully decorated home displayed beforehand as the winners are chosen AFTER the home is built and furnished. Either way, I’ve enjoyed watching it transform over the years.
A spain/modern style with a southern twist, in the beautiful community Virgina Highlands in Atlanta Georgia.
Has the 2010 Dream home location been announced?
i like hgtv build this beatuful house in katy texas because it looks allot better in katy texas in i would like it in katy texas and it would be very easy to see it in katy texas please!
where is the hgtv dream home is?
Hmmm, last I looked, this was the DREAM HOME blog. Everybody has different dreams, and each one of those dreams deserves respect, regardless. The point is, in my opinion, keeping posts in positive territory is not only appropriate, but proper blog etiquette.
It’s really NOT difficult to express a wide and diverse range of opinions without going negative.
Besides, it doesn’t make sense to keep visiting the same restaurant if there isn’t anything on the menu that appeals to you, unless of course you make a polite request to include items that suit your tastes.
I strongly suspect, that as a For Profit institution, HGTV has a long track record of knowing how to conduct their business in a way that satisfies the greatest number of viewers, and that provides a reasonable return on their investments.
Now, back to the Dream Home blog that is currently in progress….
What are the odds of HGTV building another Country Victorian in 2010? Slim, I’d say, but take a look at the following houseplan– it’s a real looker (but sadly, no Master Bedroom on the main floor). This Victorian is a relatively modest 2,772 square feet, but makes great use of every nook and cranny:
http://hgtvpro.homeplans.com/exec/action/plans/browsemode/details/filter/nm.l+774-vsb/hspos/hgtvpronet/page/1/planid/11702/planname/l774vsb/section/homeplans?pvs=tot.1
By the way, we’re ready out here for new clues, MARY, whenever you are…besides, most of us are good at multi-tasking; we can keep up with the house style thread AND take in those highly anticipated clues.
Dear collagemom,The problem is ,there’s no telling how many other thousnds of worthy homes out there(The tally goes up daily if you have been watching the news) that have been sitting for years with no money for even maintanece or upkeep.I have been Lucky/unlucky enough to live in the beautiful/condemed great state of Michigan and have seen thousands of my friends and fellow Michiganders lose their homes,jobs and in some cases familes because of a handful of politicians and unscrupulus bankers(whom more than a few have no more interest in this great country other than it’s monitary wealth) figured they could make money on unsecured loans instead of asking themselves if they should. I’am sorry if I’am a downer and a buzz-kill but thats the reality of our world in these working states like Michigan,Illinois,New York,Wisconson,Ohio,etc,etc,etc.In our world ,if you don’t have a job you don’t have a house,if you can’t get assistance(And belive me in michigan you have to hit rock bottom to qualify for that.) you have got to leave your state ,your home or stay and try not to starve and freeze to death.I’am one of the lucky ones ,I retired in June 08 but even I’am worried now if I can stay here much longer.So please try to be thoughtful of these people as your exspressing your dreams. Thankyou
Sorry DB I’ll lighten up for YOUR SAKE!
Food for thought,has anybody ever seen a furnace,ac unit or even a circuit box in one of these dream homes? I’ve been watching for years and have never seen hide or hair of one.
I’d like to see something traditional with a modern flare.. Most importantly, it needs to fit in with the style of the location!
I still think that while it is a DREAM home that is being built, I feel more and more people’s idea of a DREAM home is changing.
Michigan is a beautiful state and so happy you have been able to maintain your home there Danny. Going on vacation to the Upper Peninsula again this year, we love it there, lots of hiking, sitting on the lakeshore, and enjoying even smaller town living than where we do live.
I too have watched neighbors, friends, and relatives lose their homes and in one instance commit suicide over financial ruin that a person’s idea of dreams changes as everyday issues affect you. Our rural schools, healthcare, businesses, etc. are all going to be affected even worse than what we have seen.
I love the idea of a lucky winner being able to provide for their family for many years to come with the work this network has put together in building this home. I know I enter the sweepstakes every day in the hopes of being that one winner and helping my family and my community with the windfall.
Any chance of this new house being built with separate entrance to an area for a person to have a home business like salon, taxidermy, art shop, photography, etc.? Would certainly help in the economy we are going to be dealing with.
And then maybe another separate entrance for a separate living space (small) for in-law, college student home on break, newly married, etc.?
Like your mini mcmansion Coop. Looks a lot like the house I live in now. Of course my house is 109 years old! My hope is they build the house in an area where it can be sold quickly!!
Ed, couldn’t agree with you more making the location of this next dream home in one that will sell quickly.
While I love your plan Coop, I still think a master suite on the main floor is a must. This floor plan though is beautiful with so many essentials and looks fantastic. I suppose a master suite could be added where the garage is and make a detached garage somewhere on the property, doesn’t this keep home insurance costs down too. I know my insurance is cheaper because have a detached garage.
I would like to see a Williamsburg Colonial with traditional furnishings in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Ed in Oregon, what a great match; a homeowner and a property with character, both wearing their ages quite well, I bet.
As to HGTV, I’m sure that, as they always have in the past, with site selector Jack Thomasson on hand, every vital factor will be kept in mind when selecting the location and style of the 2010 Dream Home, particularly economic factors, since the vast majority of entrants in the Dream Home Sweepstakes will, by wish or by need, sell the home in order to go out and live their own personal dreams. I can’t imagine asking for more than that!
For myself, my dreams will continue large, and the 2010 Dream Home, wherever it may be, and of whatever style, will be just alright with me.
Ed,your home sounds like a keeper! If you won I know where all that money will go to.(They can’ make them like that anymore(Prove I’am wrong HGTV.).
You should build the house in Tampa,Florida.It is a great place close to the beach and really close to Disney World .The house needs to be big enough for big family get togethers and should have at least four to five bed rooms for a family of four.Since it would be in Florida it will get hot so it should have a big backyard with a pool and a place to play and relax.The inside should be decorated with a beach theme and have a lot of windows for the beatiful sun to shine through.
I would love a home built for multi-family living. Maybe along the lines of homes I’ve viewed while living in New Orleans. The ones I loved the most where U-shaped with beauitful enclosed court yards & lots of out door living spaces. Because todays cost of living is making it harder for young couples & elderly family members to support themselves this would surely make a for a true dream home for many people.
I say all the money you all spend on buying land, materials, etc you do one year where more ppl win. Pick 5 winners and make THEIR own home their dream home…it would mean more!
I wasent able to join location discussion, but my opion would be to have a nice ranch home in Oklahoma or Texas. And I think it should be more family orented with 2 or 3 kids rooms with a great backyard for the kids and pets.
Coop: I was surprised that there were 10 mentioned votes for Utah, and 12 mentions for Oregon. If the dream home were to be built in Oregon, it certainly would have some advantages…I love Oregon & the transition to move would certainly be easier…I’m thinking, why not a Colonial Style home over-looking the Pacific Ocean!!
Also Coop, I guess I’m not reading as much as I am scanning the blogs these days..so, thank you for your attribute of ‘not’ being brief..I enjoyed the stats!! And, I loved your phrase “location, locomotion & lumbar!!” Wow!! For me, since I am DREAMIN’ BIG, a definite solution would be an elevator…thank you Mr. Otis!!
Ed: Thank you for sharing your wife’s Southern background, and I truly hope you did not find my comment “Georgia Cracker” offensive! I do sometimes use colloquialism loosely! However, my relatives do date back to the original American pioneer settlers of the Province of Georgia, so I really hope you & your wife, will agree with the southern phrase….”that dog won’t hurt!!”
Italian-style villa will be a nice style for a dream home i can imagine my self already but i guess i just like the Italian-style villa because im half italianso i am going to make another decision how about a Modern townhome that will be very nice but when i think about a dream home i would like it to be big so in that case im going to make ANOTHER DECISION how about somthing that we never seen be4 somthing unique somthing with all the styles you mentioned all together oh yeah i can see that!!!
Why not give Louisiana a shot? NOT in New Orleans though. There is more to Louisiana than New Orleans. Why not somewhere in the heart of the state like Baton Rouge or Lake Charles? Both have beautiful lakes. Both have universities and industries. There is more history and culture in south Louisiana than most of your dream home locations put together. What do you say?
oops, forgot to choose a style — of course it would have to be stately
The ultimate dream home is 10-15 acres four-board fenced, farm red w/white trim 6-stall barn with tack room, feed room, wash rack, hay loft, open floor plan field stone home with large mud room, master suite on ground floor, multiple french door walk outs to spacious outside entertainment area, lap pool, many horses, dogs, cats. Location? Maui, The Vineyard, Middleburg, VA. You pick.
I like the sound of that Federal-style limstone. I love stone, its lighter so therefore appears larger than brick, and its natural, hardier, and richer substance and texture than siding. I like Castle, Cathedral, or Colonial inspired styles and Federal is moving in that category. I also like Victorian but they just did that in Sonoma.
I think that the weather is IDEAL in Hawaii. Next best place in my opinion is Clearwater, FL – especially this time of year! We also have 2 of the best voted beaches – Ft Desoto just a few miles south and Honeymoon island a mere hop across the intercoastal. Lots of attractions – 20 miles to Bush Gardens and 50 miles from Disney, SeaWorld or Universal. Hurricanes always seem to miss us here! I think it’s the best spot in Florida!!! PS> My vote would be for an Italian villa or Spanish Hacienda…Open courtyard design with front door entrance into the lanai area with a detached casita/pool house for guests.
I would like to see an Italian-style villa. I missed the location discussion, but I would to see this villa near water.
Love your front limestone house!!Stone is in!!HEY In the times we live in with home energy prices soaring and salaries droping lets consider cement poured walls and radiant heated floors and windmill for electric being more self suffient, and saving money! You’ve had a GREEN home.Lets do a ENERGY EFFICENT HOME..That’s what we need in times as these, we need a way to keep our homes,after winning a home ..in point..that we can pay bills on and afford. Also a ranch with full finish basement…saves on taxes too. We can have fancy and frills and style too and save energy cost as well. Thank you for what YOU do. Loved your Key West Dream Home…Your Fan in East Lansing MI..
That’s a good idea, collegemom, about adding the detached garage—and you’re probably right about lowering insurance costs that way. (Not sure if that holds true in all states.)
Victorian’s can sometimes prove to be difficult to reconfigure or even just to repurpose an area because of the detail and complexity of the exterior elevations, but in this case, taking the garage and turning it into a Master Bedroom Suite with walk-in closets, generous Master Bath, Sitting Area and its own patio or porch would only take some modest redrawing and a bit of exterior fluffing. The former Master Bedroom upstairs could become a Guest Room Suite, or whatever fits the needs. A detached garage could easily be added on the Kitchen/Dining/Breakfast Room side of the home (with the typical long drive, or, on a corner lot, conveniently opening onto the cross-street.) Access to the home would be directly through the side porch and breakfast room door into the kitchen. The work would easily add 700 plus square feet, making this charming Victorian tip the scales at about 3,500 square feet—about right for Dream Home status. However, as Terri points out, another Victorian to follow Sonoma’s?—highly unlikely is my bet….
Well, after all the dreams professed and the opinions expressed; once the Dream Home site is revealed, the home style chosen for the location unveiled, and, at long last, the floor plans laid out before us, we’ll carefully peruse every detail and slightest nuance—then it’s off to the races once again with every blogger’s individual ideas, suggestions, opinions and requests. And complete agreement? Not a chance!
And to Marie Miller, I admit I’m definitely a “newbie” compared to your far-reaching southern roots. My ancestors were too distracted with war-games from the time of the Vikings all the way through to World War I and II to cross the Atlantic until the mid-1940’s—in time for my parents to marry in Georgia, settle briefly in Florida, and then ensure my timely qualification as a native Californian a few short years later.
By the way, is the genteel southern phrase “that dog won’t hurt” comparable to “its bark is worse than its bite?”
Marie Miller how could I take offense at such a charming Southern Lady as you. If you re-read my post you will notice there is a happy face after “cracker”. Keep posting us Yanks have skin as thick as a Rhino. I don’t have any European Ancestors that go back as far as yours. Both of my parents are first generation United States Citizens. However my Canadien Grand Mother’s relatives were on shore watching the Nina, The Pinta & the Santa Maria land. Of course that was after they greeted Leif Erickson!
Coop batting .500 isn’t too bad! The house is aging well anyway!
I meant to say A Votre Sante’ last night, instead of Bon Nuit. One of these days I will learn to proofread my memos. Nah!
Absolutely, hands down, the 2010 home has to be in Charleston, SC. A plantation-style home in the Old South can’t be beat!
MARY= This is not related to House Designs, but; I’ll be honest, the SUSPENSE is Really getting to me now. I have an Idea= can you just give us a Little Clue? Nothing too Obvious, and No, Not Giving anything Away, but just a Subtle Clue??? I have a few Ideas:
THE WINNER OF THE 2010 HOME MAY JUST BE EATING OR DRINKING “ THIS OR THAT”:
1. Florida Oranges ( notice that it’s Number # 1)?
2. Georgia Peaches
3. Alabama German Sausages (who knew there was a Oktoberfest there too?)
4. North Carolina Hog B-B-Q
5. Maryland Crab Cakes
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
7. New York Strip Steak
8. Maine Lobster
9. Tennessee Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches (or Maybe Pie?) < this was Elvis Presley’s Favorite
10. Louisiana Crawfish , and of course, their Cajun Sauces
11. Texas B-B-Q ( yeah, it’s another B-B-Q, but this one could get you the World’s Championship Title)
12. Arkansas Gumbo
13. Missouri Chocolate and Wine ( yum yum yum)
14. Chicago Pizza
15. Ohio Dandelion’s
16. Wisconsin Cheese, Cheese Cake, Cheese Carving, Cheese Tasting, Cheese Breakfast, Cheese Everything!
17. Minnesota Eelpout (maybe a Swedish dish?)
18. Nebraska Omaha Steak
19. Idaho Potatoes
20. Montana Chili and Death by Chocolate ( yummy!)
21. New Mexico Fiery and Spicy B-B-Q ( I bet Bobby Flay likes this one)!
22. Colorado Bison Buffalo
23. Yuma, Arizona Lettuce
24. Nevada Cocktails and Liquor—(The University of Nightclubs and Bars teaches you how to make a great cocktail drink, and where else, but Vegas?)— you can even get one that has smoke coming from it too!!!!
25. California Club Sandwiches
26. Oregon Truffles
27. Washington Apples
28. Alaskan King Crab
OK, I know that I left a lot of people out, but I didn’t want to Hog the Blog!
Diana B.
My vote for type of house is first Craftsman. There is so much to love about a Craftsman style home with all the details, built-ins and woodwork–true quality. My second vote would be for the Federal Style limestone for its elegance and durability.
I’m with Diana B! More clues, PLEASE!!!!
I LOVE THIS HGTV HOME THIS IS MY DREAM HOUSE
OH MY GUD THIS ISMAY TRUE WONDERFUL
DREAM I HOPE HGTV. BECAUSE THISIS MY
DREAM HOME AND HOPE
I LIKED THE IDEA OF THE 201O DREAM HOME BEING ON THE BEACH COST POSSIBLY FLORIDA MY DREAM IS VICTRIAN I LIKED AND THE KITCHEN STYLE STYL
I LOVE HGTV FLORIDA
Anything that they decide to build will be a blessing to the winner, who I’m claiming as me! For me personally, I’m not too keen on the different styles of homes, but I did a little research on different home styles. It should definitely be home that would fit the climate and environment of the location chosen with all of the modern gadgets and technology. My personal picks are 1.VA= Neo-eclectic with a water view of some sort (McMansion or a mini McMansion with mini guest home) and 2.Hawaii=Single Family Home Cottage with ocean Views (with guest cottage). Thanks and God Bless!
Diana B.
“Nothing too Obvious, and No, Not Giving anything Away, but just a Subtle Clue???” LOL, very clever.
I would love to see something with a tropical vive. A tropical oassis.They always do such a great job.
My dream home suggestion is a Rancher Home, with the white ranch fencing over an acre or so of land. My dream has always been to rescue animals that need homes, including pigs, cows, horses too. A one level rancher would be beautiful and unique to all the other dream homes HGTV has designed. Thank you for allowing me to share my dream!
Ed: I have to admit that my heritage in Georgia is only reflected by my mother’s side of the family…my father’s family, on the other hand, is from France! My father was a full-blooded Frenchman, who became a transplant sometime in the early 1940’s! Met and married my mother in Georgia! I guess that makes me somewhat of a mongrel, but I love the integral aspects of both worlds commingling…old world meets new world! My grandmother was a warehouse of European knowledge…and, I sat at her knee on a stool as a child listening to her stories while she crocheted…lovely memories!!
I guess my desire for a plantation-style and/or colonial home comes from the Southern roots, while my father being born in Paris, I have a strong desire to live in a French Eclectic home, or maybe French Country! Take a look at another wonderful house plan that I’ve fallen in love with:
http://www.homeplans.com/exec/action/plans/browsemode/details/filter/plnid.7446/hspos/hfcnet/page/1/planid/7446/section/homeplans
Coop: What do you think?
LOCATION: PONCE, PUERTO RICO!!!!!!
Type of Home: A beautiful 2 story, 3BR, 2.5 baths, huge back yard, close to the beach….I don’t care as long as it’s in the beautiful Island of Puerto Rico!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RITA= I’m glad that you liked it. Hopefully MARY will give us a Clue or Two. I just hope she doesn’t say something like, ” Hamburgers”—- LOL!!!! Oh, and I forgot another one—
KENTUCKY Kentucky Fried Chicken
Diana B.
OK— seems we’re talking about Ancestry. OK, here’s mine: My Parents, Grandparents, and Great Grandparents ( on both sides) were Born in the U.S.A.
( Except for my Grandfather on my Mother’s side= Italy). My Great Grandfather (my Dad’s side= Germany).
I was born in N.Y. ( lived in Smithtown, NY)—- but moved to Florida when I was 9 years old, Long Time Ago—- but, No, I Cannot call myself a “Florida Cracker” The Florida Rule is that you have to be born in Florida in order to say that!
When I went to College in Lynchburg, Virginia; it was the First Time that I was ever Exposed to the Culture of the South. It was really quite a change from Ft. Lauderdale. I really LOVED IT; and Ever Since, I really always wanted to live in Charlottesville, Virginia. Their is History and Culture there; the Beauty of the Mountains; and Country Living with many people owning farms with horses and pigs, etc. is the Norm. It is a different way of life. I love Florida, but Beaches aren’t Everything!
It’s kind of sad, because many of my Florida friends and family had Only Visited Disney World or New York, and that Was It. Trust me, I’m not bragging at all. But it’s Wonderful to be able to Live in and see Different Areas of the Country. Or at least– do some Traveling! It’s surprising, but not everyone gets to do that.
My motto is, “you only live once”
Diana B.
Where and how would it be?
I am thinking of beautiful villa in very modern stile and gorgeous garden and large swimming pool with water falls to it from sirens, fish mouth, or nice sculpture of children playing or something nice. All inside house would be very modern stile.
Wherever it would be I prefer to have swimming pool, open roof and stargazer. I always fantasized to have some how bedroom on the top floor with complete ceiling in glass so you can gaze in stars before you close your eyes or with the way to close roof when you want. However, it sounds not possible to make because of dirt would be collected. Instead, let us do terrace, big. I want to swim daily. Solar energy is necessity. The cleanest and first quality air. Beautiful garden. No tornado, earthquake or flood. No danger. Safe enjoyment comfort and convenience with the most beautiful views.
It definitely need to have dressing room, not walking closet, where all your shoes, dresses, suits, coats, etc and all one side wall would be mirrored plus included extra side mirror to see your self profile and back.
Previously shown picture with a lake and trees you posted is beautiful, serene. It could be there or where ever is beautiful. May be again with the palm trees scene and very clean water. I trust that location picked would be in most desirable place. The most important thing is clean first quality air and water.
However, where ever it would be I hope the house will become mine and would have a beautiful swimming pool with waterfall and fountain in the garden. Also I hope would have a open roof for star gazing with a star gazing device, standing telescope and next to it nice sofas and seats and cocktail or dinner table. Roof kitchen too only if have lots of money. . Also, pool could be on the roof. Maybe kitchen and pool would be too much up there and better stay at ground floor as before. I am just fantasizing.
Or, maybe master bedroom on the top floor that opens to terrace with beautiful flowers and telescope on it and size of terrace would be enough to place a bed on the terrace so you can fallow a sleep on terrace (or large balcony) looking at the stars with champagne next to you. I was always thinking how to find the way that master bedroom on the top floor would have ceilings made of safe glass so you can sleep with open sky above you. (Probably too much fantasy and cannot be done to look god) or part of it. Then would be a problem with dirt above. Or sidewalls made of glass covered with floor to ceiling movable curtains, which exit to same terrace with telescope. Or just salad. Idea is there.
Diana B.: Maybe I should stick with identifying myself as a “Georgia Peach,” since there is also a history there in Florida about the “Florida Crackers!!” Florida Cracker also refers to original colonial era American pioneer settlers of the state of Florida. The first Florida Crackers arrived in 1763 when Spain traded Florida to Great Britain. Now, “Georgia Peach”…..Georgia is known as the “Peach State” because of the growers’ reputation for producing the highest quality fruit. Georgia’s peach industry has a long tradition with its first peaches planted in the state in the 18th century, and the first commercial production occurred in the mid-19th century. The peach became the official state fruit in 1995. So, I guess I like relating to myself as a “Georgia Peach!!”
I agree with you about Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville is located in the center of the Commonwealth of Virginia along the Rivanna River…and, did you know that Charlottesville, Virginia was rated “Best Place to Live in America”! The TOP 10 evaluated categories included Economy & Jobs, Cost of Living, Climate, Education, Healthcare,Crime, Transportation, Leisure, Arts & Culture, and overall Quality of Life.:)
I guess Charlottesville, Virginia, would be a great place to build the next Dream Home!!:)
Come on Jace where have you beeen roaming?
Why not rehab an existing home for a dream home? There are MANY potential dream homes here in new england that are just falling apart because nobody has the time or money to fix them.
There are victorian mansions, sprawling new englanders, capes, registered historic federal homes, all of them quickly finding their way to ruin. It’s a waste to build a new dream home when so many stand empty and alone.
Oh, and a, A-Duh, I forgot to say: New York has some nice area’s too. Smithtown or Long Island is Very Nice. When I went on a real estate site this past weekend out of curiosity; they are still selling Brand New Homes there with Horse Ranches! I don’t think Long Island changed much, it probably still looks the Same it Did 30 Years Ago!!!!
But I cannot complain about Florida. I do like it here, too. I know it’s probably one of the Most Desired States to live in— because of our Great Weather. And the Theme Parks, too. And there are so many Beach Get-A-Ways, Any time of the year!!!!
Know what? I just Love the U.S.A.!! So Many Great Places!!!!
Diana B.
MARIE MILLER= Yes, I know about that Rating. That is when I was really thinking seriously about Relocating there. I even talked to my Dad about it. He’s actually open to it, too. He used to work (most of his life) traveling all over the South, and my parents really Loved Lynchburg or Roanoke too.
Right now, because of the Housing Market, we have to wait though before making any decisions. New York? He said, ” NEVER “. Even though New York is a nice state, it is a Hard way of Living too. For me, I could Never get used to Manhattan, the Subways, etc…. and N.Y. is also Very, Very Expensive. I hate to say it, but I’m pretty sure that the average household in the N.Y. Metro area HAS to Work ( maybe even a Second Job) to pay the Mortgage, Taxes etc.. I could be wrong about that, but I’m under that impression.
Diana B.
I would like to see a off the grid home. One that uses gray water, solar, including a Hydroponic green house. Something that really works for all family members including the kids.
Whatever style home you choose, I hope that it has alot of big windows. I love the natural light. Wood floors and ceramic tile are also a favorite of mine. Plus, do not forget the doggie dream home. My dog loves to get out and play in the yard. A fence would be perfect! I like a floorplan that includes an at home gym and a good place to watch movies. My favorite colors of paint for inside the house are sky blue, tan, pale yellow, and red. I do enjoy swimming, tanning, hiking, barbequeing, and I love to waterski! Could the next HGTV Dream Home include all of these things that I have mentioned? I hope so!
Hey Diana B,You forgot Mackinaw fudge and motor city White Castles!(sliders)
Oh yea, Don’t foget Moma’s Alabama blackberry suiky
I’d like to see a Victorian like those old mansions like they have in Georgia, like the plantation mansions.
we should defintely do a villa or a victorian style home. Although treadutional is nice!
DANNY FREDERICK= Blackberry Suiky and Mackinaw Fudge sounds Yummy. And what about Green Fried Tomatoes? OK, what is White Castles though? Is that in Alabama? Another Great State. I actually thought about moving there at one time too. My Best Friend from College was from Birmingham, and wanted me to move there in the worst way!!! I checked out U.A.B., and was Ready to Go!!! Then, she decided to move to Orlando with her boyfriend!!!! I’ll Never understand why she did that. Her dad gave her tons and tons of acres of land. Anyways—- its funny how Life takes you in Different Directions, huh?
MARIE MILLER= You are a Great Historian!! I don’t know how you remember all of these dates, you are Very Smart!!! Lets PRAY that HGTV will look into Charlottesville, maybe our Dream will Come True?
Diana B.
I think the rural northwest hills of Connecticut. I love in Connecticut and it is beautiful there, especially in autumn. You should totally take that into concideration. Also, I think Nantucket Island in Mass. would be great because of the charn and historic significance or the village. You also have outstanding uncrouded beaches close nearby. Another breath taking location is on Lake Champlain in Vermont. I am just so awesome when it comes to this stuff so just listen to me (not a threat btw). Wooo.
I think a nice 3 bedroom cottage, designed for retirees and their families would be great. Since, we are all getting older, I would like to see the newest inovations to make life easier…such as a one level building with storage space and hands on innovations like nonslip flooring, cabinets within reach,etc….
I think a smart, spanish style ranch in the area around Tuscon, Az would be a nice change, I don’t believe a dream home has been done in Arizona, or a desert setting?
To Diana B. White castles are in Detroit(don’t laugh are people scared of your hockey team?)and in Alabama you used to get Crystalburgers I don’t know anymore though.THIS IS A TIDBIT FOR B.DAVIS . YOUR RIGHT! I would not.You sure sound like a spunky ol’e gal.OMG! WAIT A MINUTE!…….B.DAVIS! I’am sorry Ms.Davis I did’nt think you were still with us! I luv your films my favorite was “What ever happened to Baby Jane?”with Ms.Crawford. That movie scared the heck out of me when i was a little kid.Anyway,I’am not blogging here or entering just to win anything (Although it would be nice )I just thought it was an open forem to exspress your thoughts pertaining to the dreamhouse and what you would like to see the winner get to equal the beautiful dreamhomes of the past,and to showcase the vast diversity of wonderful places you can live.(that seems like what HGTV is all about.)I did’nt know I was supposed to write goofy poetry or talk about anything that’s not relevent to the house.I’am sorry to play the devil’s advicate,I’am just here to be socal,give my opinion,and be entertained.(Is’nt that the point.)What about this ,a follow up reality show staring the winner and the highs and lows of dreamhouse liveing.Then,we can all share the big adventure!(Now that’s scary ,right Ms. Davis?)
I think the next HGTV Dream Home should be a cozy cottage/cabin design. Kinda like the Ashville, NC Dream Home.Maybe even with a slight touch of victorian.
I can’t wait until we get to sign up!
Oh please do the Villa!!!!
If Jack chooses a location near a major city, then a Federal style limestone home would be perfect. However, if the location is tropical or resort-like, then a cottage style beach home or adobe would be better. But please do not forget to include an at home gym and a movie viewing room with a large flat screen HDTV. An office with a computer is also a must. I think it would also be fun to have a place to work on a puzzle, or read a good book. I like to cook dinner, so a kitchen with granite countertops, tile floors, and plenty of space is essential. An alarm system for all of the doors and windows would be a great addition to any dream home. A nice fenced in yard for my dog would seal the deal. Oh, one last thing…a fireplace would be great to have in the living room and lots and lots of big windows!
I would love to see the home in a Country French style.
I almost forgot…..I just saw the photo of the Italian Style Villa that Mary posted, and it looks gorgeous! I never knew what an Italian Style Villa looked like until now. It would be a great home to build near a beach.
Just want to say YES to Erin’s suggestion to improve an existing home. What a fantastic suggestion! I don’t suppose it would work for HGTV (because of the need for sponsor participation); however, an idea I feel worth investigating. The ultimate in recycling! There are so many wonderful, established neighborhoods with older homes (my favorite: Wayzata, Minnesota). Actually, that would be my dream home… a refurbished home in Wayzata. Great idea, Erin!
Okay, HGTV, perhaps you could get in touch with local governments that want to breath life back into their economy by refurbishing a home in one of their neighborhoods? Okay, I can think of difficulties you would encounter with this… but, Erin’s idea is worth investigating. Sorry, just had to follow up with one more comment.
there a place here in georgia that has 50 acros for sale out in the country that would make a nice dream home on. the school district’s is good. the hospital near by is really good. its a safe place to raise your children. the people are really friendly. but that would be a good dreem home a place with no neighbors around you have your own privacy.
I think a nice, big plantation style manor/mansion in Louisiana would be the perfect dream home! New Orleans perhaps with some good flood protection engineering (built on stilts or a platform)? Those homes lend themselves to majestic landscaping and enough rooms for multiple designers to live out their design fantasies! Maybe other homeowners will find economical ways to flood proof their homes as a result of your show! Maybe even make affordable flood proofing an outreach/extension of your show. I know people will say …been there, done that, but Heaven knows those folks still need as much support as the nation can give them. Katrina is an event Americans must NEVER FORGET!
Definitely,
Southern style house with huge wrap around porch (with rockers or course), maybe with a twist of modern and strait lines. Need to add a low fence, with an beautiful garden to one side of the house. It needs to be family friendly.
Location: TN,GA, NC or SC, with lots of land. Beautiful acres with mountains or a ranch (maybe some animals).
Please, give it to someone who really needs it ( like a family who had their house foreclosed on, or got laid off this year).
A log cabin in Main next to a lake. Wood be my dream home
A beautiful timber framed story and a half home built in the lushes hills of Hawaii over looking the awesome Pacific Ocean!
Can’t you see it?!!!
Style of home should complement location. I like modern clean lines, one level (if style/location allows) that are totally eco friendly. I have been recycling and going “green” for 20+ years, glad to see it’s finally caught on. I also love Craftsman/modern style in the right locations.
I like the idea of taking an old home and totally renovating it with the following features – spa bathrooms with heated floors and towel warmer, in-home gym, fabulous master bedroom retreat with huge closets, open flow living spaces, office with glass door storage, “cooks” kitchen with walk-in pantry, separate laundry room with sink, fireplaces, solar panels (enough to cover electricity for home), tankless water heater, energy star appliances, outside garden rooms, pool & spa outside (or if in cold climate maybe an indoor lap pool). If modern or tropical design, I love an indoor/outdoor shower in master bathroom. Floors should be eco friendly wood or tile or man-made hard surface. LOTS of storage space, two car garage. Home design and decor should allow for pet ownership. Landscape should be in keeping with the local climate and yet beautiful and people/pet friendly.
Forgot to say my location preference — California of course, I love everywhere I have lived, San Diego, Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles and now southern California country, but my heart is in California.
Hi All…my husband and I enjoyed the rainy days in Hawaii while BoBo(and his doggie-sitter)basked in the warm Sonoma weather! We were happy in our beautiful Polynesian bungalow,but are HAPPIER back here in fabulous Sonoma.(Dorothy was right…”there’s no place like home”!)OH…by the way…my next door neighbor,Tom, said he heard the next DH is in Albuquerque,New Mexico!!! Let’s see if he heard correctly!!! Ingrid from Sonoma
PS…Ed from Oregon and Lyn are both correct;let’s guess the style of the home AFTER we find out the location.(N.M.???)
Diana B, I’ll have a number 8, with plenty of drawn butter, a small order of 23 with honey mustard on the side, and a number 13 please. Oh, and an order of number 15 with a baguette, please, to round things out. (And I’m not even hungry at the moment—but it all sounds fun.)
How divine, Marie Miller, your home plan (E-2009) is an attractive blend of two architectural styles. With its columned Southern front porch and romantic French accents, who would have guessed that Southern charm and French sophistication would compliment each other so appealingly?! All of this in a modest 2,160 square feet. Very well done.
Would I change a thing about this gem? Well, only in the very slightest: I think the color rendering does a slight injustice to the home’s curb appeal by hiding its full potential behind the green side “panels” that flank the front elevation. I’d say change and lighten the color at the very least, perhaps change-out the “panel” material for an elegant “shuttered” look, or better yet, for a more fitted, visually pleasing effect, grace each side with a pair of stylish, matching windows befitting the more formal character of the home’s front facade. Interior-wise, a minor regrouping in the Master Bathroom could make for a more user-friendly space. (My personal opinion, of course.) All in all, a comfortable floor plan that is thoughtfully laid out for a home of this size. Oh, so many house plans, so little time….
And of course, our Chief Blog Officer, MARY, will soon be keeping us on our toes with exciting new clues to the location of the 2010 Dream Home, won’t she??
One last line to complement the comments about home styles:
The commonality of poetry and design is in the artistic use of form and function,
whether free-form or metered, inspirational or merely conversational, each provides a sensory bridge from eyes and ears to mind, and thus from ordinary to the extraordinary. I’m happy to continue enjoying both.
Welcome home to Sonoma, Ingrid. Did you say Albuquerque? Why not?!
l would like too see a home in maine and have beauiful county home and a fence would be perfect and alot of windows and color yellow ,blue,red
This is the first time I have ever joined in on a blog discussion. I just wanted to say I think the most beatiful place for a home is in the mountains of W.Virginia. It would be nice if the house was all on one floor, in case the winner was older, or had small children. I’ve had the upstairs and it is really great until your knees give out or one of your kids falls down the stairs. Up and down all day everyday is not so great. So One floor would be nice with a large porch on three sides and a large deck on the back. When you can sit outside on the porch while it is raining and look out into the woods or down the mountain side and not get wet, it is very calming and romantic if you have a sweetie to share it with. Just my opinion. Carol
I like the ideal of a dream home but how come they had not built one in philadephila
and the winners are ready have nice homes I would love to when one of the dream homes but never the less I like victorian
The next dream home should include a master bathroom with a large walk in shower that has a bench inside to sit down on. No tub, please. Also, a very large master closet for those of us with alot of shoes and clothing. Next, I’d like to see atleast one guest bedroom to accomodate family that plan to visit. Also, for entertainment, a dart board to play cricket on. Could the home also have a doggie door and a fenced in yard? My dog would love it. Furthermore, it would be nice if the home was close to good restaurants, a movie theater, broadway plays, festivals, hiking trails, a beach, shopping, etc. These items, and everything else that I previously mentioned in other posts, would make Dream Home 2010 the perfect place to live! I cannot wait to see which location and home style Jack Thomasson chooses for next year’s home.
It would be great to see a house in an area where people can live and work. Personally I’d like to see a french style home or an adorable english cottage. Either way, it must have a hot tub.
I’ve been doing some house hunting and think that Leesburg, VA has some great countryside – yet it’s close to an IT hotbed. It’d be a great place for a beautiful, secluded home which is close enough to the real world to enable the winner to keep it as their primary residence.
I think the house should be a big cozy ranch in maybe Tennessee or, a kind of contemporary cottage in Canada with a beautiful view!
Coop: Love, love, love your comments…and, I almost always agree with your bright & concise summations…thank you for taking the time to look at the latest plans I plugged into! Do you think HGTV will consider them?
Welcome home Ingrid and Bobo: You’re right..there is no place like home & your home place is so very special!! Have you had the opportunity to speak Cheryl since you arrived home? How is she doing in the Dream Home? Stupid question…anyone would be doing fabulous in such a home, in such a beautiful part of the world!! Anyway, nice to have you back. Mahalo!!
How about a home with nothing but space. Each room large,open and flow into the next room. The bathroom is spa like,the kitchen is cozy lounge club,high ceilings in most of the main rooms,the location is by a lake or pond,but the style of the home is something that you would see the movie stars buying. I’m not to big on old style charm.If it sounds crazy;this is just a dream.Oh,and Thanks for asking.
A Dream home to have a family to live in and have kids grow up and be a pass down house generation to generation, with thoughts of swinging on the porch in the late afternoon breezes a fun house to stay in and hang out. I would like to see a house build almost like the one they build in 2006. Big and with a guest house attached with lot’s of rooms for a big family. I have 5 kid’s and 2 boy’s, 3 girl’s, 2 teens 1 boy, 1 girl, 3 little ones. It would be great to see a big house in Seattle. With a yen garden and a relaxing get away on the property for the parent’s and an area for the kid’s. Also a great play area, like a inside play ground because it rains there and snows too, with swings, slides, tube mazes, play land and cubies. A fun exersising area for kid’s with a grown up area too, a good size shower area with a pool and hot tub with a steam room or sauna as well. A big but a feel of a small and cozy house, a house that dose not feel empty but a close family home with good size rooms Yes I would like to see more than 3 bedrooms also. All rooms on the 2 floor,At the Second floor, I repurposed the Media/Play Room into a Library-Reading and computer lounge except the large master suite with a large walk in closet and master bath should be on the 3nd floor with a balcony. Also there should be a basement and garage on the bottom floor, with a green house/sun room attachment,with those soaring columned porches that run across all four sides of the house A big and roomy kitchen with a wood oven pizza area and maybe a movie area with a snack area and ice cream place with stools so all the family can always be united, cozy, and hang out together and do things together with a private bike trail around the property over seeing a private stream koi pond with a bridge and a sitting area to relax. A nice affordable home that people could actually afford to pay the taxes on and move into and live. That is a Dream house with hidding areas and other amenities and a great view.I could write more but I think this would be a great start for a dream home.
I agree with a lot of the comments, especially architect and coop…I live in MI now and my fiance and I are currently struggling in the slump of the economy so it would be amazing for us to have a dream home to start our lives together in. But like architect said, be realistic, because you still have to pay utilities and taxes on these homes. I am a little country with an attraction to contemporary design. I like that modern feel but I still want cozy and homey…My dream home would be in Tennessee for my country side, plus I have been to the Nashville area several times and fell in love with how beautiful it is around there. I wouldn’t want the home to be too country in its design but to have little cozy touches of it. At this point though anything would be nice for our future together since we cant even pay for a wedding right now because a home is first priority and we cant even afford that.. Got to love the economy!
Thanks, Marie, but it’s not just me; we all appreciate your input, so thanks go out to you for your time, your ideas, and your well-chosen words. And your homeplan offerings, you see, whether True Southern Belle or French-Southern meld, are always welcome by me. Who can resist a well-designed plan with curb-appeal to match?!
And if I haven’t mentioned it already, is it clue time yet, MARY?
Yep Mary: We are all getting stir-crazy waiting for another clue…after all, it’s hard to put a design on a future home without knowing where it will be built!! Please give us a clue that sounds Southern and I would certainly be a happy camper! But, I might even be tempted to honor a home in Oahu….”Hale sweet Hale!!” Gracious island living with covered porches and lanais of stately homes could mimic southern-style plantation type homes!! I think you’re going to love this one Coop…take a look:
http://www.dreamhomesource.com/plantation_house-plans_DHSW67828.hwx
The palm trees galore make this the top of my curb appeal for all the house plans I’ve found so far!!
Greaming Big!!!!
A contemporary log cabin with lots of windows in the mountains of Colorado – that sounds so good to me! The last two homes have been built in warm climates, so it’s time to choose a cooler location….
I have’nt heard any clue yet on locations,so is it ok if i mention Lake Cumberland in Kentucky? Then for the car they could go over to Bowling Green and pick up a Vette!
I think North Carolina would be a perfect location for a dream home. I live in fl, but the changing of the seasons sounds so ideal. The landscape is so beautiful. A cozy, yet victorian home sounds wonderful, something for a big family, but with all the modern appl. Lots of really beautiful artwork to bring the nature inside and with some wood from around the area.
I am not sure my old knees would care too much for the three story aspect of you Plantation Home Marie. I like the four bathrooms. That’s almost enough bathrooms to keep my ten kids happy!
The pool & spa in back are definitely necessities!! This Howlie could handle a home in Hawaii!
Mary where’s the new clus for the dream home? I am really chomping at the bit here!!!!Q@!
Why not have the next dream home in the suburbs of Atlanta, particularly in Fayette County. I hear people move to that county for the excellent schools and quality of family life.
I would love to see a cozy cap cod style on the water with a pool and a small guest house on the property. Like the one that they use in the movie with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. I love that house. This is the first time I have ever participated on posting comments.
Ok…I’m torn…I have 2 favorite dream homes; the 2005 and 2006 homes in NC and TX, respectively. I don’t think the state matters as much as the actual setting, wherever that may be. I think THE perfect dream home would combine all the best aspects of both of these; the separate “dock house” with glass walls all around with a view of the lake, the outdoor covered patio, the rustic style and gorgeous views…so much great stuff and if you were to pull together all of this and keep the open, airy feeling of both of these, you’d be creating paradise (and I promise if I win, I’d invite you all over for a ginormous housewarming party!!!!) Can’t wait to start voting!!!!
The Dream Home should be in Medina, WA!
ON THE 2010 DREAM, MAKE SURE THAT YOU MAKE A ROOM FOR A TEENAGE BOY (16 & UP) AND A TEENAGE GIRL (16 & UP). ENOUGH OF THESE LITTLE CHILDREN BEDROOMS.
For the 3 floor house they can add a good size glass elevator with a cozy small bench in there, like a little build in couch. Also I forgot to mention a cozy small sit in room with a surrounding wine cellar.
I would like to see a house plan for larger families like mine. There is always someone visiting. Five bedrooms with at least 4 bathrooms. Lots of space for relaxing and having fun with the family. If I had to choose a style I would choose a log home built in the mountains with a lake view. If the home is being built near the ocean then I would want a home with wrap around porches and lots of windows facing the ocean. A fireplace would be nice too for when you have a breeze off the ocean in the fall. I guess it really just depends on where the house is going to be built.
I would like to see a home built to meet a families growing needs and twist and turns life takes.Three and a half years ago I walked everyday felt great,six months later[back surgery x 2,metal rods,screws,liver biopsy,steriods,damaged heart,another back surgery,hit by a SUV.while walking across the street,accidental overdose,house struck by lighting and caught on fire,husband walked out on me,[because he didn't want a sick wife,we were married six months when my doctors discovered I was sick,so I would love to see and live in ahome with special needs in mind,from the kitchen,bathroom,extra wide door openings,wood floors,large[wheelchair access shower,new door-opening tub,limited steps,access to public transportation for those of us that have obstacles that others don't,a state of the art special needs home-that has every need in mind,people who are challanged by-hearing problems,vision problems,speach problems, mobility problems,etc.my oldest daughter was born with multiple birth defects[spina bifida,hydracyphelus,arnold chiari malformation type 2,she died when she was twenty three months old[I have never met another human being to this point in my life with the desire to live as much as my Mary Amber had,she went to sleep one night and never woke up again on Earth,my last memory was her smile as I told her goodnight and I love you[ she could not speak because the tract that connected to her life support system had to go between her vocal cords,so she talked to me with her eyes[she was paralyzed from mid chest down ,she lived on a life support sytem her entire life,after training at a study hospital under the careful teachings and eye of Neo-natal ICU nurses,The stae allowed me to set up an intensive care unit in her room and bring her home,we got real creative about ways for her to be a little girl first and live in her room with her family,and sick second,she was the first child allowed by our state[ I was informed ]to be discharged from Neo-natal ICU, to come home,I said all that to say ,challenge your creative minds on a daily basis to build a home that can change with life’s twist and turns. I believe you all can do this and my prayer is who ever needs this home the most will have it…
I would appreciate New Hampshire to be given consideration. We are a small state with alot to offer. I live in the Lakes Region area – born and raised here. We have the White Mtns.,the famous Mt. Washington, to the north, approximately 1 hr.away….Lake Winnepasaukee is here in the center, and we are just over an hour from the Atlantic ocean’s beaches and rocky cliffs. Many towns boast stately victorians, craftsman style/adirondack lake homes and stately mountain contemporaries. An updated eco friendly version of one of these…mmm…great! We are 1 1/2 hrs from Boston, Harvard University, the Patriots, and the Red Sox Nation. And lets not forget, we have one of the oldest ivy colleges in the nation – Dartmouth.
Oh,and one of the nations premier hospitals is in the Lebanon valley area of NH too.
The seasons here are awesome…and the autumn is one of the most beautiful sights to behold in the world.
I have traveled and always return to this “God’s country”. Come, take a peek!
I think the style should be sort of like the dream home from North Carolina!
I agree, I think Kentucky’s Lake Cumberland is a perfect Dream Home location. In fact, I mentioned that very same thought in a post dated Feb 21, ‘09, in the following Dream Home blog thread:
http://blog.hgtv.com/dreamhome/2009/02/20/super-fan-talks-to-monica-pedersen/#comments
(Referring to Kentucky)—”Starting with Columbia at the top of the list, for example, you have nearby Lake Cumberland, which offers one of the largest recreational and fishing lakes east of the Mississippi River and in the southeastern United States. Available property includes lake view, lake front property, gated lake communities, vacation homes and retirement property. Just to the north is Green River Lake as well. By the way, HGTV folks, it’s only a hop, skip and a jump from corporate headquarters in Knoxville.”
“Then, speaking of derbys (I’m not talking about top hats here), what could be better than dropping by IN PERSON at the most exciting two minutes in sports—the Kentucky Derby. And if you’re thinking of making a lucky strike in real estate, or have change to spare, check out Bowling Green, Kentucky’s fourth largest town, with plenty on offer.”
If it’s not to be for 2010, perhaps for 2011, or??
I like a wide variety of homes, but I know that I want at least 3 bedrooms plus an office. Location… some where practical where the winner can actually find a job and be able to move there. Any place can be wonderful.
I love a log home in the mountains. Not a small home, but a huge one like on the Luxury Log Home Special. With specially carved logs in the rooms. But I would want a rustic feel to it. Not MODERN….Warm and inviting, plush seating with lots of throws and pillows by the huge fireplace. Being able to sit and watch the snow or a natural waterfall outside of your huge window. What more could you ask for?
I agree with the other person that it should be an animal friendly home for horses and dogs
Personally, I’m loving the photo on the homepage that links to this discussion… what style is that?!
Marie Miller—STOP with the sensory overload! You’re driving me to the brink of humanity…or something along those lines. Yet ANOTHER great house plan…how do you do it? Is Jack Thomasson putting you up to this, or what?! Is our Senior Editor, Mary, secretly passing on information designed to keep me in a constant state of architectural over-stimulation?!
Talk about Dream Home material, this sunny 4,109 square foot Aloha spirit delight has it in “spaces”…lots of it, as well as being superbly designed and attractively packaged. Where to start?—this latest hit has a main floor Master Bedroom, separate formal Dining Room, options for comfortable guest quarters, and on and on. With the upstairs bedrooms and the lower living level, this three story home addresses the locomotion and lumbar problem—with an elevator! There’s even a nice sized wine cellar. Just think, no more lugging the beverage cart up and down stairs.
If I wanted to do just one (or two or three) things to personalize this home, I’d be sure to have 3-piece left to right, right to left, and center stacking sliding glass doors leading to the Lanai from the Great Room (along with remote screens, like the 2009 Green Home), add double doors opening out to the pool area from the Master Bedroom Sitting area, and last but certainly not least, I’d create an upstairs loft above the main floor entry, with overlook railings at each side (to retain a sense of openess when standing in the foyer below.) This takes little away from the impact of the home upon entering, and at the same time, adds valuable living space to the upper bedrooms for more lifestyle flexibility.
In sum, GREAT style, perfect for a balmy Gulf Coast location, Southern coastal plantation, or some Hawaiian island-paradise situation. Just bring your dreams, put together the HGTV team to build it right, add Linda Woodrum to dress it up to the nines, bring on the palm trees, and water with care…I’ll be there with Panama Hat to shade the face, sunscreen applied, and cool drink in hand. Could we have a reality check on aisle 2010, please?
I would love to see a light airy beach cottage. not big, but with a small plot of land that you can have a small garden in. not modern like you see everywhere, but simple, warm and natural. Everything is big, but I think I would prefer a small place with enough room to have a guest or two and a beautiful view to look out at that you can stroll down to during the early evening hours. Big places are beautiful like the southern mansions and boy would I love that, but at the end of the day, the place you can stay in even when you are old and gray that can be your own to care for would be a cottage by the water with a gentle breeze.
Why not a Tuscan Villa in the southern or western side of Puerto Rico by the beach. With big wide windows, lots of flowers, palm trees and space for a pool/jacuzzi.
Marie Miller…after the big extravaganza key exchange with Cheryl Miller and her family, the Sonoma DH remains empty.(insert sad face!) There was an article in our local paper stating that she needs to have insurance on the home before she can move in…and also her grand-daughter in Florida has serious medical problems,so my guess is that The Millers won’t be my neighbors. I’ll keep you posted if anything happens with the house,OK? Oh…I forgot to tell everyone that I spoke with the top guy at HGTV(I forget his name)and he was asking me a dozen questions about progaming,hosts,and possible new HGTV products. He seemed very interested in my opinions,and I wasn’t shy in giving them! I thanked him for bringing the Dream Home to Sonoma…..Ingrid from Sonoma
Ingrid, though directed to Marie Miller in response to her questions about the Smiths and the ‘09 Dream Home, thanks for the local update.
I’d guess you were talking to Jim Samples, President of HGTV, who is pictured standing next to Monica Pedersen and Dream Home winners Cheryl and Joe Smith, plus Jack Thomasson and Steve Ledson, in the April 20 edition of the Sonoma Valley Sun. How cool!
The California coastline is beautiful. Check out Carmel, Monterey, and Santa Cruz areas. Los Gatos is about 30 minutes from the Monterey Bay and has all the luxuries a person could want plus a quaint town. These areas range in home design styles from cottage to contemporary. I vote for a design that blends with its environment – a little earthy with outdoor living areas. Carmel has old architecture that resembles castles built of local boulders. Closer to the redwoods, shingles, rock and natural wood siding are very appealing.
I think it’s a great idea to add green design to all new construction. Square footage needs to be spacious and smart not excessive. Radiant floor heating would be a great comfort to add to any design. Views, light, and privacy are a must.
I have always dreamed of a Tuscan inspired villa, but the Federal house is very appealing, also. I am from the Midwest, but anywhere it’s nice and sunny would be fine with me.
Okay…so I guess I have been blog stalking you guys for a long time…ahhh…true confessions will set you free!!
I really feel as though I know many of you since I have my morning cup of tea with you every day! I sit in my kitchen with my computer and each and every one of you are with me;)) We have wonderful chats until I need to go take a shower and get to work;(
I entered a video to become the next SuperFan…although I can’t imagine anyone ever filling the shoes of SuperFan Gail…even though she seems to be barefoot often these days. She is terrific and so down to earth…love her!
Well, DBCoop, or may I call you Coop…so glad you are feeling better! You seemed so mysterious to me at first and you still are a little. I really like that about you. I find your comments very entertaining and enlightening, to say the least! Thank you for the good conversations!
Marie…I am always so curious as to how you are so insightful…so creative with your writing…you have a lot of wisdom and you are so generous passing that along to us readers out here in BlogLand!
Ingrid and BoBo…you live in such a wonderful place! When HGTV stumbled across Sonoma, you were the icing on the cake! I would love, love to be your neighbor and see you walking BoBo through my neighborhood everyday. I can imagine chatting with you on my front porch every day and, of course, our dogs playing in my front yard together…wish you lived here in Pennsylvania!
Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and let you know that I really enjoy the warmth I feel from this blogging family!
Now, in closing, would you guys like honey or cream with your tea this morning? Maybe I’ll whip up some Pain Perdu as a treat for us!
DB COOP= Sorry that the post made you hungry. I scouted out one of my Dad’s “Bon Appetit” Magazines, to take hold of it before he throws it out. There is a recipe for “Peanut Butter Banana Pie”— and it looks Really Yummy— and easy to make—- I’ll make it for Father’s Day
Lately, I’ve had food on my mind.
Diana B.
INGRID= That’s really sad about the Smith’s. They seemed like such nice people, and that Sonoma Home was Really a Dream House.
Seriously— I’d try to get that “Doggie Dream Home” though— you might get it. I mean, does Steve Ledson really have a use for it? Probably Not.— that’s if though, the Smith’s are definintely not moving in.
Diana B.
Ingrid & Bobo: Thank you for the update regarding the Millers & their lack of occupancy!! I certainly hope they have good news to date about their granddaughter, and I believe it to be a good idea to put Cheryl’s granddaughter on our prayer list!! Insurance? Wow! That seems to be the easy part of ownership, but who knows when you win a 2.4 million dollar mansion in Sonoma, California!! I can’t believe how close I came to winning this jewel…they just got the first name mixed up…you know…Cheryl instead of Marie!! If I had won, believe me, Bobo would have had homemade dog biscuits every day as a treat after his walk!! Have a great day Ingrid, and thanks again for the update!!
I prefer the Craftsman style, something with a lot of exposed wood.
Let’s go contemporary with the next home – Put it in a warm space – with fantastic indoor/outdoor cooking areas – would be nice to get the Dream Home out of a planned or gated community – keep it big and glamorous, as only HGTV can do!
I can’t believe that the HGTV Green Home is sponsored by Sherwin Williams Paint, whose corporate logo is the Earth LITERALLY getting covered with paint. Is no one else bothered by this? Bob on April 24, 2009 at 12:07 pm
AND the ads for the home staging “school” drive me crazy. That place is a total scam from all I’ve read. Well, you gotta get sponsorship–and hopefully people research before they spend.
Now for the topic at hand, I’d love to see a modern design. How about shipping containers? How about in the city? We’re not all suburban lovers, ya know! haha!! (Even though I currently do live in the ‘burbs. haha)
It would be so wonderful if you could build it in Puerto Rico facing the beautiful Caribbean Sea. In this case, the best option is Mediterranean or Spanish. Any size would be fine.
The Villa! Could you imagine entertaining on that Patio, wow!
Dear Igrid and Bobo,more than happy to send prayers to the Millers ,Not only for the health and security of their family,But also our Lords help in finding an honest,compasionate real estate agent that can get the most they can get for their home. God bless you all
P.S. Don’t it seems sometimes that the people that deserve the most will be the least likely to ask for it .
I would like to have a house in Hawaii. I went there as a teenager and fell in love with the idea of living in Hawaii. It is so pretty there.
Just read the post that the last dream house is still empty. Come on guys let’s encourage the network to somehow involve the winner in the design and location of the house so this doesn’t happen again. She has been paying on this house for how many months now?
I know that kind of changes how this dream home is done, but let’s be real–who wants to pay on a house they can’t sell, don’t have the time to bother with, have other obligations, etc.
Let the winner be more active in their own ‘dream’ home.
I don’t know how this can be done but I believe in this day and age it would still bring in viewers and maybe more with this type of interaction. Sponsors will still be involved and this will still be a dream house.
It’s is time to change the way this contest is handled. The winner needs to truly be a winner.
I agree with steve e. Let’s go contemporary! Maybe a nice expanded custom one level with an open plan. The home should also have a high tech basement (theater and audio system piped through the house) and a fantastic entertainer’s backyard with beautiful hardscapes and landsapes. Let’s bring Beverly Hills over to Central New Jersey.
Ingrid, your post about the “Millers” has us all following your lead—in answering Marie Miller’s questions, you slipped in the Miller surname for the Smiths! (Cheryl and Joe Smith) I almost did the same thing in MY following post to you, and caught it at the very last minute! I’m surprised BoBo didn’t catch it!
I would like the next location for the 2010 Dream Home to be on an island, preferably in the Cays right on the beach. An open concept with glass and earth friendly green elements, bringing the outdoors inside. A place where I could entertain just as luxuriously on the inside as the outside. How about a home entertainment center that is outside with a retractable roof if the weather kicks up a storm. Instead of a car, the winner would get a speed boat and/or sailboat and all those great water toys. Throw in a volleyball & tennis court and a go-cart track for more fun. Include an infinity pool and outside shower. And last but not least, a mini spa!
It all adds up to a tropical oasis or the next 2010 (Island) Dream Home!
I agree with college mom. The Dream Home should be a place that the winner can actually live in, not have to sell. What happened to the prize money that you use to give away? If I won, I would want to live in the Dream Home, and still have enough money left over to pay all of the bills. Most of us cannot afford the property taxes on a home that is worth $1.5 million. Could HGTV find a way to pay the taxes on the home, so that the winner could live there comfortably? Personally, I like Hawaii as the next location.
Since there are many environmental issues due to pollution which could have detrimental effects on one’s health, I would like to see the next dream home built in one of the cleaner towns. A town that promotes using alternative energy, green homes, green jobs, green transportation, one that is on the forefront of sustainable living would be great. HGTV could promote some positive publicity for the efforts of that town, as well. For example, Tucson, AZ is in the top 5 for American cities with the cleanest air. Also that city does not have natural disasters, so that is a plus!
I would like to something whimsical such as storybook architecture set back in the woods. It could be built in a majority of states that have stately mature trees. The possibilities for the garden alone could entice viewers to watch. Such as having a “gingerbread” playhouse, a maze garden, and a wishing well. Also include practicallity in the decorating so that it is functional. I think it would be important not to go over the top with the “storybook” theme, but in a children’s room you could go crazy with it!
You know I love historic homes myself. So I would love a Craftsman or Victorian myself. But, I must say it all depends on the location. Because the location is going to choose the home. So, whichever home is chosen you all have to choose the materials. It is my hope that you will choose to go green. In the long run I think the winners will come to appreciate the lengths you and the builders have gone to make their carbon foot prints that much smaller.
With today’s economy and the number of folks having to pinch pennies… Folks are starting to grow gardens to make ends meet. Add to that, that the kids no longer are running off to the mall or to the movies or to the corner store for a soda… So why not add in a nice big POOL for those lazy summer days.
I know…there goes my carbon foot print! Darn!
This time I would go for a modernist home, maybe with some art-deco elements, like the pastell colors and lots of windows and smooth edges. I think a dream home should make you feel comfortable and I fell like art-deco just gives me that!
Moving West, by Southwest, to be precise, if we give credence to the New Mexico Dream Home rumors, it might be time to take a fresh look at home plans appropriate to the Land of Enchantment. That means under the Southwest umbrella, we’re looking at Adobe’s, Mission styles, Spanish Revivals, and Santa Fe’s, as the better known.
I tend to find some of the home plan choices among Adobe’s rather drab, Mission style plans often uninspiring, Spanish Revivals almost routinely overdone, while Santa Fe’s seem to provide the most promise. Regardless of one’s architectural preferences, THIS handsome 3,061 square foot updated Hacienda packages an intriguing interior design with a stylish exterior presentation, for a comfortably casual sun-country and siesta lifestyle.
Is New Mexico really the Dream Home’s next stop? Any sightings of HGTV’s caballero con su gran sombrero, el Sr. Jack Thomasson, around Albuquerque, Santa Fe or Taos? (That man DOES get around!) Just in case, to speed our quest, take a look at this Southwest “Hacienda with utmost livability.”
http://www.eplans.com/southwest_house-plans/HWEPL09769.hwx#floorplan
And for some sure to be enchanting memories, also check out the Memorial Day activities at http://www.santafe.org
So, what house plan surprises can we look forward to from Marie Miller to put some sizzle into our search for the very best of the Southwest??
Now a message to Mary: in our search to find wealth and fame, thought for sure we’d have a clue today leading us to a name. What better way to celebrate May Day? Well, I’m sure Mary is working diligently on getting a new thread ready for us with that all-important Dream Home 2010 clue numero uno. Or perhaps it’ll be a Cinco de Mayo surprise? (Bring your own Margaritas, piñata optional.)
Interesting hacienda desigh Coop. Makes me think of a mountain home blended with a ranchero style. All on one floor is definitely a plus in my book. I would be concerned with the New York Style Decorators HGTV employs being able to decorate the home in the typical wide open uncluterred style typical of haciendas though. Their usual modus operendi is to cram as much “stuff” in an area as they can. Looks good to some people, but is not really very liveable for most! In this style house I think I will go for a tequilla sunrise.
By the way the quick poll has Hawaii in the lead for the next location of the 2010 Dream Home followed by Arizona.
I would prefer the Italian villa or Victorian house, i like the whole island idea
I think it would be nice to build the dream home near the winners home town. maybe have a virtual plan until the winner is announed and change the plans a little to fit the area. It seems kind of hard to win something so beautiful and then have to give up your hometown to receive it.
Well, I’d sure love a Dream Home in Hawaii too, Ed in Oregon. Not quite sure though if HGTV has a hard and fast rule keeping it within the lower 48?
As to furnishing of a New Mexican Hacienda, I think Linda Woodrum’s design versatility is wide-ranging, so I’d definitely be interested in seeing her tackle a Southwest Ranchero. Cool, calm and casual—that’d be my choice.
As for the Tequila Sunrise, Ed, a great drink. I’ve experienced more than a few of those in my younger days. After drinking one or two or three too many, the name Tequila “no way at” Sunrise comes to mind!
Coop loved the Hacienda’s layout with the ever important master suite and what I would like to see on the main floor because all main floor. Possibly change the motor court into an enclosed room for a business or a studio apartment for those friends, relatives, etc who like to stay a little bit longer-giving them their own space.
Also don’t see any easy way to incorporate a basement for storage or storm shelter with this plan.
I do love the look though of the hacienda. Can an adobe built home survive in the midwest too?
I love the design of the home you showed us DBCoop…I think this is the first time I’ve seen the master bedroom with that type of layout…I like the bath area behind the wall, and out of sight of the sleeping area( having the bathroom open your bed is “bad” feng shui). In one of the photos of the house, it shows a motor court with a gate, how do you get into the garage? other than that, I think that would make a beautiful DH New Mexico would be lovely, but I think Taos, or Sana Fe would be more of a “Dream” atmosphere than Albuquerque
Collegemom, the Hacienda layout is certainly a departure in style from the other “dreams” that we’ve enjoyed recently.
You’re right that the “motor court” could be used for additional space, whatever your needs might be. IF this were to be MY Dream Home, I’d have the garage doors open on the opposite side of the garage, and turn the “motor court” into a walled courtyard entry garden.
By the way, not sure if you caught it or not, but the plan does have a lower (basement) level, which offer lots more storage space, another bedroom and bath, and whatever else one might wish to add. (Hence the elevator as part of the plan, since it is a three story home.)
Not sure how a true adobe would handle Midwest weather (probably just fine), but I’m sure this Hacienda’s construction is the traditional “stick built”, so it can be
designed with build specifications for almost any region, even a heavy snow-load factor for some of the higher-elevation mountain communities of the Southwest.
I love looking at the plans from this site, thanks Marie Miller…This plan is also nice…http://www.eplans.com/mission_house-plans/HWEPL68282.hwx
http://www.eplans.com/mission_house-plans/HWEPL68282.hwx
I love the mission syle; Green and Green for example. A home’s floorplan should be open without a lot of walls. I’m sure that HGTV’s Dream Home 2010 will be beautiful as all of the previous ones. The designers seem to know what they’re doing. They are the best!!!
My apologies, collegemom. Talk about sensory overload, or the thought of one too many Tequila Sunrises—I was writing about the Hacienda but thinking, in part, about Marie Miller’s tropical dream home plans. Wow, what an awakening! The Hacienda plan is definitely one story, so nix the whole third paragraph of that post AND the idea of basement space on that one for sure.
Talking about Tequila, is it time to start getting ready for Cinco de Mayo festivities yet?
Thanks for the Mission style home plan, sagg99. That’s a true Southern CA or Florida detailed dream home—and a plan with panache.
QUESTION for Senior Editor MARY: On the ‘Dream Home Central’ website, what is the location and story behind the beautiful home that graces the lead page at the upper left? The mouse-over pop-up tag simply states “Photo: HGTV Dream Home 2010 Design.”
Is this a historic estate, personal favorite, or private family retreat perhaps?
I would love an Italian Villa somewhere in the mountains. Preferrably warm climate year round since I currently live in ND and am freezing. Lots of beautiful tile and maybe even some grape vines like the 09.
Modern treehouse style or NewMexico Adobe
Okay, you can breathe a sigh of relief, Mary—after a little research, I’ve answered my own (previous post) question. The photo was posted by Tammy250 in the ‘My Dream Designs/Vacation Homes’ section. It can be viewed, along with comments, at:
http://my.hgtv.com/my-dream-designs/Vacation-Homes/Beautiful-Brick-and-Stone-Drea/detail.esi?oid=6393461
This architecturally significant home at 5907 Swiss Avenue in (northeast) Dallas, Texas, was designed in 1927 by Bertram Hill, and used steel beams and two dozen plus (25) stained glass windows (and doors) along with exquisitely designed tiles. It is one of the many outstanding showcase homes you can find at the following website:
http://www.dougnewby.com/architecture/architects/Regional_Architects.asp
These are all Dream Homes with rich histories, great architecture, and a proud and proven provenance—truly grand estates–Texas style.
Now it’s finally time to retire for the evening—so much work, so little time; and with home improvements going on around me the past few days, too many distractions! Regardless, the dreams must go on.
Now that home can take your breath away. I love it! It is very charming and cozy looking. I love the style and look of it. It has so much character. I wish more houses had the same amount class. Love it!
I’m loving all the plans that are coming in & certainly like the idea of Coop’s well-thought-out plans….
Meanwhile, back at the ranch….maybe my choice for any dry desert area would be something like this one:
http://www.eplans.com/pueblo_house-plans/HWEPL09304.hwx
I have to say that my heart is not in tune with desert living, so if HGTV sees the dream home 2010 in the desert, it will have to be surrounded by lush green outdoor living spaces!! Could this design be an omen…Santa Fe??
Santa Fe, New Mexico, is definitely East of Sonoma, California….”it’s one of America’s oldest and most beautiful cities, founded by Spanish missionaries as their northernmost colonial capital in 1609, a full ten years before the Pilgrims reached Plymouth Rock. Spread across a high plateau at the foot of the stunning Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico’s capital still glories in the adobe houses and baroque churches of its original architects, while its newer museums and galleries attract art-lovers from all over the world.”
A Tequilla Sunrise toast to Coop, sagg99 & Collegemom….the Hacidenda-type plans submitted would be a great fit in Santa Fe!!
Although I love Tequilla, I’m still in love with the tropical dream home plans, so my suggestion for celebration would be to toast with “Chi-Chi’s” and “Blue Hawaiian’s!” For an alcohol-free yummy delight, a banana and mango smoothie could hit the spot. Anyone of these drinks would be tongue licking good!! Cheers
Coop: You are so right about Ingrid’s post about the “Millers,” but never caught it even though I certainly knew Cheryl’s last name was Smith…the mind is a terrible thing to waste!!
I did not get in on sharing a place for the next house to be built. I don’t think there has been one built in Arkansas. There are beautiful places all over the state.
I WOULD LIKE A BIG SPRALLING RANCH THAT IS WHEELCHAIR ACCESIBLE. I’VE NEVER SEEN YOU DO SOMETHING FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE HANDYCAPPED. PREFERABLE IN THE SOUTH LIKE TENN., GEORGIA AREA. YOU GET MOUNTAIN VIEWS, COOL BREEZES, AND WARM FRIENDLY PEOPLE. IT’S TIME FOR YOU GUYS TO THINK OF THE DISABLED NO STAIRS, ELEVATORS – NO NARROW HALLWAYS – KITCHENS WE CAN GET AROUND IN – BATHROOMS THAT ARE ACCESIBLE. AN OUTDOOR SPACE THATS NO HARD TO TAKE CARE OF – A WORK SHOP SPACE SO WE CAN CREATE – A POOL WOULDN’T BE BAD EITHER – LETS NOT FORGET OUR COMPANION PETS THEY NEED A SPACE TO RUN IN, SLEEP IN ECT. OUR PETS TAKE CARE OF US WE NEED SPACE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM THAT IS WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY TOO. THAT’S MY WISH LIST FOR A DREAM HOME PLEASE CONSIDER THIS REQUEST.
A swimming pool would be great in the hot climate! Summer temperatures soar… it gets HOT
If they’re building in Arizona, I think the city of Oro Valley would be a desirable location to build the dream home.
It’s a beautifully maintained upper class neighborhood surrounded by the Catalina mountains.
The largest continental U.S. Ritz Carlton chain was just built in that area. The Ritz is building 107 homes ranging in price from $1.5 million – $4 million in addition to the luxury hotel and Jack Nicklaus golf course (Hey, it’s nice to live in a great house and have great neighbors! There are many more golf and country clubs in the area besides the Ritz).
a very modern and up-scale version of the traditional log cabin in aspen, co. absolutely gorgeous there.
To MARY and y’all: while my previous post from last evening appears to be “awaiting moderation”—(for exceeding the two post timeframe limit—but never fear, I learned long ago how to survive the slings and arrows of outrageous show tunes?!)
—I discovered the source of the photo in question. It was posted by Tammy250 in the ‘My Dream Designs/Vacation Homes’ section. This 1927 Bertram Hill designed, Dallas, Texas home can be viewed, along with comments, at:
http://my.hgtv.com/my-dream-designs/Vacation-Homes/Beautiful-Brick-and-Stone-Drea/detail.esi?oid=6393461
Marie Miller, our home plan locator extraordinaire, your Santa Fe comes with a most presentable facade, and I like the unusual sitting room “tower” (as well as in the entry). With an outdoor fireplace on the rear porch and both front courtyard and lots of covered back porch area for hot Southwestern summer days, this would make an enchanting sun-country hacienda.
By the way, I’m sure a “Blue Hawaii” is a perfectly acceptable drink, even in Santa Fe. As the saying goes, it’s always greener on the other side of the Pacific.
And now, raising the stakes, MARY, is it to be New Mexico or New Hampshire? We remain, as always, at your mercy—and clueless.
DB COOP= I haven’t been keeping up with the Blogs in the last few days. Why do think think that it’s either New Mexico or New Hampshire?
Diana B.
wow thats the best house ever
i saw in my whoole life it looks very beaity and i love it
Somewhere WARM, please! Or maybe a community where the lifestyle is planned to make driving gas-guzzling cars unnecessary!
I just got back from seeing the beautiful green home. Great Job. Its so so nice. HGTV thank you, great job. My dream Home vision is a house in the N.E., Maine coast is my preference. I love Victorian’s but know that a Ranch is more pratical for us baby boomers. My ultimate dream house is a Victorian with a wrap around porch and a Sun room. Master Bedroom on the main level.
I have enjoyed the homes in the sweepstakes. However, I don’t recall one that is accessible, either for those with disabilities or for those who may be aging. Accessible homes generally mean one floor, with wider walk-through spaces and attention to such details as each open/close drawers, adjustable shelves, non-slip flooring, etc. That would be the ultimate sweepstakes home. How about it HGTV?
My dream home sytle would have to be single story home. Living with an elderly in-law who can’t climb stairs its much safer. I stated before lots of out door living spaces & enclosed court yard on both sides with the house having wings on each side for multi-family living(Spanish style ?). I think The next Dream home should be in Washington State. I live in Ocean shores a peninsula that has the Pacfic Ocean on one side & Grays harbor Bay on the other. We also have Duck Lake running through the middle along with a few canals. Its’ a small community of just over 5,000 people. Wonderful schools & many activitys abound from beach combing to fishing,horse back riding ect. It’s a beautiful little city that you can walk or bike everywhere & has many festivals. We even have World Champion kite flyers here. Come & check us out.
Why not Philadelphia? I would love to see the next green home/drean home ibn Philly. Lets do a city for once???? Why do we keep doing Florida?
Talking about “Green”, why not a green log home in Kentucky. It would be cheaper to build and besides that it is alot cheaper to live in Kentucky instead of these other places. Besides their isn’t another state as beautiful as Kentucky.
The Dream home idea is wonderful. however no one has been able to keep there dream home.Build one a little larger than average, with just a designer package would be something most anyone would love to have. and then they would be able to afford to keep their Dream home
Some people have mentioned Alaska.. I am from there and it is wonderful, but the winters are HORRIBLE! I would go hiking, backpacking, kayaking constantly, but in the winter all that I liked to do was cross country skiiing. Those of us who have experienced long winters know that it is not worth the cold and dark 8 months. Other places are just as fun and not as harsh. Go washington and oregan states! they are a good comprimise.
Southern style – absolutely! You know, like Tara in Gone with the Wind. WHAT A DREAM HOME THAT WOULD BE!!!
Oh where oh where will the Dream Home be built, oh where oh where will it be? LOL… I’m watching the Kentucky Derby, that’s a beautiful state, I’ll have to visit next year for the Derby. That would be a great location for a Dream Home, with enough land to have a horse, or two…
SAGG99= Click on a featured Kentucky home on this web page— Click on , ” Whats Your Dream”— then Click on, ” Dream Destinations”, it’s a home in Richmond,KY— it looks Really Nice.– kind of like a castle( it’s titled My Dream Home). I liked the other one too, titled, ” I’d Call This One Home— If only the Owners Agreed”.
PAULA= I like the idea of Washington state—would make for a great “vacation home” too. I kind of wish that HGTV would have picked the Pacific Northwest again (other than the South)— I live in Florida!!! But the clue is that unfortunately, will be “East” of California this time.
Diana B.
The United States has several lovely states and places within those states. Any place you pick would be good. I do think that all the new HGTV homes should be built “green” as the new one in Florida for 2009. We need to step back and really think…do we want to keep building against the environment or with it as the “Native Americans” did. I for one like the Southwestern areas. I grew up in California but my heart is in Arizona. A “green” home in a Native American Indian style would be great. I applaud HGTV for really showing us all how to be greener in our everyday lives.
Barbara B.
Coop excellent job of ferreting out the location of that stone mansion. The D in DBCOOP must stand for Detective. Here is a little more detail on that abode:
Bertram Hill designed in 1927 one of the most imposing houses on Swiss Avenue at 5907 Swiss. His use of steel beams in the structure, 25 stained glass windows and doors and elaborate mosaic tile in the detailing created both a solid structure and elaborate example of his ability. You can also see examples of his work at 5619, 5711 and 6014 Swiss Avenue and 6926 Westlake. In 1928, he designed 5736 Swiss Avenue where you can see a more effusive use of brick and stone and the magnificent Rookwood tile sunroom and fountain.
Just in case you want to drive by it someday!
A Tuscany style villa with large master with a sitting area and fire place. Walk in closets his and hers. master bath hug tub stain glass window, double sinks separate shower and bath.Four bed rooms please, some people have more than two kids plus a guest room and a study/library. dining room , gorgeous Tuscany kitchen with the works plus eating area. I can go on and on . But I have a wedding to go to
Thanks DBCoop for the name correction…I think BoBo and I were hoping that the famous Marie Miller was the DH winner! Can you imagine what it would be like if “M.M.” was your neighbor? Bo and I would nominate her as our neighborhood historian,architect,chef,
and party-planner! (When will they confirm my prediction of Albuquerque,New Mexico?)
Ingrid from Sonoma
Diana B—New Mexico came up in a post from Ingrid & BoBo in Sonoma (mentioned by a neighbor as a Dream Home site). The New Hampshire bit was thrown in by me since we’d spent so much time in the New England area recently, after MARY’s “Where Could It Be?” personal favorites thread.
So far, no confirmation from our sources at HGTV on the truth of either pick. So, the short answer is: no dice!
Bottom line: the jury is still out—this location thing is definitely NOT in the bag. By and large, the hunt has gone cold as a stone.
Many of us are feeling down in the doldrums, looking like we’re tilting at windmills, wandering up a blind alley.
Is it time to start a charm offensive; use those crocodile tears?
Well, between you, me and the bedpost, I say let’s stop beating around the bush and go out on a limb. To put it bluntly (excuse my French), it’s time to fish or cut bait.
Come what may, let’s bite the bullet, cut to the chase, and hope against hope to get a much-needed shot in the arm. After all, this is no time to raise the white flag of surrender.
Now, far be it from me to expect your undivided attention and undying devotion in this matter, for my advice may be deemed by some to be one sandwich short of a picnic, words of wisdom from never-never land; but I say it’s better to move forward in the direction of close, but no cigar, than to be left holding no more than a pig in a poke.
So, fellow bloggers, always remember that the darkest hour is just before dawn, so let’s rally the troops, and get out there and show ‘em what we’re made of! Keep up the pressure, and keep those cards, posts, ideas, thoughts and opinions coming in…. Every voice counts!
Or, when in doubt and memory fails you, just embrace the following two words, Carpe Diem.
Anyone else for Dream Home 2010 location clues??
In my humble opinion, New England life has not been well represented. One could do this by building a home on the beach of Cape Cod, Massachusetts or one of the islands, preferably Martha’s Vineyard.
Each gives you the opportunity to bring the best styles of both areas to the winner, and demonstrate the challenges we face in building. Echo need for elevator in house.
Let’s not forget “Tempus Fugit”. We’re all getting older waiting for the location!
Maybe we should try the more forceful approach. I want to know where it is and I want to know now – or else!!! I just haven’t figured out the or else yet! Maybe we could threaten to have the weather gods send them evil weather. Nah they’re used to bad weather! I know I could have my cousing Genovese visit them!! Nah he has too much trouble getting out of his wheelchair nowadays. I guess we just have to continue begging!
I think Itlaian-Style Villa would look beautiful in Utah! Especially in the Provo Canyon.
That’s the spirit, Ed—you’ve got the right stuff, whatever that stuff is!
As you said, “Tempus Fugit” while tempers flare….
I’m sure there’s a few more sayings we could throw into the mix, but since a watched pot never boils, I guess begging will just have to do for the time being, and you know what “they” say about that: beggars can’t be choosers!
would like to see the dream house in richmond or williamsburg virginia
You guys, are great and over the top with grand idea, lol. Would you keep your huge dream house if it were built in your dream location reguardless of taxes and utility bills and maint?, lol…or are they just dream LIKE houses thinking you won’t win, lol, so we dream over the top, over what we can really afford to dream about. These houses are not free…I guess Ive always dreamed big, never came true, so now Im one of the first baby boomers, and I am just dreaming of retiring one day, having a great house, and not having to worry about how I am going to pay for this huge, beautiful house..My dream now is small, and to only live in a home I can afford, so that retirement is worry free… This economy has taken peoples lifes savings, and winning a home would be great, but I want one I really can live in….Oh a wrap around porch would be dynamite, lol
oh I forgot I like pillars on that wrap around porch, lol….You probably already guessed a beautiful southern colonial, lol and of coure magnolia trees so I can sip my julips, lol
I’d like to see a modern townhome. I’m sure it would look great. And… I on location: maybe Hawaii, New York, or New Mexico!
I personaly think it should be some unknown town, but not in a place where there is tornadoes, hurricans, constent floods,ect. it should be sunny most of the time.like in the western part of the us.
one thing that would be extrmely cool would be a italian rennisance style house, then when you walk in it is like a decko-modern asian them there whould be a indoor pool, a indoor two story waterfal, soft huges of deep rich reds, bold browns,thinds like that. then in the very center of the house be a very bright extremly modern area, eveything is streamline. then outside have a more tropical rainforest theme with bamboo, wild orchids, giant segoias, plants you dont see just strolling along. but in the front a typical front yard of a normal house. O there should be some land on it to. maybe a creek running through it.
I am in love with the idea of the 2010 Dream Home being in Seabeck, WA. There is snow for the Hollidays, warm and sunny weather in the summer, october leaves in the fall, and green forests all year round! PLUS, you have the best of all views: where snowy mountains in the distance meet the beautiful blue pacific ocean, and evergreen forests surround you all year round. (Also, only 20 min. to the Seattle ferry.) For people who love the best of views, Seabeck, WA is HEAVEN.
Wow Ed: I haven’t thought about Latin since I was in High School…“Tempus Fugit!!” Yes, in deed, “how the time flies!!” Especially when you are having fun!! Now awaiting Mary’s new post…”respice, adspice, prospice!!” Maybe somewhere in the mist, we will figure out where the next Dream Home will be built!! And, I shall leave you with another Latin thought: “non est ad astra mollis e terris via!!”
Dear Ingrid: I would love to be your neighbor, but I’m not sure I could live up to all the charming attributes you have bestowed on my behalf…but thank you, and the thought of living in Sonoma, baking doggie biscuits for Bobo, is soothing to the soul!!!
Coop: Yep, I like the unusual sitting room “tower” also, and I will also say that you’re right about the “Blue Hawiian” being acceptable anywhere…it’s just that in the desert heat, I think of “Long Island Iced Tea!!” Fabulous on a hot day! Try pineapple juice in place of sweet and sour….awesome drink! Give me 2 and I’m set for the evening!! Okay, okay Coop….I guess this would be a great drink to sip sitting on the veranda over looking the Ocean as well!! Also, bottom line about the jury still being out…you’re right…they have been voir dired for weeks…time for a verdict (or, at least more clues to end this mystery, or should I say misery)!
Have a wonderful evening my blogging buddies!!
JACKIE= I can understand what you mean, College Mom communicated the same.( It is fun dreaming, and sometimes dreams do come true, or your situation in life changes that allows one to Live their Dream.) You know, an option for the winners of any of the Dream Homes could be, “rent it out to vacationers too”.
I don’t think that the Pt.St. Lucie home will be too high in taxes, etc. The old saying is, ” Be Careful for What you Wish For”
Diana B.
Sorry but nothing beats a home like an Old Hawaiian Planataion Style Home on the beach (any Beach) spacious and opened to the out doors from all rooms a wrap around deck,a large family style kitchen, a family room that opens up to the lanai leading to the back yard and a sandy beach, an upper floor for the master bead room boasting a large lanai over looking the ocean, three downstair bed rooms for family or guest.It would make for a fantastic green home since you can take advantage of the sun for solar power and heating, the natural breeze’s for cooling of the home. landscaping you ask, totaly tropical………….. Aloha
DB COOP= You are So funny, your blog had me Laughing!!! Wandering up a blind alley? Fish or Cut Bait? I thought that you were going to say something else!!!! Left holding no more than a pig in a poke? You are way Too Funny, and you Have a Way with Words!!!
But, ah hah— Yes, I think that you (or Ingrid and BoBo) are on to something. The Rumor may be True. It makes sense. Someone in “the neighborhood” in Sonoma, could have heard it from somebody like, Steve Ledson?? Maybe even “Overheard” it in the Winery or Hotel Lobby???
If so, I guess Walgreens won’t have to re-stock on their post cards this time. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard that New Mexico is a Great Place, another area that seems to be “booming”, or was before the housing market slump. But I’d prefer different places myself—but to each his own.
If it was Seattle, or Vegas, maybe Oregon, or California again— I think that it would be a lot more fun. But— just my personal opinion. (Of course, I still wish that they’d choose the South though– Florida, Georgia, or Alabama)!
Diana B.
I had to work on that one Marie Miller. I finished Latin II in ‘62 and never looked back. I know it’s hard to get to the stars, but all we are trying to do is find out the location of the dream home.
Since my sister & brother-in-law are lawyers in Fresno the French voit dire was much easier. Of course I always gave her heck the way the judges butchered the pronounciation of to see & to say!
My dream home would be a green built replica of a craftman’s style home with a large porch. I always pictured myself on the porch in a porch swing with a glass of ice tea or lemonaide. I also love to entertain on a porch when it’s a hot sunny day. Ahhh . . . to slow down and just hang out with the neighbors in the rocking chairs on the porch.
So excited about Dream Home 2010. I’d love to see a modern, green interpretation of a craftsman-style home.
Also, please give it at least 4 bedrooms, plus an office, and an extra place for little ones to play so that it is truly a family’s dream home!! I want to be able to envision my kids living there, or visiting there if my mom wins!!
Marie Miller I forgot to mention that Long Island Ice Teas are one of my favorite drinks. Two tall ones would definitely set me up for the night. Does it still taste like your not drinking anything alcoholic when you use pineapple juice??
Words of wisdom, Marie Miller, as you’d know, attributed to Seneca the Younger, Roman philosopher; 4 BC-AD 65…(on reaching for the stars)…“non est ad astra mollis e terris via!!”—generally translated as “there is no easy way from the earth to the stars.”
Again, more sage advice, Marie; “respice, adspice, prospice”—”look to (examine) the past, the present, and the future,” when sifting through the clues to the location of the HGTV Dream Home 2010. (As some Latin professors would admit, “omnia dicta fortiora si dicta Latina.”)
Now back to everyday living….
Wow…Long Island Iced Teas, one of my old long-time favorite drinks. Oh yes, so many fond memories. Actually, I remember those days well, at least to start with…the aftermath, umm, that’s another story!
Diana B, the rumors are circulating hot and heavy, that’s for sure! Could this become a story for one of the gossip tabloids? What Hollywood, or perhaps Knoxville, stars would grace the cover page for this exposé? Will Jack Thomasson’s secret Dream Home location be revealed? Stay tuned to the Dream Home blog nearest you for the next exciting chapter of “Where Could It Be?”
I would love to see a kid friendly home. I have 4 kids and we live in a 3 bedroom house. Finding a 5 or more bedroom house is crazy hard. Strictly speaking, my dream house would take a page from the Adam’s family house, complete with hidden passages and a huge library for my kids to enjoy and explore.
I think you guys should build a Ranch style home that has modern western flair. Think Brad Paisley, or the McGraws.
Something cozy and comfortable. You need a big wrap around porch for the front and a back yard with a state of the art outdoor kitchen. and there should be room out back for gazing at stars. The inside home design should be modern western with warm colors. maybe utilizing furniture from antique stores, but refurbished with modern fabric design. Just don’t make anything NEON please. I see its making a come back and it makes me sick.
And you should build it in Minnesota.
Hey Coop: You always seem to get my comments!! And, even though “everything sounds more impressive when said in Latin,” I still prefer French…mostly because I heard so much of it around the dinner table! Voilà!!! C’est la vie!!
Ed: You bet…Long Island Ice Teas with pineapple juice just taste like you’re not drinking anything alcoholic..I guess that is the danger of delicious!!! And, I do know what you mean about Latin…I will never forget memorizing Latin declensions..ugh!!
Okay, now back to Dream Land & Dream Homes…when can we expect new and exciting clues from Mary and/or Gail? We are anxious for a new post…where is Jack? Has he been seen running amok? Quiet the jungle, please?
MARIE= Life is full of options and dreams, I guess that is what makes us all human. I enjoy reading everyones comments…Hey sometimes dreaming out loud keeps us off the docs. couch…lol
DIANE= the above was meant for you…I guess I better put the glasses on for reading and typing. Getting old is the pits!!!! lol I guess everyone realizes by now Im new to all this blogging and commenting..
Yes, Long Island Iced Tea’s bring back Good Memories for me too— (haven’t had one in years) Have ya’ll ever had a Rum Runner??? They are really good and yea, bad too— I won’t tell you my aftermath story, but my cousin still teases me about it! And what about a Margarita in Margaritaville?? Is it 5:00 in Vegas right now??
Diana B.
I think the Old Estates homes are terrific. I think Lake Tahoe or Shasta lake area would be a great place for one.
Hey,you guy s with your latin are impressive,but I’am just waiting for our poerto rican bloggers to open up again. Then we’ll see who really knows their latin.I’am lost already,so it’s “Nolos contendos”for me.But please,keep talking because this is what it’s all about.(I’ll try to keep up.)
Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho would be the perfect location for ANY Dream Home. The town is surrounded by trees, a beautiful lake, close to many area ski resorts, and boasts all four seasons. It is a growing community, yet still has the warm feel of a small community. This would be the best destination!
I would like to see the next Dream Home built in Puerto Rico. All these past years you have built them in the USA. There are many beautiful places in my island where you can built. Come on down to PR and see for yourselves.
Diana B, as “they” say, it’s always five in the afternoon SOMEWHERE in the world, so go ahead, live it up! I think today is going to be one of those days…santé mes amis.
DF, no tiene que decirme nada de los Puerto Riqueños, son mis mejores amigos!
And always remember, Dream Home Dreamers: nulla tenaci invia est via.
Now, back to our English language programming
When I came across this webpage, I thought AHA! that Marie Miller has been holding out on us. This would explain that plethora of perfect home plans that keep magically appearing, compliments of our blogging star. Then I read further, and realized; well, check it out for yourselves, folks:
http://www.homesbymarie.com/
Most impressive, with custom homes and sites available. Be sure to browse Marie’s property listings and available homes, like ‘Conrado’ at ‘Rancho de Candelaria’, (shown is a 2,727 square foot Southwestern beauty), or ‘Nature Pointe’, another stunning community just minutes from Albuquerque in the EAST Mountains, featuring estate-sized 2 acre lots as well as luxuriously-appointed homes waiting for an owner’s personal touch.
Now, would you like a Margarita, Tequila Sunrise, Blue Hawaii or Long Island Iced Tea served with your Dream Home?! Chips and salsa are on the table….
DB COOP= Sorry, but I think I’ll pass. How about a basket of Apples from Washington State instead? or Starbucks Coffee with Alaska Salmon at a cafe in Seattle? or a Cheeseburger in Paradise in Vegas? Besides, if you gorge yourself with all those chips and salsa, you will then have to go on a diet next week!!!
Diana B.
My dear Coop: Although I have had many alias names, I cannot take credit for Marie Elizabeth Blea, “better known by Betty!” However, you certainly give us a wonderful site to browse….her custom homes are exquisite…I’m especially loving the Tuscan Styled “Primrose Pointe!” Or, hey why not go all out with the “Albuquerque Acres?” If you’re going to Gream Big…this is the one!! Thank you so much for sharing…do you think HGTV could see the “Acres” home in Albuquerque????
My dreamhome is one that is paid for, large, and has all the amenities. It should be in a comfortable climate…a swimming pool is a must. Mansion-style is good. The master bedroom should be huge and so should the kitchen…be huge with every imaginable appliance (state of the art). A very nice screened in porch with lovely breezes and a cocktail bar seems practicle. Extra bedrooms are essential for all visiting family members and friends. The dog house doesn’t need to be outside….our dog sleeps with us! Please select me for the next big give-a-way. I’ll go anywhere for this place.
With my dream home, I’m definitely into one level living with maybe a walk-out basement that’s designed for entertaining. Efficient use of space is another must for me. I love large bedrooms over palatial bathrooms where your voice ecos from all the hard surfaces. I don’t consider bathrooms living space and would rather have the square footage of space dedicated to where I’m going to be most of the time. I’d also want unique but easy care surfaces where people can really live without worry of damaging something. There should be plenty of storage and no wasted space (for example) a pony wall without also using it for a cabinet I’d consider to be wasted space.
I love true Craftsman style with maybe a little bit of Vicoriana thrown in just to soften and balance the linear edges. I’d go for the incredible unique fireplace tile as seen in the original Craftsman homes and the beautiful woodwork like high grid boxed beam ceilings, built ins and gorgeous light fixtures.
And, of course, particularly if this was being built where there are four seasons, the house should be tight, energy efficient and green for year round comfort.
Location? How about somewhere a little more different from the other projects like Spokane, WA. There are some incredible areas to build there.
Dream home will be one, with lots of room for family gatherings everysingle weekend
, big kitchen, big dinning area , big living room and a gameroom would be great, so none one will feel that they arent welcome or that they can hardly breath with so much people around. It would be a pretty house, style doesnt matter, as long as it doesnt look historic with a grandma decorating ideas 
. It would have a large master bedroom with a unique sitting area, decorated in warm tones for a house in a cold area or in light fresh colors for a warm area, a nice cover balcony or private patio, the room will be next to a small gym room 
, the house would be somewhat green if not 100%. solar panels, tankless water heaters, etc. Pet friendly . Vaulted cealings, attached garage, nice medium to large backyard, with seating area, bbq, pool or a fountain… I would love to grow very old with my husband and get to have a nice backyard, with a fountain and a table so we can have our morning tea outside listening to the water drop and the birds sing 
. I guess the perfect home will be like your own little tiny piece of paradise, … paradise that we can enjoy and share with the entire family and not just a place to go to at the end of the day.
I truly love cottages. Shabby chic is my thing. I would love to see the mixture of old and new styles mixed into a shabby chic eco friendly cottage. Also maybe situated in my favorite state of Connecticut-along the water. But, it would have to fit a family of our size(kinda big). Myself, twin 11year old daughters, my mom and dad. and my sister sometimes visiting with her 2 dogs(norman and maggie). And maybe my future soulmate(?).
How about thinking truly outside the box with the 2010 Dream Home?
While the annual contest’s new construction macmansions built in picture-perfect suburban/subrural settings have certainly been beautiful, that scenario is not necessarily everyone’s ultimate dream.
For many, winning a home in a metropolitan city with all the excitement and advantages that lifestyle brings would be it!
Imagine offering (for example) a beautifully renovated/decorated brownstone in Boston’s Georgetown or high-rise apartment in San Franciso, New York, or ….? as the next dream home.
Remember, a spectacular city-scape view from a 20th floor balcony can be as inspiring as a back yard deck…..and walking accessibility to museums, libraries, galleries and theaters can be relax and fulfill just as much as skiing, boating hiking.
I live in Northern CA. Magalia, to be exact. “A little above Paradise”. I think this area is beautiful and a perfect place to put the 2010 green home. So of course being in a forest, mountain area a “log cabin” type home design is the only way to go here. We are at the foot of the back roads to Lassen National Forest, we have the high lakes, snow, cooler summers than living on the valley floor, but close enough to it to enjoy places like Lake Oroville. It’s an outdoor lovers “Paradise”. We are pretty quiet about some of our celebrity folks that enjoy this beautiful area.
Make our Dream Home totally handicap accessible from entrance to exit! Make our Dream Home easy to maintain! Make our Dream Home affordable for the “average” family to maintain so that we could actually afford to live in it and enjoy it’s beauty! Give us an indoor swimming pool (with easy access) to enjoy every day of the year! Give us all of this in southwest Houston and we would be very happy!
“Annette & Mike”
Houston, TX
Cheerio– Are we still talking about New Mexico? Please, Give o’er– it’s Rubbish, Bloody and Shag– ( OK, that’s about it for my English dialect). DB Coop— the homesites look Marvelous, but my eyes are already itching from the sand dust!!!
I found Another Homesite— her name is Diana, too!! get it? Check it Out at
http://www.dianahomes.com
I forget who mentioned renting out the house if a winner, and all I can say is, No Way. What a nightmare that could turn out to be and especially if the winner lives across the country from the house.
Someone, I think Coop, mentioned chips and salsa on the table–we are having bison flavored spread, bison sausage and crackers for snack this evening while we wind down and get ready for a new week.
I don’t know about most of you but ready for another clue or new thread for blog.
And I know I am in the minority but would really like to see a way for the network to involve the winner in the location, style, and size of the house so they are truly a WINNER.
COLLEGEMOM= I was the one that mentioned about “renting it out”. I know, I would have thought the same too– a Nightmare. But this actually is very common in Florida, and becoming very popular. Our Neighbor lives in Germany, and owns a house in our neighborhood! He has had a successful season, with the house being occupied very often.- by vacationers.
I think there is a way to screen people, through a Travel Agent maybe? I don’t know. But he pays another neighbor (to be the Manager), and is always looking out for the house, cleaning it, etc… I don’t know if it’s such a great idea, but my neighbor from Germany has been doing this for the past 10 years with this house.
It would only work though, if the “Winner” was going to only use the Home as a “Vacation Home ” though.
Diana B.
YOU CAN BUILD MY 2010 DREAM HOME IN THE GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS. IT WILL CONFIM YOUR FAITH IN GOD
how do you get them to send you emails about resent blogs on the 2010 dream home ? thanks!
I would LOVE like what Bonnie said on April 25, 2009 about the porch sitting back with a creek, but i really love the picture bottom on the left and the one above it, i like that in both they have big windows to bring in light and views. The pic in the middle left i love love how big it is and how open it looks, i must say that the bottom left pic has that cozy feel to it:). I can’t say how much i really like any of these homes without seeing the insides. I love big rooms and i have a daughter and a sonand they don’t want to room, so i think it would be a good idea to make 2 BIG bedrooms and mabye three if you want a guest bed or have a third child. About the location, not some big city where you can’t realax, mabye a city near but not too close.You have to have some form of water either it be a lake or a ocean but a nice water area for water activities, i think it would nice to have a warm water skiiing, and mt. biking summer but a cold snow skiing ice skating winter. Mild fall and spring i think new mexico would be nice, there is a place called Angle Fire,New Mexico it is just like my discrition and i know you always give a car so you could give a four wheel drive, the home could be a ski in ski out! I think that would be you best bet and it is the perfect place in my oppinion. There is a very cozy feel to it it’s very close to taosand santa fe, i really do think that is the perfect spot.
Collegemom, I don’t think it has to do with “being in the minority” (no disrepect for your opinion intended at all), it’s just more of a reality factor. After all, who WOULDN’T prefer to choose their Dream Home location and style. We probably ALL would. But that’s just not the nature of the beast (or beauty, as I see it), for good reason.
While I’m certainly not the expert, I would imagine, taking into account all of the complex issues in the significant lead time required for every aspect of putting a Dream Home sweepstakes together (of which we are aware of but only a few of the MANY details, major and minor), such as the legal and financial structuring of the project, lining up product sponsorships, selection of the builder, available site location, planning and permit approvals, much less the cost containment of such a venture, etc. etc. and ALL of the unforeseen problems that building entails…ad infinitum, and THEN throwing a successful TV & advertising production into the mix, that promoting a “you choose it, we’ll build it” (your location, your style and amenities) Dream Home sweepstakes, as attractive as it might first seem from our point of view, would be like selling lottery tickets for a jackpot prize “to be announced at some future date.” It wouldn’t fly.
With 39 million entries or so, The Dream Home Sweepstakes as it is set up seems to work very well and generates LOTS of interest, year after year, both for the network and its product sponsors, not to mention that it’s a positive life-changing experience for the lucky winner. The point is, use the windfall to build YOUR dream, whatever and wherever that may be.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the folks at HGTV proved me wrong. I wouldn’t mind in the least.
By the way, collegemom, bison sausage? I’ve had bison burgers before (tasty) but haven’t had a chance to try the sausage. Is that a local product, or brand name?
And yes, let’s celebrate the Cinco de Mayo fiesta with a tantalizing new clue! Are you game, MARY, ’cause the word is, it’s party time!
I think you guys should go extreme home on this one. Set it in the Adirondacks and incorporate it into the landscape of the Adirondacks. Bring the outside in-for those long hard winters with an actual stream flowing through the house into a heated pool.
Lots of sky lights for winter sun and an old adirondack camp feel with really decorative bark and twig decoration. Make it artsy with lots of sculpture. I could draw it up it is all in my head. I love to watch extreme homes and if I had the money I would build one.
For my dream home there must be a view from every room, with miles of windows. I like a lot of sunlight and the sound of birds. How about a “painted lady” type of house. Porches tucked in everywhere, window seats, flower boxes, arbors trailing over brick walkways leading to hidden patios. On the gorgeous stairway curving up there can be three landings, each trailing off to a bedroom. And how about an attic? A large one. I think a library hidden behind pocket wall doors, and a lot of tiffany glass would be interesting too. Make sure the door knocker has a large “P” on it too, for my last name … ok?
Polly, — When I read your blog, I was curious, because I never heard of the area,the Adirondacks. I went to their website, and I give a Second Vote. I was surprised that it is in N.Y. I’ve heard of Lake George, but never connected the two. Very beautiful, picturesque, and serene.— but I do love any place that has Mountains!!
Diana B.
Well Marie Miller, getting back to your Sunday afternoon post (3 May), for me, if I were dreaming small, I might go for something like the 2,310 square foot ‘Rocky Slope Drive’ home…(a more modest yet stylish, contemporary Southwestern) Now, dreaming big—no question, that would definitely be the 4,896 square foot ‘Albuquerque Acres’ you brought to our attention: http://www.homesbymarie.com/sold_homes/elena/elena.php
I know HGTV could manage to pull off an eye-catching Southwestern beauty with lines like that….
Any ideas on what to name such an estate? (Please, foks, nothing inappropriate, such as ‘Bell e Acres’)
I think a victorian style house would be nice. Maybe lika a minature castle or mansion, something with big doors and a nice yard.
That’s more than an estate Coop. It looks like a castle in the mountains! I wonder if HGTV can afford to build something like that nowadays. With one of their main sponsors declaring bankruptcy & other businesses hurting it might be a mean lean design this year. Maybe that’s why they are keeping us in suspense as to the location. They are still trying to find some cheap swampland or dessert land?
My dream has always been a ranch in Texas, so I agree with the person who said ranch house…that would be too good to be true. Definitely gets my vote.
I think the home should be a Victorian built in Southport, N. C., a small coastal town where it is calm, peaceful, and serene. The beach is close by; just a few minutes away, yet the home would be in the beautiful countryside. A larger city, Wilmington, N.C. is just 18 miles away should one fancy shopping in a larger area & more things to do.
I think the style of the house really depends on the location. But my dream home would be something that felt homey and accessible. Victorian homes can be quite beautiful, but they always feel a bit formal and stuffy to me. I loved the 2008 cottage home in Maine (!!) but I guess, seeing as that theme was just done, it probably won’t be repeated anytime soon. Whatever is chosen, I hope it is light and cheerful – someplace I could actually imagine myself belonging in.
How about a dream home in KY with a view of the lake from the back, a set of stairs gently descending from your back yard into the Lake, with a nice dock at the end of the trail and a view of the mountains from the side porch, and a horse farm view to the front complete with a fence to walk up to and pet the neighbors horses from. Add some rocking chairs and a porch swing to the front porch & sit there on it with friends and enjoy the artistic seasons from it. A screened in area on the back of the house, with a great table set and bbq bar area. You guys know it’s really possible to have a home like that in Ky. Jack try looking in the Lake Cumberland region, say around Somerset. Awesome land here at great prices. And it’s an area that could benefit from learning more about green aspects of living. A beautiful country home, a basement, with 2 bedrooms up stairs and 2 downstairs and a big family room with kitchenette with wide wrap around porches, two wonderful master suites one upstairs other downstairs. Interir done with a sophisticated country “eclectic” but contemporary look inside with nice antiques to recycle “green it” up with. Not to mention all the great green things you already have been adding into all of the dream, green homes and now blog cabins. It’s all good. But can be even better.
The Italian Villa looks amazing!! Somewhere chic, with glamorous modern living. It would be very elegant but functional. Truly a dream home that one wishes for but could never achieve without the help of HGTV. THIS WOULD BE AMAZING!!
Okay Coop: Let me think…okay, I have a great name for the estate: How about “Miller’s Menagerie Manor?” The French-language “Methodical Encyclopaedia” of 1782 defines a menagerie as an “establishment of luxury and curiosity.” This “castle” in the sky definitely puts Luxury on the map…no matter where it is built! And, the curiosity would come from all that pass by its eligance..wanting to see beyond the outer walls!! However, Ed may be right..times are tough & maybe HGTV couldn’t even consider this beauty in their budget. They said to DREAM BIG..so there you go…I’m DREAMIN’ BIG!!!
Diana: Nice photo…are you Diana Korpi???
hola hgtv , yo soy cubana y no se mucho ingles y poreso quiero , haser esta cartica en espanol me gusta mucho su programa , y mi mayor sueno fue en mi vida tener una casita pequena y poder sembrar mis plantas pero hoy estoy ya mayor tengo 59 anos y estoy desavilitada por los nervios ya casi ni tengo esa esperansa tendria q ocurrir un milagro desde el cielo, tambien queria desirles q aqui en miami beach muchas personas disfruta de su programa quedando muy agradesida por dejarme escrir este pedasito de opurtunidad QUE DIOS LOS VENDIGA
The perect Dream Home would be a Greek Revival Style Southern Mansion with a tree lined drive on a bluff overlooking a river. Remember the old romance novels? Large airy rooms with lots of huge windows and open balconies, huge sweeping staircases…need I say more?
A sunshine filled Victorian, updated with all the modern amenities in the baths (2 at least), a modern kitchen to cook and large enough to hold a table to encourage visits from family and friends. A home that is bright yet still cozy and charming, loaded with warm wood details, carvings, ceiling mouldings, pocket doors, built-ins, oak hardwood floors, stained glass, with a lush and private backyard to enjoy my coffee, a glass covered room to enjoy the fog and rain, yet comfy in the summer; all in San Francisco–that is my dream home. Thank you.
hola teresa castillo! Thank you for a beautiful post…no one has come up with a total comment in a different language…now let me see if I understand what you said:
“I am Cuban and not much English, and I am poor, Solar energy in the Spanish cartica..I love your program, and my biggest dream in my life was having a little house and be able to plant my plants but today I’m too old and I am 59 years old and to have this happen would be a miracle from heaven!” I’m not quite sure about the rest of the comment, but I must say 59 is not OLD!! Maybe someone out there has a better translation for us. Anyway, thank you Teresa!!
I am still very jealous on Sherill Smith of winning my dream home 2009. I still cannot excuse that she took my dream away. That HGTV let her still my dream away. (Anyhow:I am happy for her and wish her the best fun). Every single thing inside and outside was my dream home in real and if I won I definitely would move to Sonoma for good to live there and find my self a job there. I will hope that next I could become the winner.
Life is unexpected. Let hope in the Best.
Dream.. Big!
My vote is for an Italian/Mediterranean Villa, Palatial Victorian or a garden surrounded French Provincial.
OR a beautiful classically inspired penthouse with a courtyard in a major city like New York, LA, Chicago or Atlanta! Imagine the stately floor to ceiling windows, heavy molding and tray ceilings all facing inward toward the garden space, yet facing the opposite direction the lively view of the city? The greenery in the courtyard would provide quiet space in the garden and drainage would be simple by just connecting a drainage system to the same one used for the rooftop areas. A beautiful fountain in the center could also help eliminate the sounds of the city. Luxurious accents, timeless style and a classic inspiration would make this a very special dreamhome indeed and DEFINITELY one that I want to win!
I think the Victorian home would be nice built in Virginia or North Carolina
I would like to have the new 2010 dreamhome
inthe northren part of alabama or smokey,s
in TN way in the woods and high up on the hills and know one around it has perfect
weather snow in the winter but not to much
and sunshine in the summer and pretty leaves
in the fall perfect place to be
I think Islemorada or any of the middle Florida Keys would be a great location. An energy efficient home, utilizing solar and wind power. If you build it I will try to win it. A large porch overseeing deep water acess with plenty of room to cast from would be nice too. Also the master bedroom would have to have a view of the water but also be able to convert to a room darkening environment as well. Thanks for another chance to dream.
The 2010 Dreamhome should definitely be a southwestern style ranch with at least 3/2. A western location such as southern Colorado, Central New Mexico, the Sedona/Flagstaff area, or even Pheonix would be perfect. Looking forward to entering every day….
You could be right, Ed. With the tough economic times, we might be better off thinking “Dinky Home” rather than Dream Home. I sure hope not, but we’ll see.
Wow, the French-language “Methodical Encyclopaedia” of 1782, Marie?! Don’t you think you should get yourself a more updated version for your research? Still, it’s got to be very interesting to check out all of the high-tech gadgets (like the guillotine) that they had back in the good old days. And I think just “Miller’s Manor” (using the initials M M) would do the place justice.
Teresa Castillo, gracias por sus palabras, y buena suerte con todo. You got most of the post correct, Marie Miller; I’ll do a quickie translation: Hello HGTV, I am Cuban and don’t know much English, so I want to do this little note in Spanish. I really like your programs, and my biggest dream in my life was to have a small home and be able to grow my plants but now I am older, 59 years, and I have a nervous disability. I hardly have any hopes, it would have to be a miracle from above (the sky). Also, I’d like to tell you all that here in Miami Beach lots of people enjoy your program. I remain grateful for allowing me to write this little wish (giving me this little bit of opportunity): May God bless you.
Aha, a Greek Revival Style Southern Mansion from Georgi, and a sunshine filled San Francisco Victorian from Y Li…it’s good to see HGTV bloggers still dreaming big, and why not?!
So now our future rests in your hands, MARY, as we continue to dream of all of the great possibilities. And for an early start, Happy Cinco de Mayo, amigos, por donde sean.
Dream home for me would be a gorgeous Victorian in upstate NY or a cozy cabin in Colorado Springs, CO.
My favorite is a Victorian but in the best-kept secret great place to live…the Quad-Cities bordering Iowa and Illinois on a bluff overlooking the majestic Mississippi or beautiful bend of the river just north in Port Bryon area. You’ll find losts of old Victorians here. Another idea is the beautiful hill/tree country (yes, I said hills) in Iowa (Grant Wood country)!
My favorite is a Victorian but in the best-kept secret great place to live…the Quad-Cities bordering Iowa and Illinois on a bluff overlooking the majestic Mississippi or beautiful bend of the river just north in Port Bryon area. You’ll find lots of old Victorians here. Another idea is the beautiful hill/tree country (yes, I said hills) in Iowa (Grant Wood country)!
Coop: “Miller’s Manor” is very acceptable & I like the “MM” part…funny you should cap on that ’cause my 2000 VW Bug’s license plate was BUG4MM..translation: Bug for Marie Miller, or Bug for 2000 (my VW was born in the year 2000..yes, she has a birth certificate & of course the MM is obvious)!!
Okay, I agree…I may need a more updated version of the “Methodical Encyclopaedia” of 1782 for my research…however, it may not represent as much interest though!!
Thank you for translating the whole comment from Teresa…you are a man of many talents, and you know I respect your knowledge!
i think the house should be located up the white mountains of new hampshire looking over the amazing lakes and rivers. it has a great atmosphere and there is tons to do there. swimming in the rivers up there is so much fun, going down the small waterfalls. you could make it a warm 4 bedroom home maybe log or towards the town and make it modern to stand out either way i think the house should be in NEW HAMPSHIRE :]
I think that the dream home should be in Wilmington or Wrightsville Beach, NC or in Orlando, Florida. I think that the style should be a Charlestonian style home.
Thanks for the translation Coop +.
I had to get my better half to read that one for me. Now I will just wait for you or Marie to translate then I will read your posts.
I don’t know about the rest of you but I would still like to know the location before I pick my style of home. Looks like Tuscan is ahead on the quick poll.
MM always reminds me of the comic MarMaduke. Where the neighbors are asking the Wilson’s why they have MM on their chimney.
I am 59 years old and have never owned a house in my life. With the way the ecomony is today, I guess I never will. My dream house would be in Sedona, Arizona nestled against the most beautiful red rocks in the country with views on all four sides of the house. A gourmet kitchen is a must, with plenty of room for entertaining. That would be my dream….just once to own a home and not rent anymore…nice idea before I shuffle off this old world. Also a corral for one or two quarter horses..preferably an appy and a palomino!!!!! Now that is my dream!!!!!!!!
I will love to live in Hawaii, the type of home should be one that belongs there and in the style that fits the landscape, with all the luxuary possible….Thanks
Tile floors, big windows and doors, great lanai/outdoor space, lots of tropical fruit trees and plants and a wonderful view…One level, if there must be an upper level then an elevator would be great…In HAWAII….
I would love to see a ranch style home in the Great Smokey Mountains, now that a dream home.
My ideal home would be a 2200 sq’ ranch with a separate artist studio, geothermal heat/air conditioning, a large lot for privacy, a greenhouse and garden (large enough to grow food not just herbs), laundry room on same floor as bedrooms, temperate climate – NOT hot or cold! :^) I am 51 and never owned a home either! When I finally began making enough money to feel comfortable doing so, the housing bubble was rising with a vengence. High prices dissuaded me.
Hey HGTV Dream Home Team, How about a post & beam mix, with an upscale log home? I believe this would make a nice combination and also allow for a wide range of eco friendly choices concerning construction decisions as well as provide a magnificent home for the ultimate winner. Bless you all for all the charitable work you are doing as well as saving the environment.
Don
A majestic Victorian made of limestone with a three story tower in front along with an elegant wrap around porch perched atop of a large knowl on Barbados overlooking the Carribean. It would be a novel and symbollic getaway of that era and its colonial heritage. It would be something that a mariner could sink his teeth into. Ha-r-r – Matey!
Greg Freeman Stafford, VA
How about a Green Home in Greensburg, KS? The town is rebuilding green after being distroyed by a tornado 2 years ago. Would be a great location.
the house should be in capemay.
I would love to see a home in New Mexico. Somewhere in the Enchanted Circle, preferrably near Taos. The mountains are gorgeous and there is plenty of land for a beautful rustic ranch style home with a wrap around porch overlooking a meadow at the base of a mountain with large windows to take in the view from every angle. That would be a dream home.
Just saw the video, and I couldn’t be more excited! The 2010 Dream Home is going to be an absolute beauty, I am sure of it.
WHY DOES HGTV NOT DO BUSINESS AT ALL IN PUERTO RICO? THEY WILL GO TO ALL DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD AND US TERRITORIES, BUT THEY DO NOT GO TO PUERTO RICO, THEY EXCLUDE PUERTO RICO FOR ALL ENTRIES OF ANY SORT, AND THEY DON’T EVEN HOUSE HUNT IN PUERTO RICO. WHAT IS GOING ON THAT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT? IS IT A GOVERNMENT RESTRICTION TYPE SITUATION? I’M JUST CURIOUS!
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Nice Dream home.It really huge home.That was cool.I am telling you the truth that house is
huge but to much cost for living.Why not build medium or small house fair with other peoples who need to afford for a house support for family it really not fair for other peoples who needs it most.It is nice
to have a dream.What abt how many peoples now this world so many grieve now this day.Now this day bad equipment and so many hard find a jobs and too many poor peoples.It not fair for people who not able get a jobs for support for thier family.I not interest this dream home.Think abt it.