We’d like to know what you consider the very best HGTV Dream Home space. Please participate in our poll and post your thoughts below.
The winner of HGTV Dream Home 2010 won’t be announced until March 15 — oh, the anticipation! While we wait, why not take a trip down memory lane? We’ve gathered photos of the most beautiful HGTV Dream Home master and guest bathrooms. Check them out!
Cheryl and Joe Smith were presented with the queen-size Quilt of Dreams during the Winner’s Weekend celebration recently held at the HGTV Dream Home 2009 in Sonoma, Calif.
The 100-percent cotton “Rail Fence” quilt features a zigzag layout of fabric blocks in wine-country colors of green, grape, tan and red. HGTV Dream Home 2009 is pictured on the fabric as well as in the center of the quilt.
The quilt was crafted by members of the HGTV Dream Home message board (“mbers”), who signed their screen names and well wishes on fabric blocks and sent them to Joann Dailey of Ragland, Ala., and Janet Green, of Chattanooga, Tenn., for final layout, construction and quilting. This is the eighth consecutive year that members have created a Quilt of Dreams for the winner of the HGTV Dream Home.
Gail is our Super Fan, for sure, but did you know we’ve recently discovered a Mega Fan? Kate Seaman from New Jersey gave her bedroom a complete makeover in the spirit of the HGTV Dream Home 2009 master bedroom! Check out our exclusive interview with this creative HGTV fan and find out how she pulled off the look for less.
 Bedroom Before |
 Bedroom After |
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WHOOPS! I did not mean to sound the alarm with my “selection process” wording. The winner is definitely picked at random. I am just curious to see how it all comes together. (With all of those entries coming in online and through the mail, it has to take some coordination, right?)
I meant to also answer CG’s question about the coat closet off the patio door. There isn’t one, but there is room for a cool coat rack by the door.
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I would like to take a moment to address the location and neighborhood concerns. The houses across the street may look modest to you, but probably cost anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million. I have met the neighbors; they are extremely nice and would be really disappointed to read some of the comments that have been posted. The quaint cottages and bungalows of Sonoma serve as a nice counterpoint to the grand homes of Armstrong Estates. (One cottage in particular was in the middle of a big landscaping/driveway redesign when the pictures were taken).
And don’t worry – you won’t be disqualified if you enter multiple times in one day. Duplicate entries are automatically removed from the system – only one online entry per person per day is registered. Entering for a friend or family member? The legal team says that the entry from your computer will be accepted, as long as the name and e-mail address for the entrant differs from your own.
Your Super Fan,
Gail
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Good afternoon, bloggers!
January is just whizzing by, so it won’t be long now until a winner is chosen for the HGTV Dream Home 2009. (Did I mention that I get to go behind the scenes and check out the winner selection process? I can’t wait.)
Now, on to the questions:
•Although the wine closet in the study is not currently temperature controlled, it would prove an easy upgrade. Believe me, there are wine-storage specialists galore in Sonoma.
•Adding a female touch to the study would require nothing more than a beautiful bouquet of flowers and lots of shelf space to display girly things.
•Bay-area artist Anthony May is the person responsible for the artwork above the fireplace. The piece is entitled On Being Mortal (Part One).
•The double-mirror look in the master bathroom was created by layering framed mirrors in front of a flat wall-mounted mirror. This is another technique I will be using in my home.
Whew, just when I think all the questions have been answered, you come up with more! I love it. Don’t forget to check out HGTV Green Home Central for updates on the ’09 home currently under construction. And don’t forget to enter DAILY for your chance to win the HGTV Dream Home 2009 … you could end up livin’ in sunny Sonoma!
Your Super Fan,
Gail
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We’ve received quite a few queries about the 4′ by 4′ Doggie Dream Home (even a request for the building plans), so I thought I’d pick up the phone and have a quick chat with the builder himself, Ledson Construction superintendent and architectural design specialist Patrick Geary. After you read through the interview, don’t forget to enter the giveaway for your chance to win this amazing pooch palace … we’ll throw in the HGTV Dream Home, too!
What was your inspiration for the Doggie Dream Home?
We used the HGTV Dream Home plans and scaled them back. The footprint of the doghouse – everything from the porches to the perimeter foundation – is the exact footprint of the HGTV Dream Home. Any architectural plan can be scaled down the same way.
What materials did you use to construct the home?
Everything is constructed out of plywood. We cut grooves in 3/4-inch-plywood with a 1/8-inch saw blade to replicate the exterior siding.
And that amazing roof?
We took the exact roofing material from the HGTV Dream Home – the exact composition roofing – cut the material into 1 1/2-inch pieces and then grooved those pieces with a grinder to simulate smaller shingles.
Tell us about the exterior.
We painted the Doggie Dream Home with the same Sherwin-Williams® exterior paints used for the HGTV Dream Home. The burgundy window sashes were painted onto the Plexiglas windows, which were inserted into the plywood walls and secured in place with pieces of trim.
It looks like this project took forever to complete. Did it?
It took me and my assistant, Alfredo Garcia, five days to complete. It became a much larger project than we anticipated. Once we started with the project, we wanted to make it as realistic and accurate as possible.
Any funny stories along the way?
When we completed the doghouse, we loaded it on the back of a truck and transported it from Santa Rosa, where we live, to Sonoma. Folks were honking at us, and we were approached by many people who asked if we could build them doghouses. It was definitely a head turner on the road. We were also joking because we were doing 55 miles per hour on the highway, so we felt satisfied that the roof could withstand gale-force winds during a storm.
So how does it feel now that you’ve raised the Doggie Dream Home design bar?
Alfredo and I enjoyed coming up with the idea of scaling the home down from the original plan, and, as large a project as it was, it was really rewarding for us to see the results and compare it to the HGTV Dream Home. We were both able to work on and build the actual HGTV Dream Home, and it was rewarding for us to be a part of this process – to finally sit back and see them both completed.
-Mary
Better late than never! As promised, we’re proud to present an exclusive video series that features Jack and Linda’s all-time favorite HGTV Dream Home moments. Watch the series, then tell us what you consider the very best HGTV Dream Home ever built. I think mine would have to be 2002, simply because I’ve spent so much vacation time along the Delaware and Maryland shores. I can’t wait to read your thoughts!
Good afternoon, bloggers!
What do you think of the new and improved HGTV.com? Isn’t it cool? So many of you have asked about the start date of the 360-degree tour, and I am happy to tell you that you can enjoy virtual tours of the rooms starting TODAY! Be prepared to be blown away, if you haven’t already clicked around.
Back to questions from last week:
- Congratulations, Linda! I took the pretty picture from a window in the master bathroom. I sense many long soaks in the winner’s future.
- Many people have asked about the size of the master bed. It is queen this year. I will ask Linda why we don’t see king beds in the HGTV Dream Homes. I think this year’s bed is so fabulous, I plan to copy it someday when I have a big master bedroom.
- Lillian, the winner of the HGTV Dream Home will receive the framed limited-edition Michael Schwab print that is currently on display in the stairwell. It is not currently signed. MRDBCoop, the poster will not be available for purchase, but I think that’s a great suggestion.
It won’t be long now until the January 1st special. I can’t wait!
Your Super Fan,
Gail
We’re up and running again! Sorry for the little intermission as we relaunched the site. Today, Gail takes you on a tour of Sonoma — all the coolest spots in town. Tag along for the tour and then let us know what you think of the town … and our brand new look!
