Greetings, HGTV Green Home fans.

We’re closing this blog to do a bit of housekeeping. A new and improved blog format is coming soon. We’ll alert you when it’s live.

In the meantime, please pay a visit to the HGTV Dream Home blog and cast your vote in our 2012 banner competition. Voting runs through Nov. 23 at noon ET.

As promised, I am proud to present our Building HGTV Green Home 2012 package. Take some time to explore, click through slideshows and read up on architect Steve Kemp’s inspiration for the home’s design. I am so impressed by the team’s thoughtfulness, attention to detail and smart approach to green design and construction.

Now that you’re an expert, tell me what rates as your favorite HGTV Green Home room, design feature or building material. I have to admit a weakness for that exterior stone facing, sourced right here in the great state of Tenn.!

I always enjoy speaking to our architects about design inspiration. Often, home style is influenced by region and lifestyle. HGTV Green Home 2012 is no exception. The experts at Kemp Hall Studio studied Southern farmhouse vernacular and pulled from that quintessential design elements that would work in a 21st-century home. The historic Trump-Lilly Farm, located in West Virginia, served as one source of inspiration for our Serenbe home. Do you see any similarities when you compare this photo to our rendering?

I hope to share more details about the home’s design and green details when our Building of HGTV Green Home 2012 package launches in November.

Photo by John Nicely. Source: Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division.

Interior designer Linda Woodrum gave a presentation during our day trip to Serenbe in September. Although at that time, her plans were still in the formative stages, she did share a bit about her inspiration for interior spaces. Key words included “agrarian,” “retreat” and “boutique fabrics,” and Linda revealed that wall colors would be pulled from the HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams Traditional Twist color palette.

I will reveal no more. But I hope these tidbits generate pleasant mental pictures.

As promised, I am proud to present the rendering, floor plan and elevations for HGTV Green Home 2012, a Southern-style farmhouse with a modern, green twist. Please examine the pics and post your questions and comments below.

Enjoy!

The story of Serenbe, the location of HGTV Green Home 2012, begins quite simply: A husband and wife were out on a Sunday drive. The destination? An old farm for sale. The couple had no intention of buying. They swore the trip was one of exploration. Despite their best intentions, they fell in love with the property – it was only 30 minutes away from Atlanta but felt a world away. The farmstead started out as a weekend getaway for the couple and their three young children. But soon, country life called them. When bulldozers threatened the surrounding forests and countryside, the couple took action and snatched up the land surrounding the farmstead. The notion of Serenbe (the combination of “serenity” and “be”) as a sustainable community took root.

I had the opportunity to meet Serenbe founder Steve Nygren last week when I paid a visit to the community and listened attentively as he shared this heartfelt story. I was struck by Steve’s passion and enthusiasm for this project, which now encompasses more than 40,000 acres of land, an organic farm, three restaurants (please note that Steve’s wife, Marie, is considered one of Atlanta’s top chefs) and cozy tight-knit hamlets grouped by theme (including arts, crafts and senior living). Serenbe is designed in the style of English countryside villages, where living, working and shopping are centralized, and the surrounding land is preserved for farming and recreational pursuits. A mix of architectural styles makes sense in this community: As time passes and a village grows, the original homes and cottages are joined by new modern structures. No matter what the home style, the front porch is key. “If you go out the front door, be ready to socialize,” says Steve.

Interest piqued? We will be sharing more community and home design info in the weeks to come. And keep your eye out for the 2012 floor plans, rendering and site elevations. I can’t wait to tell you more about this year’s HGTV Green Home, its inspiration and its most outstanding features.

Hi all,

While we wait for the floor plan to launch, take time to click through the time-lapse construction photos. We’ve already made much progress at the Serenbe home site.

Also, I’d like to direct your attention to a collection of videos that are blowing up the charts this month. They are worth a watch:

HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2011
HGTV Green Home 2012 Location
HGTV Green Home Winner Ambush

At long last!

We are proud to announce the location of our fifth annual eco-friendly home. Serenbe, a 1,000-acre sustainable community located in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga., is an idyllic setting with amenities galore. Watch the announcement video, hosted by HGTV Green Home house planner Jack Thomasson, for more of the exciting details.

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Hi all,

I see you are headed in the right direction. You are skilled sleuths. Perhaps my clues are too easy this go-round?

On to the next clue. This one involves yet another gorgeous river. Examine the photo and post your best guess.

Hi all,

Did you crack clue two? The Susquehanna River was crucial in the establishment of the eastern boundary of the Mason-Dixon line. So … our home location is either north or south of that historic line.

On to clue three.

I’ll admit that this one will take a bit of digging. First, identify the person in this photo, then see what you can discover about his biggest fans.