Have you seen HGTV’s Green Home 2010 in Plymouth, Massachusetts?
I’m especially digging the front porch, the white picket fence, and that three-story tower.
This would make a nice little vacation house for someone. And hey, if you’re that lucky someone, promise that you’ll invite me over to see it in person, would ya?
The Sweepstakes starts Friday, April 16–enter at HGTV.com.
HGTV host Jamie Durie will give us the televised tour on HGTV Sunday night at 8 pm (ET). You can see the entire slideshow of the house here and take a video tour here, which really gives you a better sense of the space.
I love, love, love this home! I love white accents, trim, etc., always have. In our area all the houses seem to have creme everything! Creme & brown. 🙁 Oh, the pressure.
The HGTV Green house gives me the courage to add even more white in my house. : )
.-= Pam @ Design Fanatic´s last blog .. =-.
Oooh, I love it. I think it’s neutral but pushing the envelope a little. Only bit I don’t like is those dark rugs, I agree with you that’s going a bit far… You say there’s no formal dining area, isn’t thaht what the wicker chair bit is though? I’m confused.
.-= The Weekend Island´s last blog ..Slow going =-.
Weekend Island–
I just meant that there’s not a separate dining room. This space adjoins the kitchen, so it’s more like an eat-in kitchen than a formal dining space (to me, at least!). -Julia
I think it’s lovely. The only thing I didn’t care for was the coffee table in the living room with the moons on it. Other than that it’s awesome:)
.-= Becky @ Farmgirl Paints´s last blog ..Beach Hair 101 =-.
I love it! Interior, exterior, location, the whole green shebang.
.-= Tracy @ Comfort&Luxury´s last blog ..How to Decorate With Cats =-.
I was really disappointed in this house. Does it really only have two bedrooms?! And your right Julia, there is no formal dining room. It has a nice start with the porch and the tower but I don’t think they did nearly as good of a job as they could have considering it’s all professional designers. Two thumbs down in my opinion but I would of course take it for free. I’m Canadian so I can’t enter either way but your not being negative Julia, your spot on!
.-= Mrs. Crompton´s last blog ..Curried Lentil Soup In The Kitchen =-.
I actually just checked this out the other day~ I really like it, besides a few cosmetic things. The bones are good though~
.-= Sunshine´s last blog ..Making memories Meaningful! =-.
Julia: I think most of your comments were spot on! What’s up with the rugs?
I think you’re spot on Julia, not negative. What just struck me looking at these pics is how much of this looks like a Better Homes & Gardens circa 1970-something. Especially the living room coffee table and that #3 pillow on the couch (is this style popular again?). Overall though, I like the house itself. Just wondering about some of these design choices.
Love it!
.-= Vicki´s last blog ..Multi-Vitamins =-.
Julia, don’t worry about sounding negative, you were spot on. I am very disappointed in the new HGTV dream home. Is that a birdcage light fixture and a metal red bed? Very ugly. What happened to the nice dream homes they use to make? Now they seem to be going down hill. The only thing I liked about this dream home was the staircase. I am certainly not going to enter in.
The house is great, but the decor is …hmmm. You’re right about those light fixtures looking like cages. It looks like an animal should be trapped inside. Also, what’s up with the wicker chairs? Their size is so large that they swallowed the table. I do like the red counters though. It’s nice to see something different in the kitchen.
I’m totally digging the red countertop in the kitchen. I agree that the tower room needs a bench. The wicker chairs were awful. Six is too many around that table, no matter how you squish them. Four is the limit. The coffee table in the living room is kinda fun and funky, but doesn’t really go with anything else in there, so it stands out even more than it’s designed to. And am I the only one who thinks it’s weird that the bed is on wheels?
Janelle–
I was so fixated on the blue rug that I didn’t even notice the wheels on the bed! Too funny. -Julia
I absolutely LOVE the house itself, but I would go with a different style of decorating, more romantic and shabby chic.
Good bones; great light. But just looks a bit strange to me from the outside. The porch is wonderful, but thce house looks like it can’t decide what style it wants to be.
Hi Julia – heres the deal if they gave me the keys to this house it’s an offer I could not refuse. It is beautiful but a bit over furnished. I think it has character – but how much time would it take to keep it clean is my ? I’m getting lazy or old…. Jaime Durie is our guy… Regards Esther from Sydney…
I LOVE this house. The decor’s a bit bland for me, but I think that’s just how it goes when you’re designing a house for no one in particular. And I think the red counters are fun.
.-= Jay´s last blog ..Enjoying our home & garden =-.
Its 2100 sqft, how much is in the stair? I have seen better planned 1400 sqft townhouses. (that is an example of being negative about the house)
I saw the wheeled bed and thought that would of really freaked the cat out during the earthquake last week.
Not too crazy about this house. Did anyone notice the second bedroom doesn’t have a closet?
well I like it, but it’s not a “wow” home to me tho, not that I’d knock it back if someone offered it to me – and it gives my current home a run for it’s money!!!
.-= Annie@A View on Design´s last blog .. =-.
I think the house could be charming, but honestly not impressed with decor and color choices. I completely agree about the tower room- what a great place for a built in! A lot of potential for an adorable home
.-= pattie and allie´s last blog ..Tablescape Thursday- Breakfast with my girl and a porch freshening =-.
Furnishings are too contemporary for me.
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Sister’s Master Bedroom And Bath =-.
right up my alley. In.a.heartbeat.
.-= sheri´s last blog ..The ultimate link for linky parties 🙂 =-.
Think I see the thought in the kitchen eat area-lots of verticals going on from beadboard ceiling ,B-bar chair backs,blinds,line of doorways, so cross with horizontal in the cage light, beams. Multiple textures & directions..red granite looks beachy-against HG’s usual broad appeal resale choices. Those particular chairs best on a porch.Grasping those BACKS (unsightly too-wicker tech,no) to pull out and rearranging after sit down…not good for my family or guest.Back when…houses sometimes had summer porches 2nd floor (no AC ) and doors to it to accomodate a moved sleeping surface–not however a tall four poster! House itself had character. Design contemporary-retro- beach/ farm-house? Still, I liked a lot of it. Impractical for my lifestyle however.A room dependent to sleep two on bunkbeds..never. Trundle, yes.Not a family home look, though a minimal green footprint.
Julia, I think I agree with all of your points. I do love red, but I don’t know if I could do those counter tops. It will be interesting to see if they get into how constrained they were by the “green” parameters. I’m also wondering if they used designers who are comfortable and familiar with green design or just let their regulars take a whack at it (which wouldn’t surprise me at all). Sometimes that channel has issues. Last night they were running a a little service announcement/commercial about how you should plant natives in your landscape. Meanwhile, they are showing a woman planting clumps of blooming tulips. I’m under the impression that tulips are native to Holland and you plant bulbs. I can’t believe they have people who are clueless about plants making promos like that! Soon, they are going to have to remove the G from their name. Sorry, I don’t know where that came from! 🙂
https://40daysof.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/what-to-do-with-the-kitchen-desk-before-and-after/
.-= Nichole´s last blog ..14 Years =-.
I was excited to see this house since I live in Massachusetts. After seeing the pictures, I may not drive down to tour it. Red and blue are my least favorite colors to use in a house. That being said, I’d still take it if it’s free!
It’s a little bit too quirky for me. I like didn’t things about the house but not much of the decor. The house that we built in Florida didn’t have an eat in kitchen. We had a formal dining room that we used every day but it was open to the kitchen, family room, and foyer. I loved that.
.-= Melanie´s last blog ..Some answers about paint. =-.
Other than the exterior, I’m not a fan. I think the interior is horrible for the type of house it is. I do like the laundry room and the way the master is laid out, but I’d probably rip most of the rest out. I hate that weird bed attached to the wall in the kids room, and dislike many of the colors they chose. The outside kitchen is wonderful though. I wonder if you win if you are committed to keeping what’s in the house if you win?
.-= Mom in High Heels´s last blog ..In Vino Veritas =-.
How can you call something this huge “green”? One of the reasons the planet’s in trouble is all the extra space some people think they need. Haven’t they heard of ecological footprints?
Really.
.-= Gina´s last blog ..Going organic in your garden: a quick guide. =-.
I was in Plymouth Sunday and had forgotten all about this house. Wonder if it will be open for tours?
Janet
.-= Janet´s last blog ..April 14, 1940 =-.
I like it a lot, it’s very beautiful and roomy!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Favorite Canvas Wedding Art, Trends in fingerprints =-.
I think the house is really gorgeous, but my issue is whether a house that huge is really “green.”
.-= Cindy´s last blog ..Rose’s Heavenly Cakes Bake-Through: Cheater’s Pumpkin Cake =-.
Cindy and Gina–
The more accurate term might be Greener Home. It’s more green than their normal dream homes, and smaller than those. On their website they explain all of the steps they took to make it that way. -Julia 🙂
I like this a lot. The red countertops wouldn’t have been my choice, and the dark blue rugs definitely NOT, but overall I like it. I’d make a few design changes, but overall I think it’s very pleasing. That wide porch sells me on it. . . I’m a sucker for a porch.
So it’s a deal. . . if I win this, you’ll be the first person I invite to visit. What beverage would you like to sip on that porch?
I love it! I agree with you about the rugs and the wicker chairs. I do like the splash of color with the red counter top in the kitchen, but I’m thinking a nice turquoise counter top would be the way I’d like to go with it. The tower room would be better used with less furniture and some bean bags! 🙂
.-= Christine ´s last blog ..Water Works =-.
I like the look, it is very clean and crisp, BUT, the only reason i would not go for it, is that it only has two bedrooms!! Usually they do three, and I could never stay in a house with my family of five with only three rooms. Bummer. : (
It looks bigger than it is. I agree with others how green is the house if it has so much space and no room to show for it. I don’t like the bed in the master bedroom much. I think it cuts off the really interesting ceiling in that room. The house has good bones though. I won’t slam the door in their faces if they offer me the keys!
Love, love, love this house! OMG that porch and picket fence! And the fireplace. I actually think I could enjoy doing laundry in that laundry room. To me this house has the perfect blend of country and modern. This is the style that I love so much. It’s Modern Country to me – I’ll enter everyday! PEACE 🙂
Hmmm. I’m not really a fan of the red countertops or the wicker. But if someone gave me this house as a little gift, I think I’d probably be able to get over it =) Actually to be honest if someone gifted me this house I think I would use the money I didn’t spend to redecorate it. Starting with the bed on wheels! I really think anytime someone got in that bed they would sail across the room. Which might be funny the first time but really would get old fast.
I really like this house. I really like the white with the few color pops. Plus I think even if I didn’t like the house I would still be extremely happy to be given it as a gift.. who wouldn’t want a house for free?! But I’m with you, I really like the tower, I think it would be a really fun library with a telescope. I also wish that the windows up there were a bit bigger.
I really love the red and the way it’s used to unify many of the spaces — except they left it out of the tower room, which I just don’t get. I even like the countertop and my favorite is the red four-poster bed.
But I do think much of the upstairs is too dark — the sitting room and master feel dark. And despite all the windows, the tower room feels closed in. I can’t quite put my finger on why I don’t like that third floor room but I think it needs less stuff. Maybe it needs just a couple comfy chairs. And I wish the windows came down a little lower to make it feel more like a sun room.
Having said all that, I do think it’s pretty cool.
.-= Lesley @ TheDesignFile´s last blog ..Tips for finding a second hand ‘treasure’ to redo =-.
The tower room could be made into a bedroom.
I really like the house itself, but would definitely want to change a lot of the decor. Much of it is *almost* there for me, but lots of things are off. Especially the red countertops. Daring, yes, popular, no. Sometimes designers go a little crazy on these homes since there’s no specific client – it’s all about the drama and creating buzz, often at the expense of basic good taste. But anyway, bottom line: I would love this house!
.-= Jen H.´s last blog ..Some progress =-.
I think I love the bones of this house, but I’m not a fan of the way it’s staged/styled. Not digging the red countertops or the cage lights. 😉 I also think they could have been more creative with the tower room. Love all the white!!
.-= Amanda @ Serenity Now´s last blog ..Cutie Pants (Giveaway!) =-.
I love the green homes, but I got kind of put off when I looked into how many people go into debt and bankrupt when they win these homes! It sounds great but most people can’t even afford the taxes on a home like that. That has scared me from entering!
Not to mention I think they should stick to making vacation type homes in more of a vacation destination. The key west one was my favorite!
.-= Jen @ After The Alter´s last blog ..Saying I Love You =-.
The designs are impressive. but only two bedroom? I guess, that probably wont work. Even thought nice job on the interiors and furnitures.
I think it’s beautiful! I didn’t like the New Mexico house, so I’m glad they went the opposite direction with this one. I really like the paneled walls in the interior. I’d love to have a house in Mass; the property looks gorgeous.
I love it! Adore the red accents.
-FringeGirl
Disappointing for sure. Situated at the seashore this could have been a serviceable vacation home. Too bad it was built in the heart of a traditional golf course community full of million dollar Colonial style homes. Take a look at some other Pinehills homes for sale: https://www.pinehills.com. Other than the style, colors, and decor…loving the greener building initiative.
Although it is certainly not how I would choose to decorate … if I won, I would kick up my heels and be as happy as a clam! And I would just live with the things I wasn’t in love with!
I have always said, if something is done tastefully, I can appreciate it even if it isn’t my style – I think this was tasteful (enough!) 🙂
.-= Polly´s last blog ..It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood … =-.
While the bedroom has at least a little bit of colour, the kitchen and family room area have almost none if you took out the red. For this reason I think it works (though red would not have been my first choice either). That oversized desk needs to leave that tower room. It makes it look too cluttered. Either make it look like an office or make it some sort of lounging/sitting room.
Love the exterior and the interior has possibilities just don’t think it flows. Not very homey a bit cool for my taste.
Hi,
Love the house. I like the front porch and love the decor in the inside. Not sure yet about the red countertops. I would have to see it in person. I do like the room upstairs. I could picture doing crafts and reading there.
I wonder where in Plymouth MA. I live two towns over in Duxbury, MA. I will have to investigate.
Thank you for sharing.
Claudia
.-= Claudia´s last blog ..It’s Monday and that means only 5 days left till Spring Break! =-.
Sorta of reminds me of a morph of the centennial in 1976 when red, white and blue was plastered everywhere. I remember my my Mom decoupaging a R/Wand B waste basket.
I have always wondered why that same woman (seemingly nice, a little older) gets to decorate the Dream Homes every danged time when they have such a stable of talent.
I moved to my home last year, and actually took quite a liking to red! My bedroom has a bright red wall-the other walls are a medium, warm brown/beige. My livingroom has a deep red wall, with cozy beige other walls, and my family room has bright red furniture!
Even tho my livingroom and bedroom are not really “fun” in decor, ever since my home burned down a year ago, I really like “fun” in decor, which the house you’ve shown has in several spots. Red seems to add some fun, I feel.
I even had my kiddos paint pictures, and I framed them and had them hanging at our rental home-gotta find just where I want them in our permanent residence. 🙂
.-= Josanne´s last blog ..Finally Home! =-.
So, what’s up with the big wheels on the bed in the master bedroom?
The tower room I’d make into a reading room. A quite space to read, meditate, or use the laptop – but cushy. No desk. It looks to be very small, I might want a wall-to-wall bed on the back wall with lots of pillows all around. I really like how they made the ceiling blue like southern porches.
I’ve had a red kitchen and loved it; I have tons of great vintage red items that would look great in there. That being said the red-red counter makes me think of a 50’s diner and not sure about it. I do love how the kitchen interacts with the living area. A fun style.
I LOVE red. I have a red sofa in my studio. My living room sofa has red and yellow flowers and the chair has red and white buffalo checks. My entire little beach cottage is filled with red and yellow and everyone who enters says how welcome it makes them feel. I like the dream house, but since I know I would never win, I am happy to live in my own dream cottage.
Hmm, the outside looks good! The interior though, not so much. Red is not the color I would of choose. The style of the decor is not doing much for me either. It’s a shame because the exterior is lovely. : )
While I love the house, it could use at least one more bedroom. Two bedrooms is not enough for a family of three.
i’ve been wanting to move back home since i left in 1963! i grew up in green harbor, about 10 miles away – it’s perfect.
It is a lovely home, but why didn’t they do 3 bedroom w/closets?
I like it and I like it a heck of a lot more than last year’s house. That was plain and boring and looked like they forgot to finish furnishing it.
Where is the storage? The second bedroom is very small with no closet. A third bedroom/bonus room is essential but missing in this house. Love the decor….kudos to the decorator(s). Laundry room is nice, but it would be better located near the bedrooms.
I like the pops of red, but may have more to do with the fact that I’m considering doing something similar in my own home. Although I’m not digging it with the dark blue carpet.
The best thing about this year’s green home is that it doesn’t scream I’M GREEN like the first green home. I lean very green myself but I don’t want it to be so in your face as a design element. I want my guests to come into my home and feel welcome and then realize that some elements of my home have interesting green stories attached to them.
.-= Condo Blues´s last blog ..Porch Table Revamp =-.
This house looks huge from the outside but there are only 2 bedrooms with very little storage bad use of space. The outside is beautiful very Cape Cod like but the inside is horrible I don’t know who decorated this place but she should be fired. I watched the unveiling with a few girl riends and We all loved the outside landscaping and the outside of the house but none of use liked the inside the house we found it really disgusting. I have to say I was really disappointed with the childs bedroom I don’t know what kid would find that room nice I have a tween daughter who saw it and said gross. I would enter to win though keep the money and the car but sell the house!
Would I enter? Yes.
Would I live there? Probably not.
I would love to relocate from Florida and retire in Plymouth, but would not pick the Pinehills. Although very nice I find it is far too expensive for an average person on a fixed income.
As for the house; although it has several unique features, it is one of the poorest designs I think I have seen.
For example:
• There is no storage. When guests come to visit in the winter where would you put their coats and boots? In the laundry room closet along with all the other items a family would have like a vacuum cleaner, mops, and brooms, not to mention the family’s winter clothes. etc.
• Did I mention that the laundry is on the first floor nowhere near where most of the laundry is generated?)
• They never showed the basement. Which apparently has only one way to get to which is through the great room.
o Which is the only room on the first floor other that the laundry and ½ bath.
• All the bedrooms are upstairs. In this house STAIRS is the key word.
• What if you don’t have kids? The kids room does not look large enough to accommodate two adults; should you ever want friends to visit.
• Speaking of upstairs; the loft is totally a waist of space. Lean back when working at the desk and you’ll fall down the stairs. There’s that key word again.
• It’s true you do get a great view, of the condos, apartment buildings, and your neighbors houses which are just on the other side of the picked fence. They totally must have photo-shopped the pictures show on the web and the TV show. With about a ¼ acre you can just about touch your neighbor’s house.
• I won’t say too much about the decorating. But apparently the decorator, who has done some great work, does not know too much about New England style. For example the coffee table in the great room brings to mind one thing, “Bring on the Clowns”
• I think HGTV missed the mark. This house could have been great but they chose too much pizzazz and not enough good ole Yankee Practicality.
I went to see the Green House in person on Saturday. It’s poorly designed, both layout and style – barely a 2 bedroom. And I’m still not sure the kids’ bath is to Mass. code. It could be fixed, but why bother? Everyone just kind of walked through it. Nobody was wowed. And they didn’t even try for LEED certification. However, the model home nextdoor is another story. AMAZING! Lisa Weeks did the design and it’s a total wow. I heard comments like , “I’d just have to move in.” “I’d take it just as is.” “Now THIS is a house worth winning.” “Yeah, the $100,000 with the Green Home must be so you could redecorate it.”
I feel there are so many missed opportunities in this home. Even though I love the exterior and the pops of red throughout the home, it doesn’t disguise the lack of thought put into the kid’s room or in the tower.
A green home here in America needs to show how you can make small rooms work for you and how you don’t really need enormous homes to function the way they should for your families comfort.
Making furnishings do double duty in a small home is essential. Couldn’t they do something different in the tower room to make it accommodate a guest in a pinch? Or were the designers more concerned with how the staircase would look from the kitchen?
The kid’s room just made me sad. Are these children not allowed to own more than a couple of toys or outfits because they live in a “green home”? The choice of putting the sink in a children’s room is just asking for trouble. Real people are going to live in this house and they may be in for a real disaster with that thing in there.
Sure I’d love to win it. It’s a beautiful home on a beautiful piece of property, but with so many talented people working on something like that, you can’t help but wonder what they were thinking with some of their design choices. Don’t get me started on the Master Bedroom!
I love it…..as an empty nester I am looking forward towards focusing on just me. I know it sounds selfish but the house is big enough to permit one child at a time to visit without them thinking “oh poor ma….a house so big she must be lonely”. I love the size, location, and decor. Bravo HGTV.
I’m with Maria, a perfect home for an empty nester. Love the economical use of space and the informality of the floor plan. The only thing I would change right away is the tomato red counter top (too arrestingly orangey for my taste, but that’s just me). My favorite room is the laundry room, I would use it as an art studio. Plymouth is a very cool place to live, both of my boys were born there and we loved our time there.
I live in Plymouth and have been in the Green Home. I really liked it, especially the master bath!
The only negative, which is a big one for me, the houses are VERY close together in this Pinehills neighborhood. The beautiful model home next door is just 15 feet away and their will be another home built in the temporary parking lot on the other side of the fence. You will really have to like/love your neighbors and will have to be careful not to have a “disagreement” with your spouse! Because with the windows open, your neighbors will hear every word!
I love the house and enter every day, but would I live there, in a liberal over taxed
state. No! I am on a fixed income and couldn’t afford to live there. Also the winters are to cold for a southern boy.
Not my taste in decor, but I love the house.
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..A Constipated Brain =-.
Julia when I win I will definitely consider some of your suggestions LOL Some oddness for sure in that tower room but overall it would be a fun vacation home and Plymouth is very nice !!!
All the best,
Kathy 🙂
I don’t care for a lot of the decor. Hate the coffee table, and not fond of the red countertop. However, I would enter and have several times. There’s nothing that says I would have to keep the stuff I didn’t like!
.-= Loribeth´s last blog ..Distracted =-.
Well, since you asked…
First of all, looking at the exterior, my first thought was, “Why did they slap a prison guard tower onto the house? Exactly what kind of neighborhood is this place in?”
After seeing your shots of the interior, my take was that they should have left out the rest of the house and just kept the guard tower – that was the only room that even remotely appealed to me.
Although I agree with the commenter who pointed out that if you were sitting at the desk and pushed your chair back, you’d probably launch yourself down the stairwell backwards – whee! I’d have switched couch and desk. But then you’d be sitting on the couch looking down the stairs…hmmm.
Your point about the wicker chairs at the dining table is right on – and the backs of those chairs are very unattractive. The whole shebang looks weirdly implanted in the space, doesn’t seem to fit. Maybe if they turned it width-wise instead of length-wise?
Worst of all, though, is all the stark, unrelenting, harsh harsh white.
And how does a “green” house not have LEED certification?
So I’d have to give it a “Fail” in both architecture and decoration. Shocking from HG, except that I gave a quick look at the past years you link to, and I’m not so shocked anymore.
The house is at Pinehills and it’s $20 to take a tour.
Looking for the hanging light fixtures on each side of the bed in the master bedroom, want to know where can I purchase them…..is there a website I can go to, to see other lighting by company???
Check HGTV.com. They probably have a resources page telling where you can find each item. -Julia