Borrow ideas from HGTV’s Green Home
Get a bonanza of tips and ideas about green homes, and maybe win one
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The house was adapted to the site, which drops 40 feet in elevation.
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HGTV
In keeping with principles of aging in place in which design considers the long-term functionality of a home, the HGTV Green Home features a master-on-main floor plan.
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HGTV This retreat room on the main level features a pullout sofa to transform it into a guest room.
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HGTV
A drain in this courtyard off of the master bedroom allows storm water to drain. Trek outdoor furniture made from recycled materials contributes to the home's sustainable design scheme. The doghouse is a miniature version of the main home's farmhouse design.
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HGTV The master bathroom with dual vanity and walk-in closet creates a luxurious master suite that never feels compromised by the home's relatively modest 2,300 square feet.
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Modern home design is trending away from separate formal dining rooms and toward more accessible open plan dining areas like this one.
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HGTV A whimsical loft bed, vaulted ceiling and a punchy color scheme make creative use of a small space in this children's room on the second level of the HGTV Green Home.
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HGTV
The Georgia Room is a modern take on the front porch. The room is open to the elements, with the front deck on one side and the interior courtyard on the other. All-weather furnishings mean heat and humidity won't compromise the beauty of the space.
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HGTV Allowing for a fluid connection between inside and outside, the open plan living and kitchen area open up to one of the home's many outdoor rooms.
The home offers a bonanza of green materials and tips, from a kitchen counter made with seashells and Sweetwater bottles to outdoor furniture created from recycled plastic milk jugs.
Designer Linda Woodrum transformed a 50-year-old cedar fence "headed for the landfill" she noted, into a coffee table and two oversize mirrors. Metal chicken feed bowls became striking wall art in the home's Georgia room, a fresh take on the front porch.
The three-bedroom, 2˝-bath HGTV Green Home is founded on obvious green features such as solar panels for generating electricity. But the home's emphasis on connection to nature and ease of living are part of its green features, too.
On the second level, a courtyard patio with built-in grill is easily accessed from numerous rooms, expanding the sense of space. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows on three sides lend a feeling of transparency, openness and connection to that outdoor space. A clever hallway with a built-in craft station and table affords children a space to do homework or artwork.
"Part of being green is about creating the best lifestyle for the way you really live," Woodrum said. "The craft area is really about creating a dedicated space for the 'messy' parts of our lives."
"Smaller, better-planned homes are more economical in many ways," said Woodrum of a house that Walsh noted is "only 2,300 square feet, but ends up feeling like 4,000."
But the HGTV Green Home is just one way to load your brain with the kind of cutting-edge sustainable ideas that dominate the daily life and thoughts of Serenbe founder and entrepreneur Steve Nygren, who created the holistic community.
"When we were talking about environmentally responsible development a decade ago, everyone sort of laughed and thought we were some liberals," Nygren said. "We're really mainstream now."
Furthering that environmental agenda, this month, just down the road from the HGTV Green Home, Serenbe will debut the only existing Bosch Experience Center, an educational showroom created by a company known for automotive, industrial and building technology. The center will highlight sustainable features, including a professional-grade kitchen, power tools, security system and solar-powered hot water, all featuring Bosch technology and products.
And next door is a Bosch Net Zero show home, meaning power is created by the home itself. Featuring decor by Ballard Designs, the Net Zero Home is a living model of sustainability featuring geothermal heat pumps, roof-mounted photovoltaic solar panels to produce electrical energy for the home and solar thermal systems.
See the homes
For more on the HGTV Green Home 2012, go to http://tinyurl.com/GreenHomeGiveaway. You can also enter to win it on their website before Friday.
For more on the sustainable community of Serenbe, go to www.serenbecommunity.com.
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