Building the 2009 HGTV Green Hometag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2009:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009/872009-04-06T22:19:11ZFollow the progress as HGTV builds the next Green Home.Movable Type 3.33The Mermaid Roomtag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2009:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.36752009-04-06T22:16:24Z2009-04-06T22:19:11ZMy favorite room in the house is the "mermaid" room. It is so adorable! As you walk in you can't miss the big mermaid pillow reclining on the pink bed....Marilyn Bauer
My favorite room in the house is the "mermaid" room. It is so adorable! As you walk in you can't miss the big mermaid pillow reclining on the pink bed.
The room is a fabulous combination of orange and hot pink -- the Sherwin-Williams "Baked Clay" walls are so vibrant! (This color combination works so well, I started imagining what I could do with the same colors in my own home.) The room is bright, happy and charming with its mermaid art, and it also has an attached bathroom.
Stepping Inside the Hometag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2009:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.36492009-03-09T20:00:00Z2009-04-06T22:19:11ZAt the entrance of the home is a very welcoming enclosed foyer. To one side is an impressive table -- it was crafted from a fallen tree, and the base is made from recycled metal. To the left is an...Marilyn Bauer
At the entrance of the home is a very welcoming enclosed foyer. To one side is an impressive table -- it was crafted from a fallen tree, and the base is made from recycled metal. To the left is an extension of the living room with beautiful orange chaises. There is a full wall of storage that contains two mini refrigerators filled with soft drinks and water. The cabinetry is Expresso, and directly in front are two large orange chaises. I loved the orange. It looked so great against the walls, which are painted in Sherwin-Williams "Edgy Gold."
click here for a photo gallery of interior construction of the 2009 HGTV Green Home. We'll have another new gallery up soon!]]>
Outside the Green Hometag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2009:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.36302009-02-17T21:48:41Z2009-04-06T22:19:11ZThe outside is lovely, and with all the paint in place and the landscaping done and the outdoor furniture just calling my name, I was entranced....Marilyn Bauer
The outside is lovely, and with all the paint in place and the landscaping done and the outdoor furniture just calling my name, I was entranced.
The front porch overlooks (beyond the road) a large lake -- and two oversized dark-brown rattan chairs are already set up. You can just see yourself relaxing after a tough day of pruning your roof garden.
There is a grass lawn, and lots of drought-tolerant plants here and there (whose names I didn't know). There are three living spaces out back (which is really to the side of the house). Out back, where the garage is, a new GMC Sierra Hybrid is sitting in the driveway waiting to be given away. There is an outdoor four-poster daybed in what I imagine is a dark-stained teak with a comfy mattress covered in an all-weather outdoor fabric.
A silver-colored table that says "Moroccan" to me sits nearby. There are indoor/outdoor rugs that have been bound to create area rugs and lovely draperies hanging from all the sides. Across from the two patios is an island deck with a state-of-the-art grill that includes a griddle and preparation space. It's placed in the perfect spot (I've learned first-hand about keeping the grill away from the house -- turn it on when it's too close, and all your fire alarms come on). It is also far enough away from the seating areas to keep smoke at a minimum.
And wait! Guess what else is there???? A bocce ball court! Can you believe it? An 18-foot-long bocce ball court! Who thought of that?
Nearly Finishedtag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2009:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.36212009-02-10T20:01:18Z2009-04-06T22:19:11ZThe house is nearly finished! Hooray! And it looks great. I hadn't been out to the site for a couple of weeks. Last time I was there, nothing was in the kitchen -- not an appliance in sight. There was...Marilyn Bauer
The house is nearly finished! Hooray! And it looks great. I hadn't been out to the site for a couple of weeks. Last time I was there, nothing was in the kitchen -- not an appliance in sight. There was concrete on the floor instead of the fabulous Shaw flooring. I would do my entire home in their wood floors. Wait until you see how beautiful and luxurious they are!
Last blast, I told you about the terra cotta metal roof. Now there are matching terra cotta Bermuda shutters on the windows that look wonderful and provide a "pop of color" to the neutrals of the house.
I drove out with Leon and when we drove by the house I actually asked him what it was! That's how far they've come.
Built on a Human Scaletag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2008:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.35482009-02-04T16:57:50Z2009-04-06T22:19:12ZOne of the things about the HGTV Green Home 2009 that I really like is that the scale is really "human size." It has a nice flow from room to room, and each room is spacious but not too big....Marilyn Bauer
One of the things about the HGTV Green Home 2009 that I really like is that the scale is really "human size." It has a nice flow from room to room, and each room is spacious but not too big. Everything feels open, comfortable and livable.
I also liked the front doors. In their unfinished state (they're going to be painted later) they look like they're made from a light-colored wood. The reality is that they're actually made of fiberglass fitted with wind-resistant glass panes. Until I looked close, I didn't realize they weren't actually wood.
And speaking of wood, when I was out there today, they were putting up the wood around the interior doors. Next week, they're going to start laying the tile and painting the interior, and the landscape architect is about to be brought in.
Light From Solar Tubestag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2008:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.35472008-12-19T16:56:28Z2009-04-06T22:19:12ZI had a chance to meet the roof guy today -- Bill Moore from Legacy Contracting Solutions in Palm Beach. Nice guy....Marilyn Bauer
I had a chance to meet the roof guy today -- Bill Moore from Legacy Contracting Solutions in Palm Beach. Nice guy.
He is responsible for the Energy Star-rated roof and the really cool solar tubes that bring light into the home. They have reflective panels that increase the light; in the HGTV Green Home there are two in the double-doored master closet.
Bill has finished the main roof of the house, and now he's working on what they call the "vegetative roof" on the garage. This roof will actually sprout plants to create energy. I can't wait to learn more about that!
Color Schemes and Green Goldtag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2008:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.35462008-12-12T16:44:28Z2009-04-06T22:19:12ZWell, I finally got permission to go out to the site. That place is guarded like Fort Knox. I guess that's because of all the "green gold" there. The house is really coming along and the more that goes into...Marilyn Bauer
Well, I finally got permission to go out to the site. That place is guarded like Fort Knox. I guess that's because of all the "green gold" there. The house is really coming along and the more that goes into the home, the more interesting and pretty it looks.
The red metal roof is on. I really like the way the red plays off the dun clay colors of the exterior. I met up with Leon out there, and he told me that the house when fully painted will be about 6 different colors. I love that!
The walls are up and the windows are in. They look sort of Craftsman style with little panes edged in dark wood.
"Things are running smoothly," Leon assured me.
Every Day Countstag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2008:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.34422008-11-14T16:42:15Z2009-04-06T22:19:12Z"Every day counts," says Greenmeister Jack. He's starting to sound like a guru. Well, not really. It all goes back to this incredible schedule they are on. The rain cost them four full days of work. They have all these...Marilyn Bauer
"Every day counts," says Greenmeister Jack. He's starting to sound like a guru. Well, not really. It all goes back to this incredible schedule they are on. The rain cost them four full days of work. They have all these charts where they assess progress and keep track of deadlines. And everybody has to be happy. Sponsors, builders, Core Communities who developed Tradition. But Jack-o never gets stressed out, he says. He seems like a cool cucumber to me, I have to say.
I asked Leon, how do you find someone to build you a green house with all those shysters out there claiming they're green when they aren't?
He said to look for a builder that is LEED certified or someone who has really done the research so they know what goes into building a green home. The builder should be willing to research everything that goes into the house to make sure it truly delivers on its claims.
There is no question Leon is a good builder. He built the first Green Home, where all the technology installed was focused on sustainability, and he is following suit here in St. Lucie Tradition.
The concrete mix is a recycled product that contains fly ash, which is a coal product. The walls have the highest efficiency -- they are foam-insulated concrete. The metal roof system, which will last for at least 20 years, has solar panels for heat.
The garage, another 600 square feet of space, holds more solar panels on the roof to heat the home's water. The windows are super efficient and high impact glass. The central vac aids in indoor air quality.
Being a Floridian, I asked about the shutters. Jack said they were putting up Bermuda shutters. (Ever heard of those?) Leon and I were left scratching our heads.
Oh! He meant Bahama shutters.
Jack wasn't having it. "What? Do you wear Bahama shorts or Bermuda shorts?"
What could we say?
Carpets Make Good Green Sensetag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2008:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.33952008-11-07T15:54:32Z2009-04-06T22:19:12ZThe green guys and I started talking carpets. You know you never can get a straight answer when you ask someone in a flooring store if carpeting is more toxic than laminates or tile. Some say yes, others no. Some...Marilyn Bauer
The green guys and I started talking carpets. You know you never can get a straight answer when you ask someone in a flooring store if carpeting is more toxic than laminates or tile. Some say yes, others no. Some don't answer and show you some crazy variation on Astro Turf.
I knew Jack would have the answer. He said that although a lot of people will tell you carpets are homes for a multitude of toxins, he thinks that carpets make good green sense because they trap toxins and hold them in place rather than blowing them around your living space. You can just go in with a vacuum cleaner and suck them up.
Jack said Shaw Industries, one of the Green Home sponsors with a strong commitment to healthy environments, have been coming up with more and more kinds of carpets made from recycled nylon that are great solutions to what has passed for eco-friendly in the past. I can't wait to see what these carpets look like.
In my house, my carpet doesn't trap anything. In fact it sheds nylon fibers, dirt and probably some of those horrific-looking dust mites.
The Home Is Going Up Fast!tag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2008:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.33672008-10-30T22:14:01Z2009-04-06T22:19:12ZJack, Leon and I took a field trip out to the house. This place is just cool. I don't know the technical term for it, but it has this kind of bell tower that is simply striking. And because the...Marilyn Bauer
Jack, Leon and I took a field trip out to the house. This place is just cool. I don't know the technical term for it, but it has this kind of bell tower that is simply striking. And because the house was sited south, it doesn't square off the lot like un-green (old-fashioned) houses. Behind the house is a field, and on this sunny, windy day it looked like a roil of seawater under the blue, blue sky. There were a lot of workers out drilling and pounding and listening to Bob Seger.
Jack explained that in the case of the HGTV Dream Homes, they don't work on a normal building schedule -- they work on a TV schedule. They have plans in place for shows, sweepstakes, you name it. Not to mention the unveiling next year. This house is going up fast.
There are challenges. The first 25 days of the build, it rained. Now the roof is on, so it's not a problem. But that lot must have been one big pile of sludge.
Because this is a dynamic process, Jack and company make decisions on a daily basis that can alter the form or function of parts of the house.
There were earthmovers out back grading the land. I started feeling house envy again. I wish I could build a green house.
But Jack said any step you take on your home toward going green is a good step. You know, if your washer conks out you can replace it with an energy-saving model. You don't just toss out what you already have. That would not be green.
Is it terrible that I am hoping something goes terribly wrong in my kitchen so I have to replace everything with state-of-the-art green technology?
Sharing a Common Visiontag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2008:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.33652008-10-30T22:05:16Z2009-04-06T22:19:12ZAt lunch with Jack Thomasson, HGTV house planner and Leon Camarda, the builder on the HGTV Green Home at Hurricane's on Tradition Square, I learned more about what goes into putting together one of these enormous Green Home or Dream...Marilyn Bauer
At lunch with Jack Thomasson, HGTV house planner and Leon Camarda, the builder on the HGTV Green Home at Hurricane's on Tradition Square, I learned more about what goes into putting together one of these enormous Green Home or Dream Home promotions. In the case of Green, Jack brought together an architect, designer, landscaper and product providers (not to mention sponsors) who shared a common vision.
Going Green is not always simple and Leon mentioned that a lot of companies claim their products are green, but they aren't. The Green team tests the products to make sure they deliver what they are selling. Nothing gets past Jack and Leon.
Jack said the decision to go with Tradition as the site for the second ever HGTV Green Home was a no brainer. Especially after their experience in Hilton Head, S. C. with the first Green Home also in a Tradition community. The guys used words like integrity, experience, but then I wasn't expecting any negativity.
Jack and Leon spent the rest of the hour gabbing green, but ordered decidedly un-green lunches. Jack had a burger the size of a dinner plate and Leon dug into a Chicken Philly sandwich. Fries anyone?
"Hey, we ordered salads on the side," Jack said.
I stuck with the water.
A Winning Team of Expertstag:blogs.hgtvpro.com,2008:/hgtvpro/bogh_2009//87.33582008-10-29T18:24:46Z2009-04-06T22:19:12ZI've got house envy. Grand, brooding, green for jealousy house envy. After a spin through the HGTV Green Home going up in Port St. Lucie, Florida you would, too. This house is only weeks old and is already shaping up...Marilyn Bauer
I've got house envy. Grand, brooding, green for jealousy house envy.
After a spin through the HGTV Green Home going up in Port St. Lucie, Florida you would, too. This house is only weeks old and is already shaping up to be a Spanish Contemporary show stopper.
There's a winning team of experts headed up by House Planner, Jack Thommasson who you by now know and love after 12 Dream homes and the first Green Home in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This crew knows how to get things done, and done right.
From the start, green philosophy was at play. The house is sited south to make the most of the light while keeping the heat out. The sun rises and sets in different areas throughout the year. The Green House will have minimum sun exposure in the summer to keep the house cool and it is at an angle that in winter will provide lots of light without the heat.
Oh and speaking of envy, how do you think it was spending the afternoon on a construction sight with Rock Star Jack? Have you seen how handsome he is?