HGTV is giving away another dream home for its yearly Smart Home sweepstakes. Last Feb. 2, as reported by Biz Journals, HGTV revealed that it has chosen Raleigh, North Carolina to be the home's address.
"Raleigh has this old school deep-rooted southern vibe about it and I kinda want to keep the house that way," Tiffany Brooks, HGTV's interior designer, said in the announcement video. "But we have a lot of young people moving straight from college because of wonderful job opportunities. So I'm kinda infusing that into the design of the house. It's gonna feel traditional but it's gonna have a little funk to it on the backend."
One lucky winner will get a house with 3,500 square feet of living space, four bedrooms and five bathrooms spanning its three floors. The exterior will have a traditional cottage-style architecture, but the interiors will be decked out with lots of hi-tech details that focus on safety, convenience and comfort.
"It's a traditional looking home from the outside. We don't want to change the way people want to live so the technology is in the background," Carley Knobloch, HGTV's tech consultant said.
The main floor will have a concept layout that features the dining room, kitchen and living room. Windows are to be installed with smart shades, which automatically adjust the thermostat to reduce energy use, even when there's no one at home.
There's a connecting screened front porch with solar powered skylights, which also has the same capabilities as the shades.
"The house learns your habits," Knobloch explained. "When you are away, it turns the heat down."
The master bedroom shares a two-sided fireplace with the screened porch outside. The connecting master bath has a custom tiled shower with a flushed floor. Above the double vanity is an hidden, in-mirror television so the owner can stay connected even while getting ready.
Upstairs are the home office, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. One bedroom is designed as a nursery, complete with intelligent toys and a video monitoring system that can be accessed through an app.
In the basement is the excercise room, which will have a treadmill, stationary bike and elliptical machine that all have a fully functional tablet in them. The user can switch on visual mapping screens so they can run any course anywhere in the world.
Beside it is the media room, to be equipped with a huge home theater system with an integrated audio system so the sound can be heard throughout the house.
More importantly, the whole property will be installed with a wireless alarm system. The front doors will have wireless locks, and even the garage door will be app-operated.
The smart house to be given away is still under construction and fans can stay updated on its progress by visiting HGTV's website. The contest runs from April 12 up to June 2, 2016.
