Northwestern Character From HGTV Dream Home 2000

Nestled in the woodlands overlooking the breathtaking Nehalem peninsula, this Dream Home is northwestern through and through.

An unabashed love of nature governs every fabulous detail, from its remarkable structural features and building materials to the fresh, open indoor-outdoor celebration of the interior design. And when you look around at the setting, you can perfectly understand why. The views on this part of the Oregon coast are nothing short of spectacular.

The covered walkways

The design of the home and scope of the windows provides a strong sense of security.

The great room

The canoe that hangs in the great room.

Settling in for the night...

The Craftsman-style home embraces local building materials.

The 2000 Dream Home

These priceless views are utilized in every element of the cabin's inventive design — from the covered exterior walkways to the treetop bedrooms, to the airy, open great room with its dramatic windows. "The main inspiration for this house is the view and this place," says architect Michael McCullough.

"The house nestles around the site and provides places for you to go and look at the natural beauty that's out here. A place to sit in the sun in the afternoon, to view the weather that comes in from the ocean. Being close to the environment is the reason for this house to be here."

The harmony between house and environment begins with the choice of architectural style. "The house is a modified Craftsman-style home," continues McCullough, "and the main elements of this style are simple materials, locally available, simply worked, so it's a very direct use of these materials." The siding is cement composite that holds stain and paint well. It's inert, it sheds water and will weather slowly but won't deteriorate.

The windows meet the demands of the rugged Northwest. Too big a pane of glass can flex under high winds, and in terms of human scale, standing next to a very large window diminishes you. Standing next to a smaller window, however, can leave you with a sense of protection. So a practical, yet handsome balance has been struck with the 2000 Dream Home.

"When I walked into this house I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the view out of the great room," says interior designer Linda Woodrum. "And I knew it would be the focal point. We wanted to make sure when we put the great room together that we wouldn't fight that spectacular view...so we used natural, earthy colors, textures, so we had this tranquil inner spot that let us look outside and enjoy what was happening there."

One of the most inventive accents in the house is the full-size wooden canoe hanging from the great room ceiling. Not only does it make a dramatic design statement that connects to the marshes outside, its simple pulley system makes it easy to lower and carry outside. But it's during the magnificent storms that hit this Pacific coastline from time to time that the Oregon home truly comes into its own.

HGTV's Susie Coelho met Mary Barker of San Antonio, Texas, to tell her she had won the 2000 Oregon Dream Home.