HGTV Dream Home 2006: Sitting Room

Walking into this bright green space is a little like entering a hobbit haven, complete with ferns, bird's nests and tables made from twigs.

While the room serves as a passageway between the two wings of the house, it also functions as a living room for guests, a refreshing space for reading, chatting, or even visiting with friends over a cup of tea. The walls and ceiling are painted a vivid shade of apple green, and the built-in bookcases and window trim are painted a fresh cream that provides a clean contrast. Because the built-ins and the windows make up almost two-thirds of the wall space, the bright green isn't overwhelming, and provides a wonderful jolt of color that's more refreshing than startling.

"This is a uniquely wonderful color," designer Linda Woodrum says. "It looks good with everything. It's a wonderful room when the leaves are off the trees, on a gray dismal day. When it snows out, it will feel beautiful in here."

Linda felt she had more freedom to experiment with bold color in this space. "In the main part of the house the views are significant so I had to keep the walls neutral," she explains.

Here, a large window overlooks the front of the house and the circular drive, and another window overlooks the outdoor living area, with a glimpse of the mountains provided by a small shed window at the roof of the outdoor space.

A green upholstered loveseat and two chairs offer a cozy seating arrangement for reading or talking. The rustic twig table looks perfectly at home in this little aerie. A throw pillow with a fern pattern and a host of framed ferns, both real and painted, continue the botanical theme.