Enter the HGTV Green Home 2008, and you immediately sense that it's unlike any other new home you've visited. "You never hear 'this smells like a new house'," says Linda Woodrum, the home's interior designer, and the designer of 12 of HGTV's Dream Homes. "New house smell is formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals and we kept all those out."The home's designers reduced the chemical load by using fabrics and furnishings with non-toxic dyes, and low-VOC paints and stains, which reduce toxic off-gassing. In addition, the home also has a state-of-the-art ventilation system. This system pre-conditions incoming air by filtering air pollutants and balancing moisture. It is designed to deliver the correct air flow to each room. The garage is sealed and exhausted separately from the house, preventing carbon monoxide and other contaminants from entering the living areas.
The first thing you see when you enter the home is the view. The architects sited the home to take advantage of it and Woodrum maximized it through her choice of colors and materials.
Butt-board painted in low-VOC white paint draws the eye through the house and toward the water. The butt-board is made of sustainably grown wood. Woodrum says, "The butt-board reduces noise pollution by absorbing sounds. And with the change in the climate – humidity, heat – it moves. You know it's natural because you see the change in the joints."
The walnut-colored wood floor grounds and unifies the large, open space. This flooring looks like solid wood, but is actually an eco-friendly veneer that rests on a high-density base of recycled wood fiber.
A home can obtain credit toward LEED certification by controlling indoor contaminants. One way to do this is to design a space near the primary entrance for removing and storing shoes. It must be large enough to accommodate a bench and at least two pairs of shoes per bedroom.
The focal point of the foyer, located to the right of the door, is the shoe storage area that the home's architect, Jack Thomasson, designed and had built just for the Green Home. The bottom piece is a pull-out bench, where you can sit to remove your shoes. Above it is a storage area with nine cubbyholes. Since the Green Home sleeps seven, that's two more spaces than the LEED certification requires.
Above the shoe storage unit hangs a "Dilbert" cartoon that artist Scott Adams drew exclusively for the Green Home.
A small powder room opens onto the foyer, with a pedestal sink and framed mirror. Across from the powder room hangs a painting by a local artist, chosen because of its emphasis on the local landscape. "It feels very Low Country," Woodrum says.
The house is designed to minimize the length of the hot water lines, reducing energy wasted waiting on hot water at the shower or faucet. Tankless water heaters service the bathrooms and kitchen and save energy by only heating water when needed.
Like the other bathrooms, this one features a low-flow toilet, which uses water recycled from roof runoff.
A ventilation system controls moisture, reducing bathroom humidity. This is supported by bathroom exhaust fans that are tied to occupancy sensors, so they only run when needed to quietly remove unwanted moisture and odors.
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