Dream Home in the making on Merritt Island
If Lady Luck is very, very nice to you after you enter HGTV's 2016 Dream Home sweepstakes, you may just walk away with promises to be one of the most outstanding homes in Brevard County when it is completed later this year.
Luck will indeed have to beam upon you, because about 100 million entries are expected in the highly popular contest that annually awards a residence where architects and interior designers work their magic without constraints.
It's the 20th. year for the home giveaway, and HGTV wanted to go for the gold in design and location.
One hundred homes were considered before the waterfront residence on Merritt Island was chosen. In previous sweepstakes, HGTV has previously built Dream Homes from scratch; this is the first remodel for the contest.
For many people, the 1990s-era, three-bedroom/three-bath, 3,100-square-foot home tucked away in a quiet neighborhood that overlooks the watery playground of Indian River dolphins is visually striking and mighty fine as is. Viewers can expect an extraordinarily supreme face-lift that will transform an already good-looking house into a super-residence.
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Although HGTV remains mum about specific renovation details — as well as about the local building team tasked with the project — until the finished home is unveiled in December, Atlanta-based residential interior designer Bryan Patrick Flynn described what viewers can expect from this year's Dream Home.
"The house has great bones and is situated in an incredible lot with tons of space, but it was built for the now rather than being timeless," Flynn says.
"When you think of a Dream Home, you think of something to dream about. To get the Dream Home, we are doing nearly a full gut job. We want it to be timeless."
Born and raised in Florida, Flynn is well-versed in Sunshine State design aesthetics, and, yes, he does plan to go coastal, but with a twist.
"It will be a classic spin on coastal property," he says.
"It's inspired by the Hamptons, with a very muted, soft and watery palette and some jewel tones. This will be a classic spin on coastal property."
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The abundant natural light plays a big part in the home's design and Flynn's design will highlight its glow. Many walls are going to make way for more light playing throughout the house.
Whitewashed wood floors from Lumber Liquidators unify the entire first floor, from the foyer to the bathrooms.
The existing sliding glass doors will be replaced with a remarkably tall set of French doors that will seem to disappear when open, so the home's fortunate future homeowner can take full advantage of breezes and sights.
For furnishings, Flynn is zeroing in on classic design, primarily from Ethan Allen's transitional line.
"They will never go out of style," he says.
As for art to grace the walls, Flynn is heading to Orlando to purchase pieces made in Central Florida.
Window treatments in rooms with river views will remain understated and in the same color family as the walls. He has reserved the flashier patterns for the windows of rooms without river views.
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Already impressive landscaping is undergoing a massive change. Royal palms now line the entrance to the three-car garage home with Spanish tile roof. Big changes will be forthcoming in the landscaping department.
"It will be a lot more manicured," Flynn says.
"As you walk up, you will be greeted with an outdoor seating area."
One of the few spots in the property that won't get a thorough redo is the pool.
"It's perfect for the lot, so we're just cosmetically dressing it up," Flynn says.
While the home's kitchen footprint is not changing, the space is being transformed through the use of a combination of dark and light tones and a spectacular backsplash.
[Related: Dream Home video]
In the upstairs master suite, Flynn has a design that will allow the homeowners to enjoy the river views without even having to leave their bed. Although he promises splashes of color in the guest bathrooms, he has opted for an all-white master bath.
"It never gets dated," he says.
In the Dream Home promotional video, HGTV host and narrator Josh Temple notes that the house will have you "living the dream."
Even if, alas, the dream doesn't turn into reality and you are not the 2016 Dream Home winner, you can still benefit from its existence.
"It's going to inspire viewers with some really good ideas," Flynn promises.