Let's have a dose of reality - the home shows on TV

I watched HGTV's Dream Home special the other day. I'd recorded it, so I watched it at my leisure.

When I first saw a photo of the 2010 Dream Home I told my sis-in-law "I want to win that house!" Look at that statement in a different light than other years. This year I REALLY would like to win that home. I love its classic Santa Fe lines.

But where are the logs sticking out from under the roof. They are so earthy in this style of house. And where are the sheltered courtyards? Once that thought hit, it was bad news so far as my liking the new Dream Home.

I cling hard to my impossible wants. If I know my chances are a billion to one of winning, then I feel free to want it, knowing I won't have to make the big decisions that come with actually winning the prize. I'd like to live there, but that would mean giving up my husband's garden, giving up our friends and most likely our square dance groups, being even further away from our kids, and settling down in a new community.

Other than the above, what would it cost to accept the big prize and move in? Well, there are taxes on your winnings, security for the property (it's famous now), different utility costs (especially since we're currently on solar electricity), changes in my personal likes and dislikes, and probably costs I've never even dreamed of.

I wonder why they didn't put in solar for electricity? Santa Fe is an excellent location for solar and they've got the room, they don't even have to put it on the roof. They could position it over the curve of the hill and it wouldn't even affect the view. Water conservation got a nod with dry landscaping, but there is no passive heating or cooling that I can tell.

At times when I was watching the show, I wondered if this was a case of a New Yorker meeting the New Mexico desert for the first time. HGTV showcases some Santa Fe artwork, but most of it looks like they bought it on the East Coast.

And the furnishings? They were purchased in New York at Ethan Allen. I know that Ethan Allen has a line of southwest-style furnishings, but you aren't likely to see them here. The furnishings look like they were purchased for a New York apartment. Look at all the dark wood. Look at all the wood period. How far away was that shipped? Did anyone look at Santa Fe style? Yes, there were a few pieces of light wood, but they still were square and hard looking.

I must say here I am a lover of the Santa Fe style, but I live in Southern California. The Santa Fe style is a wonderful look, full of quiet colors, light colored wood, and tiled floors. Stucco inside is popular, especially for the fireplaces, but not required. You know what I'm talking about, don't you.

So, I was really disappointed with the HGTV Dream Home. I still love it's outside look, but if I win, and that's a big IF - especially since I just posted this critique, I'd have to strip out most of the inside and start over. I hate the heavy decor and closed in spaces. I'd want more Santa Fe art with enormous creamy landscapes and Indian pots, and such. That's what I'd do if it were mine.

What would you do to it? Do you like it the way it is?

Marilynne

Afterword: Do you have any idea what the paddle-shaped cactus in the front yard is going to look like in a few years? Nice to great your guests with 4-inch spines.