I feel like a shallow guy at a college party. I'm in love with an HGTV sweepstakes home for its beauty, not its brains.
I'm sure you've all heard of the HGTV Dream Home giveaway. This spring, HGTV is awarding the first Smart Home - in a smart part of the country climate-wise - Jacksonville Beach, Florida. And only five blocks from the beach. (Go to www.hgtv.com to see photos and enter the contest. Deadline is May 31.)
You'd never guess that the old-fashioned shingle-style cottage with a beadboard ceiling front porch is wired with a whole-house automation system. I'd just be happy with the fabulous vaulted living room decorated in animal and Floridian prints and a giant blue sailfish. I'd love sitting in those bamboo leaf stools in the beachy blue kitchen.
But right off the kitchen is a "launch port" that looks like something out of "Star Trek." With two smart tablets, the homeowner can control the security systems; heating and cooling, lighting, whole-house audio system, and energy monitoring. Heck, you even can program the raising and lowering of window shades and built-in seat warmers on the toilet.
It's not quite the Jetson's -- - where's Rosie the Robot to make dinner and sort laundry? But I'm guessing that the HGTV Smart Home is foreshadowing the typical home of the future.
But do we really want to be plugged into our abode 24/7? Or is monitoring daily email, Facebook and texting on your Smart phone enough?
Photos by HGTV.
