really, sorry i missed the latter one..i love get color.

I finally watched it yesterday....liked some things, didn't like others. I actually liked the orange and thought it was a nice departure from the typical blue, aqua, pale greens that are typical beach house colors. All the "stuff"...yes, too much, especially for a beach rental. Would he even know if someone walked off with some of it? I didnt mind the bench seating in the DR....it is supposed to be casual and I think of kids sitting there mostly...but agree, not conducive to a leisurely meal or sipping wine. DH has often taken calls while on vacation, so the desk in the BR did not bother me...I guess if you have to work...a glimpse of the beach wouldnt be bad. And that is what it was...a glimpse. For that $$, I would want a house right on the beach and not have to look out onto rooftops with the beach behind them. Anyplace on that first level to stow all the beach gear....boogie boards, towels, chairs, etc.? Lugging groceries, etc... up to the second floor....uh, no. Liked the all white color scheme...but those dark floors will show every speck...not a good thing, especially in a rental. Didn't really show the kitchen at all...why was that skipped over? All the white tile and grout....super hard to keep up. From what I could tell..the pool almost looked too small to be worth all the trouble. Was really surprised he wanted the landscaping all lined up like an English estate....especially at a casual beach house! A natural landscape can be orderly too. Cracks me up that he will rent it out...he definitely seems like the type that would not want strangers sleeping in his house.

Terriks is right, the new dream home is in New Mexico. Actually, if you win it, you'll be neighbors with my best friend. I haven't seen it in person yet, but have done the photo tour online. DillyDally's comment on the house color made me chuckle. Unlike most other places in our country, out here we like our homes to be one of the colors of the earth, so that they blend into the landscape. That's so the focus is on the beautiful views, instead of colored houses that stand out. Anyhoo, that's just the way we think out here. I definitely love to see nicely or even brightly colored homes elsewhere, though. That said, this newest dream home is certainly a very Contemporary one. I like many of it's features, including the theater room, but prefer a more Spanish Colonial or Western home myself. The biggest problem I see with the Dream Home is it's back patio. The overhead covering is minimal and that will be a huge PIA out here come Summer. This is a High Desert area, not Low Desert like Phoenix, but our elevation is high (probably 5,000-6,000 there at the house) and the sun, is intense in the Summer, which is May through the end of September, at least, here. Out here, we like the major part of our patios to be covered. We also like windbreaks for our patios, either natural ones like trees or walls. I wonder how windy that patio will end up being? Another potential problem I see with the house is it's glass garage doors. From a security standpoint, you don't want everyone to be able to see if you're home or not . . . or what you have in your garage. JMHO. Even a security gate at the driveway won't keep potential burglars totally away. My best friend has one out there, so I know. Lynn

David was the first winner. His was the only Design Star series that I saw from beginning to end. He was great all the way through. Hmmm.... and such a cutie too! I'm surprised no one mentioned him on the handsomest man thread. Or maybe I missed it :-) There was a girl after that, curly hair, Kim Myles... I just looked her up. Her show was Myles of Style. I watched it a few times but could never get into it. I'm not sure whether it's still on or not. Then, if there was anyone between her and Antonio, I missed them. I've only seen Antonio's show a time or two but he doesn't really do it for me either. David's show, I like. I hope Emily does well.