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Fully grown: HGTV's "green" house is ready to be given away

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Aside from mint-green paint and rooftop solar panels, nothing about 413 River Oaks Way in Tradition Hilton Head gives away its secret.

The Lowcountry cottage was built to be environmentally friendly, and received a gold certification stamp for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the U.S. Green Building Council.

It is the first "Green Home" custom built by Home and Garden Television, and it's up for grabs in a nationwide sweepstakes beginning March 21. It's nearly 2,000 square feet, has three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms, and is valued at $850,000.

The house manages to combine environmental friendliness and architectural beauty, according to house planner Jack Thomasson. "We wanted to be able to prove that you can have a charming, beautiful house that is just surprisingly 'green.'"

The home is one of 30 structures either under construction or occupied in the Hardeeville development, which is planned for 9,500 homes on 5,30es. Matt Amman, executive vice president of Tradition, said the development requires all builders to follow green standards. It has designed the community with recycling areas and uses treated wastewater to irrigate its golf courses.

But the HGTV home incorporated more green elements than any other house in the development.

It uses a solar energy system to provide heat and light that can keep the house powered up for 72 hours during an outage. Outside, it recycles rainwater and uses permeable pavers instead of a traditional patio so the rain seeps into the ground instead of being lost as runoff. Rainwater is directed onto the lawn to remove pollutants before it reaches the lake, or is filtered into a 500-gallon, underground cistern, where it is held for lawn irrigation or toilet water.

Inside, most of the home's "green" elements are behind the walls, such as in the insulation and plumbing system.

It uses organic linens on furniture made from recycled building materials. It also incorporates energy efficient appliances and lighting.

For Thomasson, the design is just as important as its green features.

Just inside the door, a long hallway leads to a waterfront view visible from the open kitchen, dining room and great room. The master bedroom also is on the first floor.

Green and khaki organic fabrics, eco-friendly hardwood floors and recycled glass lamps are key elements in the downstairs decor.

"Downstairs is very subdued and very peaceful," interior designer Linda Woodrum said. "It's designed that way to play off the fact that you want to see the water."

Upstairs is, well, a different story.

At the top of the stairs, a loft-style sitting room hosts a comfy couch and flat-screen TV. In the guest room, a brown-fabric headboard with animal print sheets and bright yellow walls create a retro look the designers call the "Boom-Boom" room.

Across the hall, a bright green and blue children's room focuses on Lowcountry nature. The carpet looks like beach sand. Dolphins are carved into bunk beds. There are turtles on the pillows, and white papier mache crabs hang on the walls. Woodrum hopes the room helps children both appreciate and enjoy their environment.

While some people might think it's not easy being green, Thomasson said it doesn't have to be overwhelming and anyone can start small with organic bed linens or energy-efficient light bulbs. He hopes the home provides an example to everyone.

"You don't have to be extreme to be green," he said.

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