HGTV Dream Home 2014

The HGTV Dream Home is back (in Lake Tahoe!) so let's take a gander, shall we? I'm interested to know how you guys feel about this one compared to last year's. Spoiler: I like this one more. Double-spoiler: there's less color!

Before we jump in, I have to make a note about the pictures: I think they could've been better. It seems like they did the whole photo shoot later in the day and didn't think about how the lack of light would impact certain rooms. It's kind of a bummer, but we'll get through it.

First, let's take a look at the exterior. In this case, the pictures at dusk totally work because you want to show off those purdy windows. Hubba.

Again, the WINDOWS. This would be heaven for cats that like to nap in a puddle of sunshine. And humans, too, I suppose.

This is the living room. (See what I mean about the pictures being kind of dark?) I'm drooling over the combination of warm wood and black trim. That's probably my favorite thing about the whole house, and they use it a lot. High-five.

The kitchen is next, which I like but don't love. It feels a little lopsided thanks to that giant fridge/cabinet combination. I am a fan of the waterfall countertop, though, and I think it's cool that they put wingback chairs at the ends of the dining room table (you can see one back on the right).

Here's a longer shot of the living room, kitchen, and dining room. I really dig the totally open concept floor plan. Not that we have huge parties all the time or anything, but with a house like this, I'd probably have more people over. One minor nitpick here: I hate the giant cross-section of wood as "artwork" above the fireplace. We get it, we're in nature.

This is the foyer. Some people might be kind of bummed about the overall lack of color in this house, but I think it's way more appealing. It's easy to bring in visual interest with different textures and I'm excited to see that in play here.

Now we're in the master bedroom. I hate to keep harping on the pictures, but here's another room that would've looked better in full sunlight. Maybe they want us to get sleepy? At least the pillows on the bed make me smile. The chandelier is nice, too.

Kid HQ! This is really fun, especially that bold rug. I do kind of wonder why they always put bunk beds in these houses. Did they make a bad deal with a mobster bunk bed supplier once and this is how they have to pay their debt? I bet that's it.

Jumping back to the master for a second, this is beautiful. It's that classic dark and light contrast that's so timeless for a bathroom. I like how they kept the modern feeling of the rest of the house with the large hardware and trendy light fixtures.

And finally, we land in the family room. Again, I like the beams... and that's it. No! See that plaid chair near the door? I like that plaid. I would put that in my basement TODAY.

So there we go, the HGTV Dream Home 2014. What do you think? How do you feel about all of those wood beams? Do you also wonder about the bunk bed conspiracy? (Because seriously.) Are you a bigger fan of this one than last year's?