My husband and I have dreams of building a beautiful, green prefab home, complete with a modern aesthetic that would make it stand out from the traditional homes you can find in Georgia. And while we’re in no position to act on that dream just yet, today is one of those days when I really wish that we were.
Green Building

I’m usually not the jealous type, but I honestly envy people live completely off the grid. I’m sure this kind of lifestyle comes with its own challenges, but it must be nice to never receive utility bills or have to worry about outages. Add to that the fact that this home is gorgeous and at one with the surrounding landscape in Big Sur, CA, and jealous is an understatement.

I like to think of myself as a pretty huge fangirl for HGTV’s Green Home. Every year, I wait with eager anticipation to see where the home will be, how it will be laid out and decorated and what will be green about it. This year, I hate to say it, but I find myself a little disappointed. So much so, that I hesitated to post about it for about a week after the entry period for the home began. Take a look at these photos of the home along with my observations.
Remember a few months ago I blogged my despair when Michelle Kaufmann shut down her green prefab architecture and home building firm? I was devastated as my husband and I watched our dreams — however far off — of owning a Michelle Kaufmann home go down the drain. So I am happy to report that Blu Homes, a growing eco-housing company, has acquired the assets of mkDesigns, including the designs of the Glidehouse, mkLotus, and Sunset Breezehouse. Michelle Kaufmann will serve as a design consultant to Blu and join its advisory board.
Last week, I was admittedly feeling a little uninspired and in desperate need of a few shots of creative juice. So on Saturday, the family and I made a day trip to Marietta, GA, about an hour and a half away, to seek out some of that needed inspiration — and we found that and more at the Greenhaven 2009 show house.
The name Greenhaven is absolutely appropriate for this home. It is 8,140 square feet of eco-innovation. Yes. I said 8,140 square feet. This is no “average” home — definitely more of a mansion (I couldn’t bring myself to add the word “mini” to the description of a house this size). Truth be told, its size left me suspicious of how “green” the home really is, but more on that later.





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I’m Jennae Petersen, and I’m a lot of things. A mother, a graphic artist, a connosieur of beautiful interiors and a purveyor of all things design. Green Your Decor was borne of frustration in my attempts to find eco-friendly housewares that were also beautiful, and inspiration to do something to reduce my own carbon footprint and help others do the same in a beautiful way.
