Below is a shot of one of the first houses I messed around with on the program. FYI after practice you get better and can make more complicated landscaping choices, but still this shows some of the cool landscaping features you can add with this software.

Some of the landscaping features:

• You can plan decks, gazebos, fences, gates, and paths.
• Plan type of ground covering from gravel to pavement to wooden paths to stone and more.
• There’s an amazing Plant Encyclopedia included in the software with more than 7,500 trees, plants, flowers, shrubs and groundcover plant options plus information about light, watering and soil requirements.
• One perk is that you can plan your landscaping by season which is so cool.

If you are also interested in home design or interior design the HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite has you covered. Learn more about designing your home or working on interior design projects with this software.

Learn more: HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite

Post from: Blisstree

HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite

• All the basics of this home software.
• Exterior features, such as building a home and landscaping.
• Interior design and remodeling features.

Software pros:

Amazingly in-depth feature rich software. Everything you need to design and decorate almost any sort of home (minus green – see below).

Pretty easy to use. There’s a learning curve, but nothing I think anyone will have any trouble with. Plus there’s a massive 700 page user manual included, plus online help, plus a help guide in the software itself. You can use this software with just a little bit of practice.

Good software with no icky weirdness. I’ve gotten plenty of software to review in my time, not to mention all the software I buy myself, and every single time I hate having to worry – is this going to kill my computer? What the heck are they going to try and sneak onto my computer? You know? This software was not sneaky at all, it was a fast download, and I had ZERO issues with it. Plus it loads fast right away when you want to use it – no waiting.

Great price. Right now this software is on sale for a super deal – $79 (with a $20 rebate). Considering you could use this software for so many projects for the rest of the time you own a house, and that this software will help you avoid costly interior and landscaping mistakes; I think it’s an awesome deal.

Free technical support and a 90 day money back guarantee.

Things I LOVED:

The landscaping capabilities were amazing. Gravels, dirt types, millions of plants, trees, flowers, veggies, and herbs, plus almost every outdoor accessory imaginable.

The lighting feature. I talked about this in the interior post, but the lighting feature rocked. Big time.

It’s fun. This software is not only very useful, but fun and relaxing. If you’ve got a major crush on houses and design like I do, you will adore this software. It’s way chill to sit around and play with houses.

Software cons:

Only available for Windows XP or Vista. I like PCs, but so many of my pals are on Mac, it seems like they need a Mac version.

Not enough sustainable building features. This was my biggest issue with the software. I looked and maybe I missed it, but I didn’t find features like solar panels, solar tunnel lights, rain barrel set up, turbines, alternative bathroom fixtures (think composting toilets) and so on. I also didn’t see capabilities to plan things like cob or other alternative structures. The last time I helped to build a house, we built green. If I build another, it’ll have better, more advanced green features (my goal would be off-grid). In any case, this software is missing some key green building features. It’s still useful, I’d still buy it, but it would be nice to have more sustainable features.

NOTE: One feature of this software is that you can go online and pull ideas you might want to use, which might be a fix for this green con above. This software has the possibility of creating green exteriors and interiors, I just think it should be more present.

Overall score:

Five out of five happy faces. I would have given this software six out of five (a bonus point) if it had more green features. Overall based on features, price point, ease of use, and the major fact that it didn’t screw with my laptop, it earns 5 happy points and a high recommendation from me.

Learn more about HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite

Post from: Blisstree

Software Review: HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite

First of all, in case you missed it, we’ve been looking at this cool HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite software. Besides a basic look, I also showed you how you can design your own home. The house I designed was ok, but you can do a lot better if you’ve got the time. I wanted to share two of the HGTV sample home creations with you, to give you an idea of how extreme you can get design wise.

One sample home:

And this cool mountain home below, which I’ll be using to show off some interior features.

About the interior design features:
I thought the interior design features were a little tricky. However, I was being a smarty (or trying to) and launched into the program before reading over the directions. I like to learn software on my own. That said, I should have read the booklet section on interiors, because the process would have been quicker.

In any case, once you get going on the interior features, it’s pretty fun. You can change anything – floors, wallpaper, curtains, lighting, fixtures, and furniture. Below are some blank slate interior shots of the mountain home, to give you an idea of what the interior looks like, although, you can also view and decorate in 2D as well, not just 3D.

Living room:

Kitchen:

Loft area:

Something cool about the interior views is the hover feature. As you hover your mouse over the floors and walls, it tells you the materials used – like hardwood maple, 2×4 log frame walls, and so on. I took a stab at bedroom decor. Below is the empty bedroom before I started playing around.

Don’t forget, you can change interior views by turning the camera or using a walk-through feature as well. First of all if you don’t read the instruction manual, stuff like this happens…

Yup, I accidentally deleted the entire bedroom. That’s a punk rock decor choice for sure, but not all that realistic. Once I got the bedroom back, I decided to add lighting and a bed. This process was where I got stuck. There are plenty of furniture and lighting choices, and finding something I liked was a non-issue. However, placing the pieces correctly was a little iffy. The rotate feature is touchy, but after a bit, I got it working like I wanted it to. Basically, what I’m saying is that you’ll be able to use this software just fine, but it takes a little practice.

Here’s a bed and some lighting added:

Now, if I had the time, I could have made this super custom. You can go in and change everything, sheets, colors, wood grain on the bed, even how many pillow you want. This is just one bed choice too – there are all types available.

As for the lighting; this was my favorite interior feature hands down. I don’t know how easy it is to tell from the image above, but the lighting actually lights up the space. I must have played with the lighting for an hour. You can place a floor lamp in a corner, and it shows where in the room the light will fall. I messed around with track lighting, hanging lights, and more. It was very cool. Lighting a home is so tricky; you want lights to be properly placed for your home activities, and this software helps you make smart choices.

I could have done oodles more, but I don’t currently have all day to play with software (I wish). The other major interior feature is that you can upload your own images and then redesign them, as shown below:

This is a really nice feature for remodeling and simple to extreme decor projects – you don’t have to be building a house to need this software.

In the next post the round up of all the features, plus what I love about this software and what I think is missing.

Visit HGTV to learn more about this handy software.

Post from: Blisstree

HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite – Interior Design

You can design a house from scratch, but the software offers an easier option as well, the House Builder Wizard. It basically walks you through the process, allowing you to choose things like…

• Number of floors
• Foundation type
• House shape
• Garage position (or no garage)
• Building dimensions, which also calculates square footage for you
• Building elements, such as roof pitch, how thick you’d like your walls, footing size and so on

I used the wizard and here’s my basic house structure:

Nothing fancy, but this is before adding any doors, windows, etc.

So then I added some stuff….

You can choose from all sorts of windows, doors, plants, trees, and decks. Here’s what I added:

As you can see I added doors, windows, (kept it simple), decks, redwoods and lots of other trees; actually I choose trees that don’t really represent one specific area, but I like trees, so I was messing around. Then in the bottom right corner, I added gravel, and a purple herb and small rose garden. You can’t see it in this image, but I even added a tire swing in one of the trees.

Problems I had…

For some reason I had major issues figuring out how to edit or delete stuff. To make this easy for you, I cropped an image that will show you where to be if you need to edit.

In the top left hand toolbar, you click on that first arrow you see, under “building”, and then click on the item you want to edit.

I also had major deck issues. It’s not totally easy to drag your deck to the desired size and shape. With practice, I’m thinking it gets better. As you may have noticed, I added an upper story door, but there’s no deck. I can’t figure out how to add a second story deck, one attached to the house. I tried some stuff, but not extensively, so I’ll have to address this later.

Overall I think…

It’s really fun to plan your home design. It’s like total stress free time – just planning your house and garden. For me it was relaxing. I also played around with the build from scratch house, and that’s cool as well, although, the wizard is easier if you don’t know many building terms. I love the landscaping capabilities, and the choices of what to add are seriously endless. Lighting, fences, mailboxes, and so much more. Even in ground sprinklers, hammocks, and swimming pools. You can totally plan a bling yard with this software. I found all my favorite plants and trees. I’m not a shrub fan, but that’s available too.

I think the downside is the drag feature, i.e. for decks, gravel, and other items. It’s a little testy, but as noted, I haven’t extensively practiced using this software.

Oh – I should also add, that the image of my house above is not the only view available. It’s simple to pan around your house, and of course, add features in all dimensions and on all sides.

Next up, we’ll see if I can make the interior features work, and I’ll be giving you an overview score for this software as a whole. To learn more right now, head over to the homepage for the HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite.

What do you think so far – does this software look handy to you?

Post from: Blisstree

HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite Software Review: Designing Your Home

First of all, this is pretty hefty software; it’s jam packed with loads of handy home makeover features – WAY too many for one post. In this post I’ll list some of the overall features, and then later during the week, I’ll show some examples of what you can do with this software, tell you what I liked (or didn’t like) about it, and share some info about computer issues (i.e requirements, if it worked ok on my laptop, and so on).

Main product features and some quick notes from me:

• No major design experience necessary – although, if you’d like to try the build a house from scratch feature, it seriously helps if you have some prior knowledge of measurements, and building supplies.
• Quick and safe download – so far I’ve had no issues with the software, and it didn’t appear to download any weird extra programs (I hate that).
• Printed user book (like 500 pages) and lots of HGTV Video Tips to help get you started.
• Photorealistic 3D visualization – or you can use the 2D viewer – plus change the dimensional look of how you see your projects.
• Includes thousands of 3D appliances, home building options (walls, doors, windows, etc), furniture, lighting, landscape objects and more.
• Appropriate for all home styles in the U.S. and Canada.
• Software includes free technical support.

What you can accomplish:

Build a house:

In order to actually decorate, remodel, and make home plans, you need the house. This software allows you to create a house of your choice. You can build from scratch or use and modify one of the included designs. Plumbing, electrical, and heating/cooling options can be planned too. EVEN plan the surrounding areas of your home, such as hills, slopes, and more. This is not, obviously architectural software, but it’s way in-depth enough for a home owner.

Plan interior design projects:

Change paint, stain and fabric colors in your own digital photos of your home. Paint colors from brands you know are included.

Remodel:

Plan room additions, roof extensions, stairs, walls around your home, and other projects easily. You can view changes in 3D and there’s a cool walk-around feature (i.e. take a stroll through your new digs).

Remake your bath or kitchen:

Tools are included that allow you to refinish cabinets, lay new floors, and replace countertops with new materials.

Plan for furniture and appliances:

Hundreds of tables, chairs, sofas, dressers, and much more are included. Many styles available and a fairly well sized library of large and small appliances and electronics are available as well.

Plan paint jobs, surface features, and fabrics:

Plan new hardwood, concrete, tile, or carpeted floors (plus more). Plan surfaces and explore new fabrics and leather upholstery options for furniture. You can even scan in your own texture or material.

Cabinet plans:

See what your home looks like with new cabinets in any room – corner, upper and lower styles included.

Plan cool new landscaping:

The landscape feature rocks. You can plan decks, gazebos, fences, gates, paths, and there’s even a Plant Encyclopedia with more than 7,500 trees, plants, flowers, shrubs and groundcover options plus with info about light, watering and soil requirements. Best of all you can plan by season.

As you can see, this is pretty powerful software. There are a couple things I think it’s missing, which I’ll go over in my personal review, but overall, this software offers enough features for almost any homeowner looking to remodel or make massive home and landscape plans.

Learn more about the features at HGTV, and stay tuned this week for my reviews.

[images via HGTV]

Post from: Blisstree

Home Handy Software Review: HGTV Home & Landscape Platinum Suite

If I’m gonna watch, you should too, just so you know what I’m talking about when I start whining about it. This season the show is in Nashville. Personally I’m wondering why they never have the show anywhere I like. Vegas? Nashville? New York? I think they should go somewhere cool next year; like San Francisco, Italy, or Oregon.

What else, hmm. I haven’t paid attention at all to who is in the competition, so I’ll have to go on visual appeal until next week. Let’s visit the contestant site. Well, no one is looking too cool to me. Until I see how they act, I’ll root for Jerome, because he has the best smile. Of course, I’m likely to change my mind.

HGTV Design Star season 3 premiers in five days, Sunday, June 8, at 9 P.M. ET/PT.

Post from: Blisstree

Five Days Until Season 3 of HGTV Design Star

The answer was:

Everyone playing, correctly guessed that Josh Johnson from HGTV was the real Offbeat visitor. However, most people seem to think, that if it were up to me, I’d like to have a Food Network guest here at Offbeat, which is far from true.

Only Nick Allen correctly guessed that I would love an X-Files guest and got the extra 5 points. (Go Nick!). I adore the X-Files. In case you think I’m joking, I wrote about it here. I figured it would be obvious what with the “offbeat” theme we have here. Oh, well.

The contest winners: Sorry it took me so long to suss out the winners. Mainly, it’s because we had two clear winners, but then two others who were so close that I ended up re-counting about ten times to be sure the real winner won.

The three final winners of the December’s Reader Appreciation Contest are:

1. Noreen Crone-Findlay
2. Linette
3. Mark Anthony

If you’re a winner, I’ll be e-mailing you at some point this weekend, so all you need to do is figure out which prize you’re going to want.

Congratulations to the winners! It was an extremely close race. Thanks to everyone who played along. This was such a great contest that I’m pretty sure that I’ll be throwing another one this spring or summer.

Post from: Blisstree

December’s Reader Appreciation Contest Winners!

Yup folks the end of HGTV Design Star is drawing to an end. Will it be Kim or Todd? Who knows. It’s won’t be Sparkle Josh so it’s hard to care but still he is supposed to be on the final show so that’s exciting. I did vote and you should too. I had to vote at least once to make my world complete I suppose. I voted for….

Todd

Why? Because frankly Kim gets on my nerves and I honestly question her design skills. Todd has the fun edge. But I only voted once; I don’t like Todd that much. You can vote through Wednesday.

If you are aching to see the return of all the canceled designers watch the season finale on September 16, at 9pm e/p. Or if you fancy yourself a savvy design star in the making apply for season 3. Who knows you might be my favorite next year.

In cool Offbeat Homes news:

I got an email today from International Listings telling me that Offbeat Homes is being recognized as one of their Top 100 Real Estate Blogs in the Green Ideas category. According to their site, International Listings has been a leader in online luxury classifieds advertisements since 2001 and they do have an interesting selection of worldwide homes featured.

I of course, frown on McMansion style living but did find some nice villas and some glamorous but not huge homes at the site. Which made me happier than seeing all mega homes.

Overall I was pretty excited. Eco-living is so important to me and I try to insert a lot of green home info here at Offbeat. To be listed along side of sites like Jetson Green, Treehugger, and Inhabitat is a huge honor to me and made my week — so a hearty thanks to International Listings for the nod.

A tasty treat:

Obviously I used most of this post up talking about HGTV and Offbeat props so I leave you with some beautiful morsels of an offbeat home:

The home above; the Orchid House is just one of the amazing homes designed for Landmark Homes. The Orchid House is by Sarah Featherstone. The entire site is full of beautiful and offbeat designs and has a large eco-slant. The architects seem heavily into blending ecology with structure form which is one of my favorite things to hear. Pay them a visit.

Now, who are you going to vote for as the all new Design Star?

Post from: Blisstree

Vote for Your Favorite HGTV Design Star & Other News

Except… I take a break on Sunday night around 12 to 1am or so (I keep weird hours) and watch whatever is on for an hour. For the last few months that was the Food Network Challenge (I know, it’s like a disease). So, Amy wins, I have no show.

Until what should appear? Why HGTV Design Star! I am totally addicted and we’re what, three shows in, four?

Are you watching it? Anyhow, as you can likely tell from the picture above; I like Josh Johnson, ’sparkle’ Josh. Here’s why. He looks flamboyant and like your worst snotty design nightmare but he’s actually so nice and chill. I don’t like the fake and bake and I dislike the color pink, but I like that he’s kind, offbeat and chill. Perfect for me and this blog and thus will remain the official Offbeat Homes blog pick for the win until further notice.

To increase luck; tonight we were so close I almost had a flipping heart attack, I found some Josh minded homes.

The nicest pink home shot I could find. By a talented fellow, Pachelbel Canon.

For pink, it’s almost not obscene, the shot’s so nice.

The most offbeat pink home I could find.

I have no clue? It almost looks like a paper cutout on top. I hear that it’s located in Saigon but the details are sketchy. It’s so odd though. The more I look at it, the more one dimensional it seems.

And a dash of sparkle.

These photos are from a fascinating blog, Brooklyn Record. I’m not sure what the allure is since I don’t live in nor have any desire to live in Brooklyn. It must be because the pictures are great and the writing is very ’slice o’ life’ I like it.

Anyhow, this brownstone is something of a controversy because the artist lady who lives / lived (?) there decorated it painstakingly with sparkles. Which I guess ruins the architectural integrity of a brownstone in some people’s minds. Kara, who posted this says, “the photos don’t do it justice,” and you can see she’s right but that it’s probably amazing in person. Any Brooklyn dwellers here?

I like it. But I would. What do you think?

So let’s hear it for Josh… I just know he’s going to make a smashing comeback next week!

Post from: Blisstree

Pink & Sparkling Television

I felt that the show didn’t cover too much in terms of new green ideas per say. There were very few ideas discussed that were new to me, and probably fewer that would be new to the average green builder. What was cool and unique about this show is they highlighted the stylistic trends going on in green decorating. In terms of enticing folks to go green the show packed in a wallop of tips.

Hemp countertops, reclaimed wood and recycled furniture, low VOC paint, sunflower seed boarding, tree branches as curtain rods, and a shower that I was seriously drooling over. I’ve been thinking about this shower all day and I’ve come to the conclusion that before I die I will have one. It was a river rock shower — which many of us have seen before.

Here’s a picture of typical river rocks.

But the folks who built this particular green home had found greens and clear blues and just an overall stunning array of colored stones. Plus they had a great light slate colored grout. I tried in vein to find a picture of this shower to post — but no luck. If anyone knows of a source it’d be cool to let me know.

Another key point the show pointed out was that you have many choices when it comes to the style of green home you might choose.

Here’s one, and…

Here’s another; worried about rain anyone?

I like this one. This house is very cool. It makes up just one house in a neighborhood called Armory Park del Sol in Tucson. After my three year (or so) stint in New Mexico’s blazing summer conditions, I’m the last person to suggest you pack it up and move to the desert. But this neighborhood is so neat. The website gives some information about their homes:

“The solar features of our homes include photovoltaic electric power generating systems and solar water heaters with on-demand water heater backup systems.”

Plus just moving in, makes you eligible for Tuscon Electric Sun Share rebates and tax credits.

They also offer zero energy homes:

“Zero Energy Homes combine energy-efficient construction, equipment, lighting and appliances with commercially available renewable energy systems to provide homeowners with annual net-zero energy consumption.

With its reduced energy needs and solar energy systems, a Zero Energy Home (ZEH) can return as much energy as it takes from the utility company on an annual basis.”

Here’s another view of the neighborhood:

Or you could plunk down a terrifying amount of green to live in these New York located eco friendly condo digs, at the The Visionaire.

The Visionaire website is gorgeous — go take a look. But it does look pricey.

All in all, Red, Hot, and Green did get me thinking about what kind of green style I like and to what level I’d take green in my own home. Didn’t see it? No problem, it’ll be on again on July 1 at 5pm ET/PT.

For those who did see it, what did you think of the show? Discuss. Or you can always just leave a friendly tip about how I can get a river rock shower for a smashing good price.

Post from: Blisstree

Green Is The New Black