Have you entered for a chance to win this year’s HGTV Urban Oasis home yet? If not, get on that so we can be Asheville buddies!!

A couple weeks ago, I got a chance to check out the 2015 HGTV Urban Oasis home in west Asheville and have a chat with the folks who made it happen. To say I was pumped was an understatement. When home planner Jack Thomasson found this 1920’s bungalow it had a long way to go. Very similar to lots of older homes in Asheville, including the house that Z and I rented when we first moved here, the home had a number of tiny, closed-off rooms, weird layouts and no flow. That said, it was in the ideal location. (Seriously, that was our ideal neighborhood on our house hunt, but it was a bit too rich for our bank account!)

It’s on a quiet street, but comfortable walking distance to the main drag of West Asheville. The Hop’s vegan ice cream, West End Bakery’s freshly baked bread, and, most importantly Biscuit Head‘s cat head sized biscuits and jam bar are literally at your doorstep! But I digress…

They had a lot of work to do to make the house and amazing as its location. Jack contracted with Jody Guokas from JAG Construction and Calder and Aaron Wilson from Wilson Architects to totally blow out the floor plan creating an open layout for the main floor. Working with pretty much the same square footage, they turned it into a home that works for the modern family. Having lived in one of these little bungalows, I was really impressed with the flow that they achieved. I absolutely loved great room with its cozy sitting area, functional dining space, sweet loft space, and ah-mazing kitchen. Its clearly the hub of the house.

Bryan Flynn worked hard to create a design that was as uniquely Asheville as the house. The house is bright, colorful, and full of art from Asheville artists. Most impressive to me is how well he balanced using old antiques from estate sales with new furniture, rugs, and accessories from Overstock. Also impressive was his use of panelling to make the bedrooms seem bigger. Its such a nice architectural touch that is so unique and lovely.

Clearly I’m smitten with this house. While I have to admit that I’m not-so-secretly crossing my fingers for my parents to win it so we can have in town babysitters whenever the seedlings come along, you should totally enter. Not only do you win the house and all the furnishings in it, you also win a 2016 Acura TLX and $50,000!! Get to entering!!