Jack Thomasson, the HGTV house planner, has overseen every HGTV Dream Home except for the first one in 1997. When he began searching for the perfect site for this year's home, he says he was immediately blown away when he arrived in Winter Park, Colo. "The house is very unique, very different from every other (HGTV Dream Home) we've done," Jack says. "One of my goals every year is to have a house that has its own identity — this house is perfect for its environment."

The kitchen and dining area are on the back side of home and open up through glass doors to the private patio space and woods to the rear of the home. A door off the master bath and within the suite also lead to the back patio area.

Walk inside the front door of the home and you're in a large foyer with vaulted ceilings. John says the stairs are directly ahead, with a large closet to the right. Go into the great room, or "Lodge Room" as he calls it, and you see a large stone fireplace, built-ins for the television, and exposed wood trusses above supporting the vaulted ceiling. Also above is the lookout from the third level loft area.

Past the Lodge Room is the kitchen area, which features a large central island with a prep sink, walk-in pantry, large main sink and professional-grade appliances. Just off the dining area is a small study with built-ins and a half-bath. A double-door entry leads into the first floor master suite, which features exposed wood ceiling trusses, a fireplace and built-in storage areas. John says the master bath features his-and-her sinks, a walk-in closet, a jetted tub and a tiled shower area.