HGTV's 2023 Dream Home Winner Surprised With First Look At New Luxury Abode

The winner of this year's coveted HGTV Dream Home has finally been announced, and the mountainside oasis in Morrison, Colorado now belongs to an HGTV superfan. Marie Davis, a retired grandmother from South Carolina was named the winner of the brand new, fully furnished luxury home, along with a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe and $100,000 — a prize worth a total of $2.7 million (per HGTV). Davis, a lifelong HGTV fan, says she has been entering the network's sweepstakes every day, twice a day — the maximum number of entries allowed – since the '90s, proving persistence pays off.

"The HGTV Dream Home serves as a source of inspiration across design, architecture, and lifestyle for millions of HGTV fans who enter for a chance to win every year," says Jane Latman of Warner Bros. Discovery, HGTV's parent company (via PR Newswire). "We love to take that opportunity to highlight unique destinations across the country like Morrison."

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 4,360 square-foot home is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, just minutes from Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, which provides a stunning, rugged backdrop for Davis' brand new pad. "This year's HGTV Dream Home is designed around the natural splendor of Morrison, with outdoor space that truly feels like a secluded, spectacular oasis," added Brian Patrick Flynn, the designer behind the home's interior. "I love to honor the local culture with my design, and this year's home celebrates the adventure that Colorado is known for" (per PR Newswire).

In a heartwarming video of the reveal, Flynn teams up with HGTV to surprise Davis with the gift of a lifetime — one that has been a long time coming for her. "This is the best thing that's ever happened to her," says Davis' daughter, Heather, of her mother's win in the video.

Davis, who currently lives with her husband, Heather, and Heather's family is in for a big change of scenery from her current one in South Carolina. "The property has spectacular long range and close range views, so by having tons of outdoors spaces we can capitalize on the far away vistas, the close up mountains as well as the beautiful vantage point of the house set against the mountains," says Flynn (via People). The large mountain estate and its surrounding open air will give her plenty of room to grow in her retirement years.

"It's all still registering. It sinks in a bit more every day," says Davis of her win (via PR Newswire). "You never expect that you're going to be a winner." Marie tells HGTV that her favorite parts of her new home are the large patio and living room, as well as the reading nook. "And of course, everyone loves the kitchen," she says.

"The design of the HGTV Dream Home 2023 is rooted in the history and landscape of Morrison," says Flynn (per People). "The aesthetic of this home is rugged and elevated with a heavy emphasis on moody earth tones." He adds his inspiration for the home's interior came from "dinosaur fossils, earthy colors seen in Red Rocks National Park and Amphitheater, relics from the Gold Rush days and all the active lifestyles that come with Colorado, like horseback riding, hiking, and fly fishing." 

While dinosaurs may seem like an unlikely source of inspiration behind such a luxurious space, given the home's close proximity to Dinosaur Ridge, it makes sense. "There is a rich history of dinosaur fossils all around Morrison, Colorado, and when you're local, you see nods to them everywhere from national parks to murals and even on guided tours."

To help play up the moody, mountain aesthetic provided by the earthy paint tones, the home's walls feature original painted pieces by artist Karen Musgraves, the mother of singer Kacey Musgraves. Flynn told People, "I gave her very little direction on coming up with a fun take on a dinosaur fossil fly fishing for a prehistoric fish, and she nailed it." Musgraves also added other Morrison-inspired paintings to the walls throughout the home. "This house is just pure magic, Flynn said. "I could not be more proud of it."