HGTV's 2024 Smart Home Spotlights A Design Trend That Lets In The Light

HGTV's Smart Home is an annual sweepstakes where entrants can win a brand new smart house, an electric car, and a $150,000 cash prize. Each year designers are tasked with creating an innovative home packed with helpful smart features, from smart mirrors that tell you the weather to mattresses that assess your body temperature and cool or warm you as needed. The state location and home design changes yearly. In 2024, it's in Atlanta, Georgia, and the home features a mid-century modern design. The house comes complete with a metal roof, angular ceilings, and a black and white color scheme that makes it feel contemporary despite the retro stylings. But one other detail helps cinch its mid-century inspiration while also highlighting a new design trend emerging in 2024: floor-to-ceiling windows. 

There are two floor-to-ceiling windows that span two stories right next to the front door, illuminating the foyer and giving an outside peek to the staircase. Expansive windows have always been a part of midcentury design, and they were utilized as a clever way to erase the boundary between home and nature. Not only that, but glass also felt very modern, so having giant walls made the space feel futuristic and contemporary at the same time. And since HGTV's Smart is all about futuristic accents, incorporating these windows makes thematic sense as well. Here is a closer look at the up and coming design trend, and why floor-to-ceiling windows are worth the hype.

Floor to ceiling windows are having a moment in 2024 due to a move towards more organic and earthy colors and styles. We began to embrace earthy decor trends in 2023 as a way to create more calm and serenity in our homes, and expansive windows help to reinforce that retreat-like vibe by bringing views of trees and other greenery into the home. When designing the 2024 Smart Home, that's the exact aesthetic the designers were trying to capture. 

"This year's home is a sophisticated retreat where neutral, relaxed and airy spaces meet modern, high tech, sleek features," designer Tiffany Brooks, who has designed the last 10 HGTV Smart Homes, said in the official press release. The floor to ceiling windows tap into both of those aesthetics — they're at the same time airy and modern. 

According to window experts, these windows are having a moment in 2024 due to people embracing sustainability, eco-friendliness, and technology. As climate change continues to dominate headlines, people want to feel like they're closer to nature. There is a larger shift toward selecting energy-efficient glass with UV protection that naturally keeps the house cool or warm depending on the season, and the glass can now be fitted in recycled aluminum or wooden frames. As people are making more eco-conscious decisions, they want the panes to be bigger so they feel even closer to nature outside. 

Are you considering getting floor-to-ceiling windows but aren't sure if this trend is right for you? There are a few things to consider to help make your choice. The first is if you have a beautiful view you want to highlight. For instance, does your house face the woods, mountains, or lake? If so, getting expansive windows will make that backdrop a permanent part of your home. If you don't, there are other reasons to do so. For example, they can be beneficial if you have a dark or small room. The large windows will flood the space with light and make it seem more expansive since it will drag your eye upwards. Another reason is to modernize your space. If the outside of your home feels outdated, adding large floor-to-ceiling windows will make it feel more contemporary and add major curb appeal. 

However, you also have to account for your budget. On average, floor-to-ceiling windows cost between $1,000 to $1,600 per window, excluding installation. This price can increase to $5,000 per window if you choose a very large pane or require custom shapes, such as cathedral or angular designs. You will have to hire a contractor to cut out the framework for the windows in your walls, and they usually cost $38 to $40 per hour. This will accumulate to a hefty price tag, but it might be worth it if you want the HGTV-approved architectural boost to your property.