New York Woman Wins HGTV Smart Home Giveaway 2018
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Josephine Montgomery, a retiree from the village of Lindenhurst on New York's Long Island, has been a fan of HGTV for two decades, frequently tuning in to House Hunters and Love It or List It. As someone who hasn't had any luck with contests, however, she was stunned when she got the news from HGTV designer and host Tiffany Brooks that she had been selected as the winner of the HGTV® Smart Home 2018. Montgomery's name was randomly drawn from 95 million entries to win the grand prize package worth over $1.6 million.
The giveaway includes the residence and all its furnishings, a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e 4MATIC Plug-In Hybrid and $100,000 from national mortgage lender Quicken Loans®. The home is located in Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina, a Southern escape by the sea and one of the low country's best kept secrets.
The HGTV ambush crew worked behind the scenes with Montgomery's family to break the exciting news, piggybacking onto a barbecue planned for her daughter's birthday and wedding anniversary. After all the gifts were opened, Montgomery's grandkids asked her to watch a video they put together.
"I start watching this video, and it's my grandchildren telling me how much they love me and thanking me for everything I've done," said Montgomery. "But then, I started seeing a bunch of people I didn't recognize. I kept saying, 'Who's this? Who's this?' And then, all of a sudden, the video says, 'Hi Josephine! Turn around.'"
Montgomery was met with a crowd of unfamiliar faces. "At first, I thought it was Candid Camera," she noted with a laugh. But one person stood out – it was none other than Tiffany Brooks. "I was shocked. I knew it couldn't be Candid Camera if Tiffany was there." It was then that she received the good news, and everything after was a blur. "I just remember it was very hot," she added.
In 2012, Montgomery's house in Lindenhurst was completely wiped out in the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, so this bit of home-related news was decidedly more welcome. Though she never imagined she would actually win, she's a close follower of HGTV's home giveaways and always loves the design work. "They're all done beautifully," said Montgomery.
She has never been to South Carolina, but Montgomery and her husband will get a chance to visit the home for the first time in the coming weeks. Viewers can witness her reaction to the ambush and the home itself by watching the HGTV Smart Home Giveaway Special premiering Friday, August 17 at 1 p.m. ET on HGTV.
Planned by local architecture firm Markalunas Architecture Group and constructed by local builder Shoreline Construction, the two-story coastal sanctuary is situated in a private resort community on the banks of the May River developed by Palmetto Bluff Development, LLC. The home spans approximately 2,850 square feet and has three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths. It features smart technology, clever design solutions and energy-efficient materials throughout that blend perfectly with Southern style.
HGTV Smart Home 2018 host and interior designer Tiffany Brooks took cues from her surroundings to infuse the home with luxurious low country style. Light walls with playful textiles and patterns provide the perfect backdrop for the casual furnishings, creating a comfortable, calm and airy atmosphere. Industrial lighting and imaginative uses of wood paneling offer modern twists, while the porches and surrounding outdoor spaces, including a grilling area and a separate four-seat fire pit, bring sanctuary and relaxation to make this the perfect "smart" getaway.
Learn more about this year's giveaway and its sponsors – Bassett Home Furnishings; Mercedes-Benz USA; Quicken Loans®; Bush Brothers & Company; Peloton Interactive, Inc.; The Scotts Company, LLC; The Gorilla Glue Company; HGTV HOME™ by Sherwin-Williams; Cabinets To Go; SimpliSafe Home Security; Sleep Number; VELUX® No Leak Skylights; Kohler Co.; OxiClean™; Trex®; and Filtrete™ Brand – at HGTV.com/Smart.
ABOUT HGTV
HGTV delivers the superstar experts, fascinating families, compelling renovations and stunning transformations that make all things home fun. America's favorite way to get entertaining, relatable and inspirational home and lifestyle content, HGTV offers: a top 10 cable network that is distributed to more than 90 million U.S. households; a website, HGTV.com, that attracts an average of 9.7 million people each month; a social footprint of 16.8 million; HGTV Magazine, a monthly publication that reaches more than one million readers and exclusive collections of home-oriented products through the HGTV HOME™ consumer products line. Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. HGTV is owned by Discovery, Inc., a global leader in real life entertainment whose portfolio also includes Discovery Channel, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
SOURCE Discovery, Inc.
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