How Would You Spend $1,000,000 on Your Dream Home? Here’s What 4 Apartment Therapy Staffers Would Do.

We’ve all gotten heart-eyes-emoji for an expensive real estate listing. Maybe it features your dream gourmet kitchen, city view, or poolside cabana. (Or hey, all three!) It’s way out of your price range — like, way out — but you mentally save it to your “If I win the lottery” folder. Well, it’s time to find those dreams a home for real.

With HGTV’s My Lottery Dream Home Scratch-Off Game from the New York Lottery, you could have the chance to score a whopping $1,000,000 toward the house of your most imaginative dreams. Maybe that means buying the Midtown Manhattan pied-à-terre or the sprawling Upstate farm you’ve always wanted. Or how about upgrading your current home with heated floors or a personal boat dock?

With so much creative freedom, it can be tough to know where to begin. So we asked four Apartment Therapy staffers how they would put that $1,000,000 from HGTV’s My Lottery Dream Home Scratch-Off Game to good use. From a serene Fire Island oasis to a charming Finger Lakes bungalow, here’s how they’d bring their dream homes to life.

For Camey Hess, AT Director of Brand Partnerships, HGTV’s My Lottery Dream Home Scratch-Off Game would be a chance to infuse her dream home with her modern glam style and personal values. Her five-bedroom Colonial home in Cold Spring, NY, would feature Hawaiian and Indigenous artwork that honors Camey’s heritage, as well as a cheerful yellow breakfast room where she would sit and admire her sprawling vegetable and flower gardens. “During the spring and summer, I’d use the flowers from the garden to fill every room in the home,” Camey says. The decor would be warm and welcoming, with limewashed walls, wood-beam ceilings, and a fireplace in every room. And thanks to the solar panels and a charging station for her electric cars, this estate would be eco-friendly, too.

AT Branded Editorial Director Matt Gurry is a passionate competitive swimmer — so naturally, his first priority with his potential HGTV’s My Lottery Dream Home Scratch-Off Game winnings would be an indoor pool. Matt’s bright Finger Lakes bungalow would sit on plenty of acreage, and its centerpiece would be a stunning glass-walled lap pool. With heated floors, a huge rain shower, a hot tub, and a sauna, it would have everything he needs to swim in style (and luxury!). The closets would stay stocked with fresh towels and fluffy swim robes, plus a steady supply of goggles and swim caps. “And with the flick of a switch, I’d be able to change the glass from clear to frosted, in case nosy bears wandered out from the woods,” Matt says. And après swim? A refreshment from his personal juice bar, of course.

For Steven Marinos, AT Director of Brand Innovation and Strategy, HGTV’s My Lottery Dream Home Scratch-Off Game would be his chance to own that Upper West Side brownstone that he’s always wanted. His one-bedroom dream home would feature all the architectural flourishes of this iconic New York City design, like pocket doors, original molding, and parquet floors. “And a renovated kitchen with a miniature island would be essential — entertaining king over here!” Steven says. His cozy and luxurious apartment wouldn’t be complete without a herringbone backsplash, as well as small spaces that can easily adjust to suit multiple uses. And don’t forget the outdoor space for his future pup!

Kelsey Arnold knows exactly where she’d live with $1,000,000 from HGTV’s My Lottery Dream Home Scratch-Off Game: the beach. AT Senior Director of Brand Partnerships would splash out with a cedar A-frame cottage on Fire Island, overlooking Great South Bay. (Hello, sunsets!) With white walls, blonde oak floors, and oversized couches, it would be a modern, cozy weekend retreat. And since Kelsey is an avid gardener and her husband is a fisherman, this seaside spot would also have a huge outdoor area for growing veggies, roasting oysters, and entertaining friends. Don’t forget the outdoor spa, including a rain shower and a hot tub — all musts after hanging at the beach. “A long soak under the stars feels dreamy after a day in the ocean!” she says.

Dreaming of your slice of paradise? Head to your nearest New York Lottery retailer and get HGTV’s My Lottery Dream Home Scratch-Off Game for your chance to win!