House of the Year: Germany (2020)

Guido Heinz Frinken and Bruce Darnell visit a modern architect's house in Stuttgart that looks inconspicuous from the street - but there are a few special features hidden inside. The next house is in Kehl on the border with France: a half-timbered barn that stands out from afar due to its old charm. Finally, the two jurors visit a concrete house near Stuttgart. What may sound like a gray block turns out to be a real design highlight with glass house fronts. Which of the three houses will make it to the final?

Guido Heinz Frinken and interior design expert Tine Wittler visit a glass house in Berlin. As the name suggests, it is particularly impressive thanks to its large window fronts. The next house impresses the two of them with its long history - it has stood near Brandenburg since 1760. As befits an old manor house, it has a few surprises in store for the two design professionals. The third property takes Guido and Tine on the water instead of on land: a houseboat that offers everything you could wish for on 100 square meters. Three completely different living concepts, but only one can make it to the final.

There is a family's Villa Kunterbunt in Fulda, but they first need to be found. Guido Heinz Frinken and influencer Coco try their luck at a bakery. The next house is located idyllically in the countryside and also in the Fulda district: a wooden house that impresses with its straight lines and modernity. Finally, the two visit a really unusual home - a former defensive tower. There is more to discover than you think in just 47 square meters of living space.

Guido Heinz Frinken receives support from Natascha Ochsenknecht in the search for the house of the year. Together they visit a split-level house in Lüneburg. It impresses not only with its different levels, but also with an interior concept that combines modern and vintage. On their journey to Ammerland they next find something completely different, namely a hay house. New life was breathed into the old walls with a lot of love. The conclusion is a modern clinker brick house on the outskirts of the Hanseatic city of Hamburg. The motto 'less is more' definitely applies in this establishment. Which house do Guido and Natascha like the most?

The jurors Guido Heinz Frinken and Bruce Darnell go to three houses that are spread all over Germany. It starts with a converted winery in Sulzburg that harmoniously combines the interplay of old and new. Her journey then takes her to Waischenfeld to a solid wooden house. The name says it all here, because the wood character stands out even within the house due to the omission of many colors. Their last stop takes the two interior experts to Balingen to a house on a hillside. The fantastic view can be admired through very large windows. Which house qualifies for the shortlist?

The search for the house of the year begins with a short journey from Saarland via Rhineland-Palatinate to North Rhine-Westphalia. Guido and DIY queen Jelena Weber look at three houses whose only thing they have in common is that they don't come from this century. It goes to a house that partly dates back to the Renaissance. In Bitburg you will find a former restaurant with hidden rooms. And in Dorsten in the north of the Ruhr area they come across an old Art Nouveau villa. One thing is certain: it will be difficult to choose a winning house.

Guido Heinz Frinken and content creator Sarah von Heugel visit a great thatched roof house in the North Frisian district. The ceiling height of 17 meters in the square is particularly eye-catching. The two of them continue their journey to Lübeck, where they visit a house in the old town. A motorcycle is also part of the facility here. The end of your journey is in Langwedel. There you will find a country house in the typical Nordic clinker style. Three different and charming houses - but which one impresses the most?

Guido and interior designer Tim Labenda first arrive in Bochum, where they visit a bungalow from the 1960s. The next stop on their journey is in the Eifel. There they enter an old villa that not only has a small tower, but also a dumbwaiter. They end their journey in Bad Münstereifel. A modern wooden house awaits you here with its own swimming pond and a very open floor plan. And the owner is no stranger. Three exciting living concepts that the jurors have to choose between.

For the big finale, Guido has two professionals at his side: interior stylist and designer Bruce Darnell and living expert Tine Wittler. Together, the jurors look back on all the weekly victories so far. And here they decide who deserves the overall victory. Who has what it takes to become “House of the Year”? Will it be a renovated monument with a lot of history and good use of old materials? A modern design object? Or one with a unique property? In the grand finale, all eight houses have the chance to win 10,000 euros.