What will visitors see on this year’s NW Natural Street of Dreams home tour? A sweeping, single-story dwelling with privacy for two generations and attractive modern farmhouses, one with a tiny twin potting shed, plus plenty of intriguing amenities to talk about.
The six luxury residences, from French country-inspired to Northwest contemporary, showcase popular trends in indoor and outdoor living spaces. Glass doors fold away, dissolving the separation between giant great rooms and covered patios overlooking water-wise backyards.
Also on display Saturday, July 27, through Sunday, Aug. 25, at Stafford Meadows in Wilsonville: The looks that haven’t lost their appeal, from barn doors to metal chandeliers.
Farm-style apron sinks appear in all architectural styles. Nearby are massive kitchen islands as well as secondary cooking and meal preparation areas inside the house or under the stars.
Beverage centers, cocktail bars and even a “candy” bar bring the party to family rooms, master suites and outdoor lounges.
The 2019 NW Natural Street of Dreams home, Pacific Usonia, built by Everett Homes Northwest has a glass-enclosed wine room. July 25, 2019 Beth Nakamura/Staff
Everett Homes Northwest’s Pacific Usonia has a rarity these days: A formal dining room. Next to it is a wine room, with steel racks to store 88 bottles, that serves as a modern interpretation of the classic butler’s pantry.
Unseen but of interest to homeowners: The Street of Dreams houses were built to reduce utility bills and improve indoor air quality. Behind the well-insulated walls are efficient heating and cooling systems.
Even with 2,784 to 4,600 square feet of living space, the average electric and natural gas bill for each of the houses is estimated at $141 or less a month, according to Energy Trust of Oregon.
Most of the dwellings have earned Earth Advantage sustainability certification and are more efficient than a similar-sized one built to code, according to the Home Builders Association of Metro Portland, which has produced the annual tour for 44 years.
Interior designers selected durable, nontoxic finishes and manufactured quartz-like counters that are highly rated for sustainability. Visitors will also see trendy black commercial appliances and expensive wallpaper, even on the ceiling.
Electric-car stations are part of the garages, and detached buildings, like a “she shed” and workshop with roll-up doors, show how garages can be repurposed in a car-free household.
The 2019 NW Natural Street of Dreams home, Farm to Table,by Renaissance Custom Homes has two-car garage, a detached workshop that can shelter an RV and a potting shed ("She Shed") in the backyard. July 25, 2019 Beth Nakamura/Staff
Where’s the Frog Pond Neighborhood?
The Stafford Meadows development, at Boeckman Road and Southwest Stafford Road, will eventually have 44 homes, says Stephanie Hosmar, who works for the developer, West Hills Homes Northwest.
Two of West Hills Homes Northwest’s new houses are on the Street of Dreams tour; another home was built by its sister company, Everett Custom Homes.
Wilsonville’s big plans are for about 500 acres of former farmland to be developed into the Frog Pond area. Surrounding the historic Frog Pond Grange, a church and Stafford Meadows in 20 years will be schools, parks, trails, open spaces near Boeckman Creek, commercial buildings and residential neighborhoods with about 1,900 homes, says Miranda Bateschell, the city’s planning director.
The city requires developers to manage stormwater at each home to minimize the need for larger stormwater facilities, says Hosmar. Street of Dreams tour goers will see that landscape designers installed sloping bioswales to filter surface runoff.
Most visitors will relate to the reasonable size of the yards, but there still is space to play croquet and practice on a four-hole putting green.
Small patches of grass poke through walkway pavers that lead from patios to concrete fountains, linear fireplaces and sitting areas.
One of the homes by West Hills Homes Northwest, named The Meadow, has a meandering path outside the master bathroom door that ends at a trellised hot tub lounge concealed by dense landscaping
The goal for backyards is to provide screening for privacy and create intimate areas while also extending the view to encompass trees and scenery beyond the fence, says Russ Swalberg of Exterior Spaces.
He designed the landscaping plan and selected the native plantings around the modern farmhouse named Bespoke by Red Hills Construction as well as the Street of Dreams’s bistro grounds and other gathering spots.
Residential landscaping, he says, “is a matter of creating comfort within boundaries."
The 2019 NW Natural Street of Dreams home, Bespoke, was built by Red Hills Construction. July 25, 2019 Beth Nakamura/Staff
What’s inside $1 million homes?
Although the Street of Dreams is legendary for buzz-worthy indulgences, like a steam shower with a streak-free glass door, practicality has to reign in properties that are for sale from $1.1 million to $1.8 million, if they’re not already sold.
Open floor plans and master suites on the main floor make it possible for residents to stay in their home longer and live on one level. Wide doors and hallways and specialized cabinetry allow people with wheelchairs or strollers to maneuver with more ease.
The 2019 NW Natural Street of Dreams home, Generations, was built by BC Custom Construction. July 25, 2019 Noble Guyon/ StaffNoble Guyon
The single-level house by BC Custom Construction was designed to offer privacy as well as places to gather for two generations of one family. There is a master suite on both ends of the 4,072-square-foot dwelling named Generations plus a guest suite off the foyer.
The center of the house has a great room with a wall of glass doors that open to a series of terraces. A covered barbecue area, with a skylight, links to a recreation room with its own kitchenette and bar stools surrounding an island.
Two-story homes were laid out so essential rooms are on the ground floor and extra spaces upstairs can be heated and cooled, or closed off, as needed.
Red Hills Construction’s modern farmhouse, Bespoke, has a skybridge that dramatically spans the second floor and leads to a guest suite, office and bonus room.
Renaissance Custom Homes’ contemporary farmhouse, named Farm to Table, has health-centered components, like a juice bar, flexible space that can be used for yoga and raised garden beds to grow fresh vegetables.
Home chefs exploring all the Street of Dreams houses will see smart storage solutions and the latest high-end appliances, including convection steam ovens used as an alternative to microwaves.
West Hills Homes Northwest’s modern farmhouse, The Meadow, has an oversize kitchen island July 25, 2019 Noble Guyon/ StaffNoble Guyon
West Hills Homes Northwest’s modern farmhouse, The Meadow, has an oversize kitchen island with a peninsula to prepare food, eat a meal or spread out homework. The staircase landing has a reading nook with a window seat and handy USB outlets.
Whole-home automation systems let residents control the security system, lighting and temperature (including Wi-Fi enabled wine coolers) while they’re away.
Time-honored building techniques are exhibited on the Street of Dreams as well.
Everett Homes Northwest has built a Prairie-style house, named Pacific Usonia, with broad eaves and natural materials inspired by the late architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian principles.
La Maison, the French country-style house by West Hills Homes Northwest, has a true stucco exterior and a copper porch roof. Inside the house with 2,784 square feet of living space are updates of classic wallpaper, wainscot and crown molding.
Don’t miss searching for the secret storage hidden behind a full-length mirror inside the master closet.
Information about products and services is available at each house.
STAY TUNED: Each of the Street of Dreams homes will be profiled in the next weeks.
The 44rd Annual NW Natural Street of Dreams home tour, which attracts people interested in remodeling or designing a new home, takes place Saturday, July 27, through Sunday, Aug. 25, at Stafford Meadows in Wilsonville. Parking is at 27817 S.W. Stafford Road. Admission is $20; children 10 and under are free (503-684-1880, streetofdreamspdx.com), and includes chef demonstrations and other special events such as one celebrating military veterans.
The 2019 NW Natural Street of Dreams home, La Maison, was built by West Hills Homes Northwest. July 25, 2019 Noble Guyon/ Staff
--Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman
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