EastsideRealEstateBuzz: Dream a Little at the Seattle Street of Dreams Show Homes in Woodinville, WA

It is that time of year again when the luxury home tours happens in the Seattle area. Actually, this year marks the 20th year of the Seattle Street of Dreams and it is happening in "Quinn's Crossing" in Woodinville, Washington. What is new and exciting and different at this year's show is the emphasis on Built-Green homes. The homes in the show all have a minimum of a 3 Star rating and have been built with environmentally "green" building materials. Home #5, The Urban Lodge, is the only 5 Star home in the show. The Seattle Master Builders Association is concerned with the built-green concept as I mentioned in a previous post

I went to the Street of Dreams on one of two Realtor Days. We Realtors get free admission to see the homes so we can then talk about the homes with our clients and maybe even sell one of the homes as a result! This year's "Street" is a cluster of 5 homes located around a cul-de-sac. The exterior styling is more craftsman, lodge-like, and prairie style home. The first home stands out on the "Street" as unique to the show with its very European, Tuscan feel.

Pictures and comments on the individual homes are below, but you might need to scroll down to see them due to Blogger formatting issues...

#1 – La Belle Fleur

It definitely had the most formal street presence with its stucco style siding and European flavor. There's a lot of elegant ironwork, limestone, Venetian plastering, and wall murals. There's even a fish tank, but it was not operating when we were there.

The master suite was the best of the five homes, more elegant than my taste generally, but you could just imagine yourself relaxing in the sitting area which comes complete with a built-in fridge. There was a private balcony and a gorgeous, huge dual headed shower. The tub conjured up relaxing images of soaking and gazing out at the view. However, I think you might take your life in your hands trying to get out of the tub with wet feet. It looked a little dangerous to me.

#2 – Greenleaf Retreat

This home was truly unique to the show. It had the cleanest, most contemporary lines of any of the homes. I would call the exterior style transitional, but the interior was very contemporary. It seemed far more contemporary than the exterior of the home. Some retro furnishings, glass topped tables with metal legs were used to decorate the home. There's a huge great room area with french doors that lead to the exterior and a unique outdoor metal fireplace, built-in grill, and fridge. garden steps

outdoor metal fireplace

I loved the master bath with its see-through fireplace, gorgeous shower and interesting sinks. This master bath is more my style. Check out the tile work on the master bedroom side of the fireplace when you go to the show. I thought it was done well. Upstairs there was a huge bonus/media room that had a built-in coffee maker.

#3 – Copper Falls

From the street, this is a classic craftsman style home. From the inside, it's a very formal house. Not something I expected at all from the exterior. Decorated with dark woods, lots of marble, and granite, the interior feels like a grand home one would find on Capitol Hill or Queen Anne.

The entry is graced by a beautiful waterfall, a beautiful touch.

The backyard was great, beautifully landscaped with some nice plantings. You could almost see the family dog running across this backyard. It was the best backyard of the five homes. There's an outdoor room with a fireplace that looked like a great place to relax and unwind.

#4 – Tamarack

Tamarack is a name we hear used for several neighborhoods in the Seattle area, however, I just learned that it is also a tree from Montana. Since this wood was used to build the home, the home is called Tamarack.

This home is a well done re-creation of a Craftsman style home done in the Arts and Craft tradition, think of an updated version of the Greene and Green homes, such as the Gamble house in Pasadena. There's lots of wood paneling, built-in glass shelving, and great period style light fixtures.

In the kitchen, look for the countertops made of paper. They were really cool. When you look at them and touch them, you at first think they are granite. Then you realize it's not stone.

There is a beautiful yard, unfortunately, most of it was to the side of the house.

#5 – The Urban Lodge

Designed by renowned Seattle architect Curtis Gelotte, the house had a fabulous feel. I thought the floorplan, design, and materials were great. Some people may think the kitchen is small when compared to the other homes, but it really is a well designed kitchen in a beautiful great room space.

I was surprised to learn that California Closets installed the furniture in one of the offices. It looked terrific. The majority of the wood used in the flooring and woodwork is reclaimed hickory. Much of the cabinetry throughout the home was sleek in appearance, a little surprising because of the heavier look of the hickory wood trimwork.

The "outdoor room" was by far the best patio in the show. It was covered, but skylit, and had a gorgeous fireplace. A terrific space for enjoying the outdoors most of the year in Seattle.

Again, this home is the only certified 5 Star Built-green home in the show. CMI builders completed the home and have built a number of 5 Star "Built-Green" homes in Suncadia.

Summary

Besides an emphasis on the "green building" for all of the homes, the show continues its traditional alliance with Make-A-Wish Foundation. A room in each home is decorated to mirror a wish that has been granted by the foundation. Drink up and eat at the show as a portion of the concession stand sales will be donated to help grant future foundation wishes.

My show favorites: