NW Natural Street of Dreams’ luxury home tour has its first vineyard setting

Construction crews in the Pacific Northwest know how to get the job done in any weather, but some seasonal surprises can throw a monkey wrench into the works.

Custom homebuilders on the 2022 NW Natural Street of Dreams luxury home tour this spring had to hammer through heavy rain in March, followed by April’s record precipitation and a day in which snow piled high enough to cover a stoop to a front door.

May wasn’t any kinder to the crews. The month was cooler and wetter than usual and then temperatures started to boil.

Supply-chain issues also slowed progress for the home tour that runs July 23-Aug. 14.

“What’s next, locusts?” joked Luke Belanger, whose Vineyard View Lodge sits at the top of a hill in the new Rose Pointe Estates outside of Newberg. “It was the worse building season on record, but everyone kept going to create beautiful homes.”

Despite the challenges, tour goers on the opening weekend saw high-end amenities and resort-like backyards in residential properties valued up to $4.5 million.

For the first time in 47 years, the NW Natural Street of Dreams tour takes place in Yamhill County, about 25 miles southwest of downtown Portland.

The six estates have expansive windows, slide-away glass doors, terraces and outdoor living spaces that frame vineyard, valley, creek, farmland and forest views.

“The location and views dictate the design direction of a house,” said Brittainy Tiffany of Tiffany Home Design, who partnered with Chandler Willcuts of Del Boca Vista, the Rose Pointe Estates developer, on a Napa Valley-like house called Hewn.

Many of the new homes’ interiors have a neutral black, gray, camel and cream palette set against natural wood and stone to create backdrops showcasing Willamette Valley wine country.

Patterned tiles were selected to add texture, live plants bring nature’s greenery indoors and chandeliers, from classic crystals on gold frames to contemporary fixtures, illuminate the fact that these houses are one of a kind.

Some of the custom homes have two- and three-sided fireplaces to bring a sense of warmth, but not necessarily heat, to rooms.

Also guiding the designs was the goal to create livable, well-functioning rooms that stay organized with storage for pantry, laundry and mudroom items as well as wardrobes and even wine.

“The homes are unique without being overwhelming,” said designer Kelly Bassett, who worked with designer Shannon Ponciano of House of Ponce on the finishes and furnishings for two distinctly different Street of Dreams homes: the Scandinavian-inspired house called Fika in Rose Pointe Estates and the Laurelwood rural residence, near event parking a short distance away.

“People are blown away” by the slat oak paneling on the ceiling of the Fika house, said Bassett. The band of sound-softening wood runs from the great room’s towering fireplace near the entry to the kitchen’s open pantry.

Many of the vendors and building material suppliers are based in the region, which eased some of the supply-chain delays. In some cases, substitutions were needed for missing specialty items.

Bassett’s approach: If you love a product more than any other option, wait for it. Or consider something close to it in the manufacturer’s collection, but don’t compromise on the quality or look.

Tour goers will also be able to learn about advanced construction techniques, energy-efficient appliances and flexible spaces that can be a guest room or office.

The show’s main venue is Rose Pointe Estates outside Newberg. Three houses in the hilltop residential community developed by Del Boca Vista are open daily.

Another new house, nearby Laurelwood, is open daily, and there are two custom homes in McMinnville that are open Fridays through Sundays.

A ticket holder ($20, streetofdreamspdx.com) to the self-paced, self-driving tour can see the six residential properties on different days.

Here are highlights of each of the six luxury homes in Yamhill County open during the 2022 NW Natural Street of Dreams July 23-Aug. 14.

Four of the six Street of Dreams homes are in Newberg and are open daily.

The residence called Hewn, inspired by luxury homes in Napa Valley, was built in Newberg’s Rose Pointe Estates by Chandler Willcuts of the Del Boca Vista development company. He collaboration with Brittainy Tiffany of Tiffany Home Design.

The home’s rustic elegance was achieved by first installing hardwood floors and architectural wood products, such as box beam and planked ceilings, made in Oregon and sourced through Tualatin-based Hewn.

Sophisticated furnishings came next. The result: a handsome marriage between rural and refined.

Notice the trio of tiered chandeliers in the great room. Fluted glass rods are attached to each of the golden hammered frames. The three chandeliers dangle from a tongue-and-groove ceiling and are seen fronting the tall brick fireplace wall.

Don’t miss: The kitchen is equipped with Bertazzoni’s professional Heritage Series appliances, a pantry with a wine storage wall and a passthrough window to the scullery kitchen. Bottles of wine can be stored in the specialized refrigerator and wine glasses can be cleaned in a dishwasher with wine glass racks.

The dwelling has a speakeasy-type lounge, but for work-at-home projects, Pacific Office Automation installed Canon’s virtual meeting technology, Sharp’s video boards and Verkada cameras.

Even with 6,714 square feet of living space, Hewn and the other Street of Dreams estates consume less energy than a modest-size house constructed 20 to 30 years ago, said tour organizers with the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland.

The custom homes surpass Oregon’s building codes and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and other features reduce energy and water needs, and save on utility bills.

The five-bedroom Hewn house is for sale at $4.5 million. All six lots in Rose Pointe Estates have been sold, said Willcuts.

The Vineyard View Lodge is a 6,712-square-foot house on two acres in Newberg’s Rose Pointe Estates.

The two-story residence with a daylight basement was built by Luke Belanger based on a plan designed and customized by Mark Stewart Home Design.

Inspired by resorts in the Adirondack Mountains, the house has vaulted rooms, rustic beams and hardwood floors. LaCantina glass doorways erase the boundaries between the great room, kitchen and primary suite and each of their dedicated covered patios.

“It’s a serene, rural wine country escape offering a vacation while at home,” said Belanger.

A see-through fireplace fronts the foyer and the dining room, and faces the great room. “The huge fireplace is stunning,” said Belanger. “It’s the focal point.”

The outdoor kitchen is accessed by the main chef kitchen, which has a 48-inch Monogram dual-fuel professional range with brass burners and other Monogram appliances from Standard TV & Appliance.

Granite countertops throughout the home are from Macadam Floor and Design, as is Italian tile that’s new to the market. The knotty, alder shaker-style custom cabinets were made by Specialty Cabinets.

Also new: Portland-based Miller Paint’s Northwest Color Collection has 132 colors inspired by the region such as gray-white Skier’s View and Moss Driftwood.

Don’t miss: A freestanding, bateau-style Victoria + Albert Toulouse soaking tub in the primary suite was cast and finished by hand and made of volcanic limestone. There is also a curb-less shower, two sinks and a large dressing room.

“This house plan is based on an extremely popular family of plans for sale,” said designer Mark Stewart. The square footage can range from 2,500 to more than 6,000. “This will be the grandaddy of all of them.”

The five-bedroom house is for sale. “We’re open to offers,” said Belanger.

The 4,173-square-foot, Scandinavian-inspired house called Fika in Newberg’s Rose Pointe Estates is a project by Jamie Harris and Natalie Long of Elite Development Northwest with interior designers Shannon Ponciano and Kelly Bassett of House of Ponce based on house plans by Troy Fowler of Fowler Home + Design.

Fika is Swedish for “meet to chat.” The single-level house invites conversation among its neutral colors, organic materials and acoustic-enhancing oak slat wall and ceiling panels.

Since the vertical metal exterior siding is dramatically black, the designers wanted the inside to be light and airy. They accomplished this with a fold-away glass NanaWall and double-height great room to draw in the outdoors, and by being selective with high-end furnishings.

A stove top is integrated into a Caesarstone island that looks like concrete. The open pantry has a wall rack to display wine bottles from 12 cases and the new Plum Automatic Wine Dispenser, which pours wine by the glass, promises to keep an uncorked bottle tasting fresh for 90 days

Don’t miss: Concrete Concepts Portland created a graceful three-sided fireplace between the entryway and great room, and a fire pit with sunken seating near the seemingly endless deck.

The four-bedroom house on 2.9-acre is for sale at $3.6 million.

The contemporary Laurelwood rural residence with 4,129 square feet of living space was built by Elite Development Northwest with the design team at House of Ponce.

The house is set on 20 wooded acres in Newberg, a short distance from Rose Pointe Estates. Two stories of glass in the foyer make the floating staircase look as if it’s a sculpture on display.

Country elegance is seen in gold finishes throughout the house, from the living room’s fireplace surround and the kitchen’s stove hood to light fixtures as well as the fashionable tile in the powder room.

“Gold is glamorous and modern,” said Bassett. “It’s stunning, and men and women love it because it’s a nice transition between traditional and modern.”

The primary suite on the second level has a slotted wood privacy screen between the entry and bedroom. Continue down the suite’s hallway to a dressing room by California Closets and a bathroom with a freestanding tub with a hammered copper body.

A guest wing facing the deck has an outside entrance for a member of a multi-generational family to feel close but separated.

Don’t miss: MODPools installed a modular pool repurposed from a shipping container into the back deck. Check out the underwater window in which to see the property’s acres of woodland.

The four-bedroom house is for sale for $3,750,000 by Marissa Davis of PAC NW Realty Solutions.

Two custom homes near Baker Creek in McMinnville are open Fridays through Sundays.

The Creekside Craftsman house, with 3,294 square feet of living space designed, built and staged by Secor Homes of McMinnville, rests on 2.1 acres along Baker Creek.

The two-story house, based on a customizable house plan, has practical luxuries such as an office with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a noise-softening glass door.

The primary suite offers spa-like pampering with a heated bathroom floor to warm feet in the winter, a freestanding soaking tub and an extra large, threshold-free shower, said builder Alex Secor.

The kitchen has a “baker’s dream” of Monogram appliances, including a dual-fuel range with double ovens and a wall oven with French doors. An integrated column refrigerator, freezer and dual dishwashers concealed in cabinets continue the clean lines of the house.

A Monogram Sommelier in the pantry stores red and white wines in two temperature zones.

Twelve-foot-long sliding glass doors open to the deck and new landscaping has been designed to grow into a park-like setting.

A home theater with an oversized screen, surround sound system and soundproof walls is above the three-car garage.

Don’t miss: A central vacuum system makes it easier to keep a home “entertaining ready,” said Secor.

The property, valued around $1.7 million, is not for sale. Secor, a newlywed, built the four-bedroom house for his wife, himself and their future family.

2022 Street of Dreams The 3,981-square-foot West Wind Farmhouse by Mike Riddle Construction sits on one acre in McMinnville’s Wind Country Estates. — The 3,981-square-foot West Wind Farmhouse by Mike Riddle Construction sits on one acre in McMinnville’s Wind Country Estates.Mike Riddle Construction

The 3,981-square-foot West Wind Farmhouse by Mike Riddle Construction sits on one acre in McMinnville’s Wind Country Estates.

The split-level modern farmhouse has a towering entry that leads to a vaulted great room bordered by a 16-foot-wide disappearing Milgard Moving Glass Wall to the covered patio.

The kitchen has a full-height quartz backsplash, quartz counters and custom cabinetry.

A hidden pantry provides more storage for food staples and small appliances. A large outdoor storage area holds sporting equipment. The practical mudroom has a built-in dog shower and a locker for each member of the family.

One wing houses three bedrooms, two bathrooms with its own entertainment room. An upstairs bonus room with a bathroom can be used as a game room.

The primary suite, on the opposite end of the house, has a vaulted bedroom and a bathroom with a two-person shower, split vanities and a walk-in-closet that connects to the main laundry room.

A dedicated office in the front of the home offers a quiet retreat for working from home full time, including built-in cabinetry with quartz tops, said homebuilder Mike Riddle.

The custom home was commissioned by the property owners and is not for sale. This is Riddle’s first time participating in the Street of Dreams but he said he has reserved a lot for the 2023 home tour in Sherwood.

If you go

The 2022 NW Natural Street of Dreams home tour in Yamhill County runs through Aug. 14. The four custom homes in Newberg are open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Show hours for the two custom homes in McMinnville are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Tickets are $20 at streetofdreamspdx.com/p/online-tickets. There is a $10 discount for veterans and active-duty military (use promo code VETS22 at checkout) and first responders (checkout code is RESPONDER22).

The Home Builders Foundation, supported by an optional $1 donation from ticket buyers, is renovating the Community Wellness Collective, an overnight shelter in Newberg.

Event parking for the main site is at 15299 N.E. Quarry Road, Newberg. From there, visitors take a five-minute shuttle ride to Rose Pointe Estates. For special requests, call the Show Office at 503-603-4500.

— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

[email protected] | @janeteastman

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