Finding inspiration in homes from the Seattle Street of Dreams

Some people actually live in homes where warming drawers keep their towels toasty for chilly post-shower moments.

The rest of us can only gawk and dream — which is the point, really, of the Seattle Street of Dreams. The event opens its custom doors to the public today in Sammamish.

For the next five weeks, visitors can saunter through six estates and fantasize about life in these 5,200- to 11,000-plus-square-foot homes complete with such luxuries as indoor basketball courts, gourmet outdoor kitchens, huge wine cellars and stunning lake views.

While it's true that it does take a few million bucks to buy on this block, go for the dozens of décor and design ideas for your own home.

We checked out two houses on the Seattle Street of Dreams: Casa Montecito, which was built with eco-friendly materials, and Twin Cedars Lodge, which Costco Home decorated with affordable furnishings.

Casa Montecito — built green

It's easy to get caught up in this Santa Barbara Mission-style home's central wine cellar, the turret entryway and the spectacular master bath with the wondrous towel warming drawer. The 7,040-square-foot Casa Montecito features a catering kitchen off the dining room and even an au pair suite.

But this house also is "Built Green" certified, which means the builders use environmentally friendly building practices and materials, and the house is designed to run more efficiently with systems like radiant heat flooring.

Faith Sheridan of Faith Sheridan Interior Design included environmentally friendly materials such as composite countertops made from recycled materials, sustainable South American pear wood for the floors and American Clay wall plaster, which contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Sheridan added other designer touches, of course, outfitting the sitting room with a taupe silk sofa, a Spanish-style settee and a Lucite end table. A gold-leaf table is paired with French Bergere chairs with worn, painted wood.

"It's not overly fussy, but it's elegant," she said.

Twin Cedars Lodge —

a Costco Home dream

Visitors can get down to reality — for the Street of Dreams, that is — at the Twin Cedars Lodge, which was furnished by Costco Home in Kirkland.

Though the four-bedroom, 5,200-square-foot house features seven bathrooms, dining room walls displaying a floor-to-ceiling custom mural of the Cascade Mountains, and an indoor basketball court, the embossed leather sofa in the living room, for example, costs just $1,299.99 at Costco Home.

"We wanted to keep it Northwest, casual and elegant without being too kitschy," said Adrienne Blomgren, Costco Home marketing manager who designed the home's décor.

Blomgren and co-designer Janelle Didericksen added soft turquoise accents to complement the great room's earth tones with items like the striped Redford chair ($499.99) and blue vases ($39.99-$44.99). The black four-poster queen bed ($599.99) in one bedroom adds sophistication to lavender walls, and mirrored storage cubes ($119.99 each) spice up the girlish décor. Branches, pine cones and stones add natural touches throughout.

The rest of the street

Other homes on the street include the neo-classical Eastern Seaboard home named Verandah Bay, the English country home Kensington Manor, a farm-style home called Hillcrest Farm and the largest-ever Seattle Street of Dreams home called The Retreat at Waters Edge, which tops out at 11,032 square feet.

Most of the homes are for sale, with prices ranging from $3.8 million to $5 million (not including furnishings).

The Seattle Street of Dreams, which started in 1983, brings together builders, designers, architects, craftsmen and landscapers to create luxury homes with the latest in technology and home design.

The public votes on their favorites and the winners are announced near the end of the show.

Nicole Tsong: 206-464-2150 or ntsong@seattletimes.com