Street of fantasies

DH and I went to the annual Street of Dreams, where local contractors develop a largish plot of land with several  million-dollar houses to show off the latest designs and doodads.  This year we are seeing a lot of water features, both indoor and outdoor.  Trickling steams and plashing falls in every garden.  Sophisticated fountains, many combined with gas fireplaces in the great room or the bathroom.   And speaking of gas fireplaces, a two-sided one appeared in EVERY house.  I was rather taken with the two-sided fire separating the entry from the great room, though I wonder if anyone actually uses those great rooms. High vaulted ceilings and furniture floating like an island on the sea of hardwood flooring.   It's a kind of conspicuous consumption.  We can afford this great big show-place of a room that we never actually use because it's really not all that comfortable.

Last year, bamboo was VERY big.  This year, it's cherry, though a more modern house did have some lovely bleached pine.

Color: What are designers thinking to use gray in the Pacific Northwest? It may be tres chic, but it's what we get for weather 9 months a year, and we want something warm and cozy to counteract it. Pinky browns and yellowy tans are a lot more welcome.  Everyone was mad for metallic all over, but again, the silver bedroom wall was just too cold for this area.  Copper tints are what we need here.

Previous years have featured separate media rooms with the full on giant screen TV, surround sound, rocking theatre seating and a popcorn machine.  The closest we saw this year was a TV and game room in a basement with a small kitchen attached.  Actually, it would probably make a great teenagers' hangout.

Every year I ask myself, "What were they thinking?" This year, one home featured a bedroom set up with twin beds, a boyish rustic sort of theme that might be suitable for a twelve-year-old but would be scorned by a 14-year-old, and a full wet bar with built-in wine cooler.  WTF?

I fell in love with a cast brass bathtub.  It looks like the sort of thing some Roman matron might set up in the summer villa.  I tried it on for size and oh, my it was wonderful!  Our house would probably need structural reinforcement to support the weight.

Why do they make a stove backsplash with fancy 3-d tiles when you know it's just going to collect cooking grease and need to be cleaned by someone actually sitting on the stove with a toothbrush?  In fact, what's with this great love affair with tile anyhow?  The modern solid floorings and countertops are easy to maintain and by the time they start to show wear, you'll be wanting to remodel anyhow.

The only thing I came away longing for was a big pantry with a gazillion shelves.  If I actually had a place for everything, I might stand a chance of getting everything into its place.  Failing that, I want a support staff to follow me around and tidy up my messes.

Wow, could I have written a more boring blog post?