Every year, Portland hosts a great Real Estate Event called the Street of Dreams. 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the event, and my first year attending as a realtor! The event runs from August 1st through the 30th, and I attended this past Monday, Realtor's Day.

One thing that set this year apart from other's I have attended was the closer proximity to other homes. The homes are designed and built specifically for the Street of Dreams, which often means they have to be built in fairly remote locations. This year, however, the show was at the Highlands in Lake Oswego, a great location set high on a hill that had gorgeous views of the city.

Another unique feature from this year was the remodeled Shaw house, a gorgeous restored mid-century modern home designed by John Yeon. The designer did a fantastic job of updating the home for modern residents while maintaining the charm and sophistication of the era.

The show features some recurring themes that will be seen in upcoming homes built in the coming year, as well as features that home-owners will covet and strive for. One key trend that I noticed was the focus on the great room, combining the kitchen, living room and dining room into one large, cohesive space. This trend has been emerging for years with the focus on open floor plans, but if the Street of Dreams is any indication, the great room is here to stay.

Another huge trend was an upstairs (or basement level) living space. Perhaps this has to do with the large great room on the main level- there needs to be a living space that is an escape and a little more private.

A few of the other themes at the Street of Dreams were home bars (often in the kitchen and in the upstairs living room), bridge-like upstairs hallways, a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor living spaces, and a large focus on entertaining.

The homes are large and luxurious and may be out of reach for most of us, but walking through and experiencing the gorgeous decorating and fantastic home details is a great way to spend an afternoon and daydream about future homes.

I loved the retro bar in the 1950's remodel.

Probably my favorite home on the tour- the entertaining space was amazing.

A walk-through shower from the bathroom to the closet. How have we lived without this for so long??

Gorgeous, two story living rooms with massive windows were a highlight of the tour.

Can I spend literally all of my time in this bathroom please??

I loved this coffee nook in the kitchen, what a great idea!

A covered patio with copper-chain drapes overlooked the outdoor pond.