Builders are eager to hear the public's response to the luxury homes they have been working hard to get ready for the 43th Annual NW Natural Street of Dreams home tour, which runs July 28 through Aug. 26 in South Hillsboro.

On opening day, builder M.J. Boyle of Empty Nest Tiny Homes was relaxed and laughing as people reacted to her dwelling, which is a fraction of the size of the six monster-size houses on the tour.

"Awww, it feels really big actually," said one visitor.

"It's just my size," said a 3-year-old.

Boyle's tiny house on wheels has only 204 square feet of living space, which is about the size of a master bathroom in the other houses that span as much as 5,420 square feet.

The tiny house expert and longtime Street of Dreams builder Gerald Rowlett of Westlake Development Group led a team of volunteers and donors to create the one-of-a-kind mobile home equipped with top-tier materials and products.

The modern home, valued at $140,000, will be auctioned off to raise money for veterans' organizations including Forward Assist, which helps veterans with PTSD, and Remembering America's Heroes.

You can bid on what's being dubbed a "mini mansion" at tinyhousewithabigdream.com through Aug. 28.

This is the first time the Street of Dreams has included a tiny house on wheels.

On Saturday, Boyle answered questions from people expecting to encounter giant great rooms and colossal kitchens. Instead, one woman wondered, "Where do I put my clothes?"

Boyle pointed out that there is almost 50 cubic feet of storage under the queen-size bed. "It easily lifts and closes with the use of air shocks," Boyle said.

Another visitor was excited about counter space in the bathroom. Boyle demonstrated that although the counter looks like a typical cubbie cabinet, the 36-inch-tall door swings down over the toilet to connect to the opposite wall.

Lookyloos were also surprised to find there's a flushing toilet and tiled shower as well as air conditioning, security system and built-in vacuum. Posh elements include handmade fused glass art panels, French-style patio doors and a swivel mounted wireless TV.

Appliances can run on propane when off the grid, and also natural gas, which Boyle says is a tiny house first.

If you're designing a compact space, whether it's a small room or a tiny house, builder M.J. Boyle offers these tips:

Top three tricks to make a small space efficient:

Balance the decor: I don't use overhead cabinets or bulky furniture that is visually heavy and make the space feel closed in. In this house, I used a vertically heavy, recycled barn-wood accent wall in the bedroom and the living room to balance the textures and take away a bit of the standing-in-an-all-white-box feel.

Dramatic use of color: While I love light and airy, it can be overused and boring, so I use color to guide the eye and highlight features throughout the space; like a non-verbal tour guide: "Oh look at that...and that...and over there...and up there!"

Functional items double as art: I often use funky or unique coat hooks and fun, nontraditional styles of tables, and mount nontraditional sconces on the walls instead of using lamps. In this house, the architecture of the high ceilings with fans is practically art itself. High ceilings also make a small space look and feel spacious (see more tips below).

Top three tricks to make a small space look and feel spacious

Windows, windows, and more windows: When standing in a small space with big windows, the walls don't feel like they stop a few feet from you since you see the outside from wherever you are. It's a tricky balance though. Too many windows and you lose precious vertical storage space and feel like you're in a fishbowl.

Intentional sporadic use of decor on vertical and horizontal spaces: In tiny house decor, you can't put stuff on every horizontal surface as you can in big houses. It feels cluttered really fast.

Ambient, functional, and dramatic light: A lot of strategically placed light is key to a space that feels light, bright and open.

The NW Natural Street of Dreams home tour, produced by the Home Builders Association of Metro Portland, will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily July 28 through Aug. 26 at the Vendage master planned community at the Reserve Golf Club at Southeast Century Boulevard and Southeast Provence Street ($20, 503-684-1880, streetofdreamspdx.com).

Big Dream Team partners, collaborators, sponsors and donors

More than 50 companies donating their time, labor, and materials and there were more than 130 volunteers giving thousands of hours of labor and design:



All Fuel gas fireplace installation

Barrel Craft Studios

Bliss Roofing

Camps Lumber

Chown Hardware

Complete Exteriors

Countryside Painting

Delta

DT Glass

Elite Bath

Farmington Gardens

Fireside Home Solutions

Fisher and Paykel kitchen and laundry appliances

Gary's Vacuflo

George Morlan Plumbing Supply

Globe Lighting

Gotcha' Covered window treatments

Karla Elvis Glass Design

Lakeside Lumber

Lippold Plumbing

Macadam Floor and Design

Marvin Windows

Medallion Industries

Media & Image Consulting

NW Natural

On Electric

Oregon Custom Cabinets

Parklane Mattress

Pat Fitzgerald

Pro-Finish Painting

Rinnai tankless water heater

Sherwin Williams

Standard TV and Appliance

Taylor Metal

Tiffany Home Design

Tiny Innovations

Tone Proper Mastering

Trantel Heating and Cooling

Urban Pillow Co.

Westside Drywall

Wyckam custom fabric Shade Sails

--Janet Eastman | 503-799-8739

jeastman@oregonian.com