By Lana H. Johnson
Attendees at this year's 13th Annual Newport Harbor High School Home & Garden Tour to be held Thursday, May 13 are in for a real treat. They'll get an inside look at six beautifully decorated homes, one enchanted garden, and a garden design studio & showroom, and enjoy a catered lunch overlooking Newport Harbor, while helping to raise money for local students. The tour, benefiting the Newport Harbor Educational Foundation, starts at Molly Wood Garden Design, 1660 Orange Ave. in Costa Mesa. Tickets are $60 per person, which includes lunch at the Newport Theatre Arts Center. During the luncheon, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., purchase opportunity drawing tickets for your chance to win wonderful shopping sprees, gift cards and certificates, a garden consultation and design, beautiful artwork and a home decor/furnishings package. Specialty boutiques at the luncheon venue will be open until 3 p.m. The homes will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and you can visit them in whatever order you choose. An afternoon reception after the home tour takes place at Barclay Butera from 2 to 5 p.m., located at 1745 Westcliff Drive.
Here's a sneak peek at what you can expect to see! So, go and enjoy the day – all for a great cause.
Molly Wood Garden DesignPicture a charming bungalow nestled in rural 1930s Newport-Mesa, and that's the setting for Molly Wood Garden Design. Based on its namesake, Molly Wood Jeremias, the current site was renovated in 2008, providing a quiet simplicity for all that is home and garden. Since 1995, Molly Wood Garden Design has created award-winning outdoor spaces. The boutique firm has completed more than 500 landscape design projects throughout Orange County, as well as properties in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Diego counties. As you enter, notice the drought-resistant plantings along the street and throughout the front yard. The design showroom showcases stone and paving samples, new and vintage garden ornaments, exclusive furniture and fountains, interior and exterior plants, pottery and other charming treasures. Check out the arrangement bar filled with great Spring ideas.
This Dover Shores home was lovingly restored by the granddaughter./photo, courtesy of Susan RinekThis Dover Shores home has been lovingly restored by its owner, an interior designer, whose grandparents had lived there before her since 1996. She wanted to keep the charm of the house intact while updating it with an eclectic industrial farmhouse feel. Keeping the stone facade, she painted the double front doors bright yellow – signifying hope and happiness. She raised the ceilings, plaster coated the heavily textured walls and painted the living room fireplace in a high black lacquer with hand-applied white tile. The turn-of-the century Chickering grand piano with a working roller player mechanism has been in the family for generations. The industrial farmhouse kitchen has a custom-made zinc hood, large center island with Carrera marble slab and a Turbo Chef oven. The focal point of this room is its used brick fireplace with cooking hearth and faux taxidermy moose. The upstairs great room is light and bright with a bar area that's perfect for entertaining. The master bath features a huge walk-in shower with walls of glass. Other touches include a downstairs study with a vintage camera collection, a cheerful laundry area with an apple green quartz countertop and a hall closet turned wrapping center. Bridget Skinner designed the garden with a large firepit, conversation area, vegetable garden, outdoor kitchen and numerous water features. Indoor florals are courtesy of Andrew Gromeck, Couture Flowers, and the Table top design is by Valerie Schnieders.
This new build in Eastside Costa Mesa is situated on a unique half-acre lot./photo, courtesy of Susan RinekThis Eastside Costa Mesa home was a new build on their unique half-acre lot to accommodate the needs of a growing family. The owners, who are a landscape design contractor and interior designer, opted for a multi-level five bedroom, nine bath home with a three car garage. They situated the house around an existing retro-style swimming pool and spa, then turned the design studio into a pool house and gym, that's become the family hangout. They combined clean, modern lines with warm natural materials. The entire downstairs has dark stained wood floors made from crosscut Douglas fir. There is a large great room with floor to ceiling windows and doors. The gourmet kitchen, with a flexible dining area, features a raised fireplace with cantilevered hearth at the island area, extensive use of Ann Sacks tiles on the wall and used brick with green accent paint on the media wall. They chose two bar height dining tables that can be put together for large gatherings for a more casual dining experience. Upstairs are the bedrooms: three junior designed suites for the children and a spacious master bedroom suite with vaulted ceilings, a modern fireplace, built-in cabinetry and walk-in closet. The exterior has mature fruit trees, tall ficus trees for privacy and a bright purple garage door. The owners did their own interior and landscape design. Table top design is by Bloomingdales - Fashion Island.
This Santa Ana Heights home has been featured in California Home + Design magazine as well as Metropolitan Home./photo, courtesy of Susan RinekStroll through this Santa Ana Heights home, whose owners work for a design and interior architectural firm, and you can see why it received California Home + Design magazine’s 2010 award for Best Interior Design of a home over 3,000 square feet. The owners recently transformed their 1950s ranch house into a stylish and fully functional family residence, furnished with eclectic vintage treasures and contemporary furniture, much of it designed by them. It was chronicled in Metropolitan Home’s December 2009 issue. A mature coral tree graces the front yard, which they remodeled the home around. The residence takes advantage of the indoor/outdoor lifestyle that affords Southern California. The living, dining and recreation rooms all open onto lush lawns and beautiful old trees that surround the house. The family-friendly kitchen is open to the living room and has a window situated over the Waterworks farmhouse sink that looks into the dining room. A loft overlooks the double height recreation room, which incorporates a silver starburst Plug Lighting fixture that is reminiscent of the 1950s and ’60s. Throughout, there is whimsical mix of Art Deco and Asian styles with a vintage chandelier gracing the living/great room. The head of the household loves hanging out in the rec room, where there is a bar, pool table and his guitars. The lady of the house frequently redecorates, changing out the furniture that she either designs herself or buys from antique stores and modernizes. The walls are white, allowing the furnishings and artwork to visually pop. From their travels together, the owners have encountered antique furniture that has inspired their own furniture line. Landscape design and installation by Floralia. Florals by Trey Russell, ARIS. Table top design by Crate & Barrel, South Coast Plaza.
This Lido Isle home has the beach and bay as its front yard./photo, courtesy of Susan RinekWith the beach and bay as the front yard, this idyllic clapboard Lido Isle home is an elegant retreat. The home was co-designed by the lady of the house. The courtyard beckons with soothing sounds from the fountain and lush landscaping. The main level is comprised of white woodwork, a muted palette, wide-planked walnut floors, hints of color and crisp linen upholstery with a mix of antiques. The kitchen, dining room and living room all open onto one another, so each provides endless views of the bay. A patio is situated outside the main living area which extends to their boat docked in a private slip. Walking upstairs, notice the sunlight pouring through the coffered ceiling skylights. The nautical themed-landing is where the two boys enjoy watching their favorite sports. The master suite color scheme is sand and sea inspired. Two guests rooms are located on the other side of the second story, each with their own baths. The owner did her own landscaping in partnership with Jodi Fleming. Florals by Newport Beach Flora. Table top design by Villeroy & Boch, South Coast Plaza. Home accessories, courtesy of Baccarat, South Coast Plaza.
This Cape Cod-style residence located on a Lido Isle strada was designed with year round summer and family in mind./photo, courtesy of Susan RinekThis newly constructed Cape Cod home is situated on an oversized lot on a Lido Isle strada. It was designed with the feel of the summer all year long and with family living in mind. This family's permanent residence is located in Northern California where it is surrounded by vineyards; after vacationing in Newport Beach, the owners decided to build a second home here. In keeping with a beach theme, the designer chose a stained shingle that matched the color of the bay water, and trimmed the house in bright white. The casual and adjoining living and dining rooms provide a spacious, open floor plan. The great room and kitchen open to a beautifully manicured garden, replete with an intimate outdoor seating area, where the family can relax in front of the fireplace. Reminiscent of island living, the walls are painted in different shades or sand and sea, with lots of white and scattered touches of blue. The gourmet chef's kitchen has top-of-the-line appliances including two Bosch dishwashers, two Sub Zeros, a Dacor range, and warming and microwave drawers. Upstairs, the master bedroom has a charming sitting area with a fireplace, and the master bath has stunning gray marble with lots of white woodwork. The guest room is immersed in crisp white linens, and a home office has views of the strada and garden. The landscape is by Nancy Hodgkinson and Jodi Fleming. Florals by The Blooming Branch. Table top design by Gatehouse. Accessories and outdoor furnishings, courtesy of Gatehouse.
This Spanish-contemporary home is reminiscent of early California in its detailing./photo, courtesy of Susan RinekThis classic Spanish-contemporary residence located on a Lido Isle strada recalls early California. The palette of all natural materials includes hand-made tiles, limestone/marble countertops, Spanish pavers, walnut floors, recessed wood windows, a coat closet door which is an 18th century Spanish antique (from the owners' own Spanish door collection business), traditional hand-troweled three coat stucco, a two-piece Redlands clay tile roof, beamed ceilings, stainless steel and copper gutters. There is a charming attached casita. Created with an abundance of windows, the natural light and open floor plan are the perfect backdrop to the owners' eclectic and contemporary art collection; many of the pieces from emerging artists. Leading to the kitchen-great room, take in the sounds from the interior courtyard fountain. The bedrooms and children's playroom is located upstairs. Notice the Chinese dragon artwork in the children's bathroom; it's created by an artist/relative who participated in the Sawdust Art Festival for many years. Florals by Molly Wood Garden Design. Table top design by Studio Chameleon.
This fragrant private garden was designed to be kid friendly./photo, courtesy of Susan RinekEnter this private urban park designed by Christopher Taylor Architectural Landscape Design. The concept of the park is to be exciting, engaging and especially, kid friendly. The family has four children, along with lots of pint-sized relatives and neighborhood friends. A side gate allows the children and their friends easy access between the yards. At each cornerstone of the garden’s main brick pathway, you'll find bronze plaques commemorating each child’s birth, encircled by cobblestones once used for the ballast in ships. Features include clipped boxwood hedges, classic limestone urns and fountain, and a green and white color palette for the plantings. The rear of the garden is set up for casual s’more roasts, campouts and movie watching. The central “park” is perfect for a game of badminton. There is also an opportunity for adults to seek out one of the twin swinging daybeds located under the pergolas with their climbing roses – perfect for a mid-day nap or to catch up with a favorite book. Florals contributing to this fragrant garden include white heliotrope, roses, nicotiana, gardenias and many varieties of jasmine.
Tickets for the Home Tour can be purchased at Feathers & Gatehouse on 17th Street in Costa Mesa, Barclay Butera on Westcliff Drive in Newport Beach and Marmi Shoes in Corona del Mar, or by visiting the website at www.newportharboreducationalfoundation.org.
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Inspirational signage and Italian Fortunata ceramic pottery combine to bring the outdoors in.
White and green botanicals create a nature-inspired look.Gardenology, offering an alternative vision for garden-style living, recently opened its doors in the Westcliff area, inspiring harmony between interior and exterior spaces. The store offers unique furnishings for the home and garden, as well as interior design services. Owner Lili McIntire has operated a second store in Encinitas for the past eight years. Because a percentage of her customers came from Orange County, it made sense to find a location here in Newport.
Neutral-hued organic pillowsIn addition to their custom line of interior upholstered and slipcovered furnishings and organic bedding, linens & pillows, they offer fine European outdoor furnishings from Dedon, Weishaupl and Vincent Sheppard, as well as quality American brands such as Brown Jordan, Summer Classics and Century Leisure.
A dining table crafted from reclaimed wood.To give you an idea of how pieces can be mixed and matched in your home, the store is set up in vignettes, ranging from table top to the dining room, bedroom and outdoor pottery shed. Among the many unique treasures are repurposed wood dining tables with coffee sack upholstered chairs, 100-year-old grain sack pillows, vase-like glass lamps & oversized chandeliers, Fortunata (Italian for "luck") ceramic pottery abletop and servingware, original botanical prints circa 1880, reclaimed wooden shutters and an original bricklayer's table.
A zinc-topped table blends with any style.McIntire shared some tips on how to bring the outdoors in … seamlessly. "One of the easiest ways to bring the outdoors inside is with the liberal use of the color green. I use a lot of white and green botanicals," she said. "Green is nature’s neutral palette. Another great idea is to bring garden items indoors, like French jardinière. I love our zinc-topped tables. They are so durable and blend with any style. Use architectural elements like antique iron garden gates, statuary and window frames as a backdrop in your space."
The potting area of the store beckons creativity."Your outdoor rooms should feel as good as your indoor rooms," McIntire shared. "You won’t regret purchasing quality furniture that lasts a lifetime. You’ll regret buying cheap, disposable 'stuff' that falls apart after one season."
