ciao! newport beach: May 2018

May 28, 2018

progress on the she shed...

A major update on my garden shed…

ü the door and moulding is all painted

and just needs small touch-ups.

I’m in love with this glass door knob with

brass backplate…

üso vintage and plays up that chic updated Victorian style.

Here’s the almost final look.

I’ve decided to switch out the light

which is a bit small and not quite the vibe

I’m going for.

üFragrant herbs flank the doorway…

And speaking of herbs, this is one of my faves…

Borage!

ü easy to grow

ü it has edible blue flowers

ü tastes like cucumber!

ü adds charming cottage style to the garden

A peek at the secret path behind the flower bed…

A little surprise...

a teapot bird feeder in the pineapple guava tree.

We have lots of succulents in and around the

garden shed which work perfectly with

the Mediterranean herbs and

flowers we've planted.

⇭

Another fave… snowball viburnum.

And a little snapshot from inside the shed…

It’s becoming a great place to store

my favorite collectables, flea market treasures

and cute garden supplies.

We're almost done renovating,

so I'll keep you posted!

Wishing you a wonderful Memorial Day!

ciao! fabiana

May 25, 2018

The Real Housewives of New York really delivered last night! Were you watching? Do you remember earlier in the season when Bethenny showed off her newest real estate acquisition, a historic Bridgehampton home she wanted to flip? Well, here it is, all dolled up and ready to be rented at $150,000 for the summer!

ciao! fabiana

photo credit: Curbed Hamptons & Page Six

May 20, 2018

home tour highlights

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for Thursday’s home tour.

As you may know I’ve been involved with the Newport Harbor Home Tour for the past six years, so every May we go all out to bring the community one fabulous day of touring homes, lunching high above Newport Harbor, shopping and socializing.

This year we had six amazing homes on the tour, so I wanted to give you a little peek at the different houses and fun shops that were highlighted on the tour.

As you can see the sun was shining and the sky was my favorite shade of blue! The first stop of the day was the Balboa Bay Resort where they served coffee and croissants for all the guests.

While there, we got to tour Anne Michaelson’s darling boat that she recently remodeled and staged with the help of Serena and Lily. (My friend Brenda made all the cushions and some of these nautical-themed pillows!)

Isn't the tablescape cute?

Those Serena & Lily wicker placemats and striped napkins are so fun!

From there, we hopped in the Maserati, oh yeah I forgot to mention that Maserati of Newport Beach loaned us a Maserati Quattroporte to drive around for the day!

let me tell you,

it’s a smooth, fast and luxurious ride!

So after the breakfast reception, we headed down to
the Balboa Peninsula to see our first house.

↓

It’s hard to believe this is a 100 year old house! Located on the bay side of the peninsula, this house is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time! It was recently remodeled in 2017, and every inch of this home is stunning.

The homeowners have an amazing collection of vintage Louis Vuitton trunks and gorgeous coffee table books. I’ll definitely be sharing more pics of this house soon, so for now, lets just take in those views, and how about those herringbone floors!

I can't wait to show you the ceiling that's made from the bottom of an old boat...

I love how a few lemons can really brighten up a whole tablescape! This table was set by Jenni Kayne who has a fabulous shop in Lido Marina Village.

The Kings Road house was next on our list. This one overlooks Newport Harbor from the hill and is directly above the Balboa Bay Resort. Styled by House of Morrison and Molly Wood, this pretty little modern farmhouse is easy, breezy and light.

Just down the street is this traditional Mediterranean stone house with five levels of entertaining options in the back yard. The casita sits at the base of the property in a cozy Tuscan-style garden. The olive trees, bouganvilla and lavender provide just the right ambiance!

And speaking of entertaining options, the Pescador Drive house was built for hosting parties and gatherings. The backyard has views for days, and several tv’s to keep you informed of all the latest sports scores.

These loungers look so comfy!

Ashley Clark describes her design style as a mix of modern, Scandinavian and farmhouse. This family friendly abode is light and airy, super stylish, but you won’t be afraid to kick your feet up and relax.

Here's a peek at her back patio with her swinging rattan chairs, fireplace and tv. This is just one vignette that overlooks the sparkling blue swimming pool.

Raili Clasen has had several homes highlighted on the tour over the last few years, and her latest is even featured in the current issue of Sunset Magazine. She transformed this vintage cottage into what Sunset calls a "Spanish Beach Bungalow".

So fun!

That’s just a little look at the six homes, but the home tour also boasts a fabulous boutique and luncheon. So here's the vibe from this year...

Three amazing local shops also opened their doors for home tour patrons this year…

503 Found, Molly Wood Garden, and House of Morrison were all featured rest stops for the tour and offered light refreshments and discounts on shopping.

503 Found

Molly Wood Garden

House of Morrison

Here are two amazing women, Marena and Marion who have given countless hours of their time to the home tour. We’re all volunteers who coordinate this yearly event as a fundraiser for our local high school, Newport Harbor High School.

The final stop of the day is Barclay Butera Interiors, and you can see this is where Marena and Marion are celebrating. Barclay Butera and his staff go all out hosting this afterparty with lots of yummy catered food and drinks.