Marena's home in Better Homes & Gardens

I recently found some old issues of

Better Homes & Gardens magazines and

took the afternoon to skim through them.

In the August 2010 copy,

I was pleasantly surprised to see

my friend Marena's home featured!

Marena is one of the co-chairs for the 

Newport Harbor Home Tour and her home

has always been one of my favorites.

It's so cozy and fun! She decorated it with

the help of a few other talented friends

and the outcome is just a great casual

family home with a definite California vibe!

See for yourself...    

Marena with Charlie, Trudy & Leah 

a fresh take on a center hall table 

I love the crisp white kitchen with a vintage feel

the cozy breakfast nook is perfect for dining & homework

Love the chairs and fun sunburst mirror!

August 2010

ciao! fabiana

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

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.

We had the best time!

 ciao! fabiana

For more Newport Harbor Home Tour inspiration,
check out this brand new book:

today's home tour vignettes

A few of my favorite looks from Thursday’s

Newport Harbor Home Tour,

via Instagram.

Here's how I started the day...

sweet little pink room by Kelly Nutt Design

s is for spectacular! via newport harbor home tour

finishing touches are so important! via Kelly Nutt Design

perfectly bright family kitchen by Prairie Home Styling

just the right amount of mid-century chic 
by Prairie Home Styling

different room, same hip vibe by Prairie Home Styling

eclectic style at the Wilkins home, via 503found 

styling and decor by Prairie Home Styling & 503found

hallway to heaven via Graystone Custom Builders

beautiful kitchen and barstools via Kelly Nutt Design

gorgeous counterscape via Kelly Nutt Design

dream kitchen by Patterson Custom Homes

shelfie wall by Sasha Dudley & Prairie Home Styling

another pretty shelfie by Kelly Nutt Design

fresh seashell wall fountain by Molly Wood Garden

springtime window box vignette by Marena Padden

my favorite backyard oasis by Prairie Home Styling

ciao! fabiana

💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 

You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”.

By the way, this amazing book Contemporary Cottages features this home as it was seen on the Newport Harbor Home tour designed by Shannon Wilkins and it also features a really cool beach house designed by Raili Clasen.

In fact, this new book features several homes by some of my favorite local designers. Check it out here:

home tour : modern cape cod style

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite homes from last week’s Newport Harbor Home Tour. Actually, I have several favorites and will share the others soon. 

This one in particular is a great mix of Cape Cod and California coastal styles. Located on Lido Isle this water-front home captures the laid back casual style that's perfect here in Newport Beach. 

The mostly neutral palette and the use of natural materials, such as Carrara marble, limestone, soapstone and flagstone create an organic and comfortable vibe you get as you enter the home. 

A glossy black door greets you as you arrive.   

Inside, the home is a great mix of streamlined traditional furnishings with some fun modern accessories such as the lucite ottomans. 

I love the simple styling of the mid-century inspired coffee table.  It fits in perfectly with the antiques and newer pieces. 

A light and bright hallway leads the way. 

Everyone fell in love with this giant "S"
.

It's such a bold statement against the bead board walls.

This cozy seating area is a favorite spot for the homeowners.

 I guess I love things lined up symmetrically,

because this is my favorite sitting area in the home!

Crisp white tiles and marble are perfect in the kitchen.

The powder room features this gorgeous patterned wallcovering.

This chandelier reminds be of a sea urchin!

The beach bathroom is embedded with real seashells!

I love the color palette in the master bedroom too!

Gorgeous antique lighting can be seen throughout the home.

This craft room is a favorite room in the house,

especially for the grandkids who love to create their own artwork. 

The upstairs laundry room features a pressed tin back splash.

And thanks to my friend Marena 

(also a home tour committee member) 

who snapped this pretty photo in the courtyard. 

other photos by our home tour photographer Susan! 

ciao! fabiana

💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 

You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”.

For more Newport Harbor Home Tour inspiration,
check out this brand new book: