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

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:

a pre-christmas surprise wedding

Christina ElMoussa of Flip or Flop just announced her marriage to British TV host Ant Anstead yesterday, and I couldn’t be happier!

There was a little something out of the ordinary yesterday… My husband and I were just coming home from a late lunch at The Country Club, a yummy restaurant on 17th street, and noticed like a million cars parked on Santiago, overflowing onto Tustin Avenue and beyond.

Well this explains it! They were there for Christina’s wedding… you see she recently moved in around the corner from us.

Christina also recently shared her collaboration with local interior designer Raili Classen. Raili’s spruced up Christina’s home in the most hip and cool beachy sort of way. Check out these pics from Raili and Christina’s Instagram…

You may recognize Raili from some of my previous posts or from the Newport Harbor Home Tour. She’s had a home featured on the tour almost every year!

That’s not the only Newport Harbor Home Tour connection… You see Christina’s new home was featured on the home tour in 2016 when Shannon from Prairie Home Styling completely renovated it.

So if you were on the home tour in 2016, you technically have been in Christina’s house!

News broke over the summer, that Christina had moved into to this lovely home with the oversized yard and lovely, hip styled interior, but wait… 

the style wasn’t up to snuff with Christina, so an overhaul of the interior was at the top of the list.

Here’s a peek at the light and bright office, redesigned by Raili.

And here’s the before picture,

 as it appeared in HGTV Magazine. 

The master bedroom, as it was in 2016.

And here we are during the Newport Harbor Home Tour in 2016.

One of our earliest meetings at the home was during construction!

I love this birds eye view of the master bedroom from before Christina. I wonder how she’s styled it now!

This home has an amazing backyard that’s so perfect for parties! I can’t wait to see more wedding shots from her newly updated yard.

Here are a couple of exterior shots from our home tour files…

above, during the home tour and 

below when Christina bought the home.

And by the way, you can read more on Raili here and check out a handful of beautiful homes she’s designed.

This is Raili’s Lido Isle home from the 2018 home tour. And speaking of the Newport Harbor Home Tour, mark your calendars for May 16th, the next home tour! 

Our co-chairs Marena and Gina have been busy selecting homes for the tour, and the 2019 home tour promises to be another super fun day!

ciao! fabiana

for lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

Photo credit: 

People Magazine, Christina ElMoussa,

 Raili Classen and Newport Harbor Home Tour.

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