Homes away from home
From a modern farmhouse-style home to a Cape Cod-inspired beach cottage, local residents toured nearly every popular style of home in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach Thursday morning.
Eight Costa Mesa and Newport Beach homes opened up to women — and a few men — from all over Orange County for the 17th annual Home and Garden Tour.
The tour benefits the Newport Harbor Educational Foundation, which provides funding for a variety of items and services, such as computers, tutoring and Advanced Placement classes at Newport Harbor High School.
Sharon Kemmer of Long Beach said the draw of the event is simple: People are insatiably interested in other people’s affairs, especially when it comes to their homes.
“Lookie-looing has become an American pastime,” she said. “People always wonder what their neighbors’ houses look like.”
With this knowledge in mind, Harbor parents broke away from traditional fundraising events like school bake sales, instead taking advantage of the unique real estate available in the local coastal communities.
The home tour is one of the main fundraising events for the foundation each year. Last year, the organization raised $125,000 from ticket sales.
This year, they anticipate the event will raise even more.
The eight homes varied in size and décor, and each boasted unique qualities. One Costa Mesa home, which many attendees described as “art deco with a beach vibe,” featured brightly colored pieces of art and a swimming pool with a small waterfall.
A beach cottage inspired home on 15th Street in Newport Beach was a hit for several women looking to decorate their homes in a similar fashion.
“We wanted to get ideas for our own homes,” Amy Jensen of Tustin said of her and her friend Kathryn Lind’s visit to Newport. “We both really enjoy the seaside cottage feel.”
Tickets were $75 per person and included tours of the eight homes, a catered lunch and champagne reception. All profits go to the foundation’s programs at the high school.
Last year, the foundation donated more than $1 million to Harbor, according to the organization’s tax documents.
“There’s an incredible amount of creativity in this community,” said Diana Long, the foundation’s executive director. “This is a great way to celebrate it.”