Corona del Mar tour offers look inside 6 homes ‘you never want to leave’
The welcome mats are out around Corona del Mar, signifying the yearly home tour for those who would like a glimpse behind the closed, architecturally stunning doors of some of the coastal city’s most beautiful and intriguing homes.
The self-guided 42nd annual Corona del Mar Home Tour, sponsored by Villa Real Estate, will be held Oct. 13 and will feature six homes that have been praised by local builders, architects and designers.
One stop on the tour is the Frandson house, a corner lot south of Pacific Coast Highway that was taken down to the studs last year.
The home’s owners, Jessica and Justin Frandson, fell in love with the property’s scenic views and quiet neighborhood and tried to overlook the aluminum siding, which was falling off the house, and iron gates that were rotting.
The couple saw potential and purchased it in 2008. Their five-month remodel was finished by last Christmas.
“It had great bones,” said Jessica Frandson, founder of Jessica Frandson Design and co-founder of luxury residential staging company Silver Spoon Staging.
As a third generation Orange County resident who was born in Laguna Beach, Frandson said she appreciates the casual vibe of the home but wanted to add timeless and foolproof hardware and furniture styles that never go out of vogue.
The decorating mission, she said, was to suit her family’s every need and mood, and focus on giving each space a particular sensibility, while blending in a personality.
The kitchen’s marble countertops and white subway tiles are to give the home a clean and lasting appeal, she said.
But there’s also a sentimentality to the family home that combines elegance and comfort.
“Some of these pieces I have had since I was in my 20s,” Frandson said, noting the contemporary artwork that adorns the walls.
The living room features a Ralph Lauren chair upholstered in leather and a zebra print. Her father, the founder of household cleaning product Simple Green, gave it to her as a gift.
There are the luxurious pieces, like Frandson’s collection of Hermes scarves that are framed, hung throughout the house or knotted and stored in decorative glass jars.
A Louis Vuitton vintage steamer trunk that Frandson found at the defunct J. Peterman boutique at Fashion Island is set in the foyer.
And most precious to her is a detailed ship model in a display case that sits above a wooden hutch. The custom-built piece was handcrafted by Frandson’s grandfather, Ed Sims, a Laguna Beach ship modeler who was featured at the annual Festival of Arts.
Jessica talked to her daughter, Lauren, about how she would like her bedroom decorated. The result was a glam and tailored feel.
The third-grader’s room, appropriately called the “Pink Palace,” in reference to the mini chandelier and light pink walls, ties in monogrammed pillows and gold-leafed frames.
Adjacent to the daughter’s space is a playroom, fitted with a pink drum set and frames of Lauren’s artwork.
The home’s guest room is described by Frandson as having a masculine feel. She decided to skip the original idea of painting wainscoting white and cover it in a light gray instead.
The backyard features a vegetable garden, water fountain and open seating below a pergola that required a crane for placement on the property.
And since her husband likes to surf and the family enjoys spending time at the beach, Frandson added an outdoor shower with shelves for towels that was conveniently placed next to the laundry room door.
“A home should be elegant, inviting and kid-friendly,” Frandson said. “This will just get better over time. It’s the perfect family home.”
This tour marks Renee Purcifull and Michele Caston’s fifth year of chairing the event together. The two, who both have children at Corona del Mar High, said proceeds from the tour will benefit the school.
“We seek out unique and stylish residences that tell a story about the people who live here and places with yards and gardens that make you never want to leave,” Caston said.
The tour will include a light breakfast, a luncheon by Pascal Olhats at Sherman Library & Gardens, an afternoon reception at Bliss Home & Design and an open house at Villa Real Estate, 2700 E. Coast Hwy., where a drawing will be held for a gift certificate to Fashion Island.
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IF YOU GO
What: Corona del Mar Home Tour
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Will-call pickup will be at Le Pain Quotidien, Fashion Island, 401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach
Cost: $80
Information: Visit cdmhometour.com