A tour de force

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- It was no run of the mill peek into the lives of the

rich and famous at this year’s Home and Garden Tour.

Through each and every doorway, there was a conversation piece.

From the “birds nest” house packed with priceless baubles, trinkets

and artwork to the equestrian estate that was straight out of Africa,

there was something for everyone.

Newport Harbor High School’s fourth annual event, which is the

school’s main fund-raiser, gave the 1,200 visitors it catered to more

than a little something to talk about.

Many started the tour spellbound by three local artists who sat in a

fragrant garden and worked their magic on canvas.

In an effort to break up the crowds, others began at the classic

Mediterranean cottage on Lido Isle. Soft lines and muted colors made this

a peaceful retreat. A plethora of prints featuring pears began a theme

that seemed to run through all of the homes.

Besides the priceless artwork each home contained, each featured

pears. There were glass pears, pear prints, plastic pears, even huge

white ceramic pears.

A next stop of the tour was a dynamic modern home in Dover Shores that

transported visitors to a warm paradise with rich wood, dark colors and

bold lines. The interior living space seemed to flow outdoors easily to a

large, cushioned seating area surrounding a stone fire pit and along a

saltwater pool.

While some may prefer the Pablo Picasso that hung in one of the homes

or the 1941 signed Diego Rivera in another, this home boasted four

hand-colored Chagall etchings.

If visitors got no further than the lunch venue, the equestrian ranch,

they got an eyeful. From the breathtaking view of horses through the

glass wall behind a giant fireplace to the startling discovery of the

many creatures that once roamed Africa, it was a sight to see.

The squeamish folk didn’t quite know where to step amid the zebra,

lion and black bear pelts. But the most striking feature was the stuffed

white Siberian tiger atop the grand piano.

“That’s some 80 years old,” Karen Wight, chairwoman of the home tour

and a Daily Pilot columnist, said of the tiger. “It’s a great

conversation piece, which is what you want on a home tour.”

With the proceeds going to support academics at the school, patrons

bought tickets for the opportunity drawing, even after spending $40 on a

tour ticket.

“I’d estimate we raised more than $60,000 for the high school,” Wight

said.

That money will support tutoring programs for all students, academic

enrichment programs, technology and many other programs and perks for

students, including a full-time nurse at the school, said Devon Kelly, a

member of the home tour committee.