Playhouses with art and soul

If you haven’t wandered through Fashion Island lately, you are

missing out on an extraordinary home tour. That’s right, a home tour.

And it’s free, no tickets required. You can wander around in your own

shoes, eat an Auntie Anne’s cinnamon sugar pretzel without guilt, and

bring your beloved Rover on a leash or the kids in the stroller. No

one will care.

Sound too good to be true? It depends on the audience. If you are

shorter than 4-feet, these creations are the ultimate dream

fulfilled. If you’re a big person you are entitled to a brief moment

of jealousy. Then it’s time to move on to appreciation for the

imaginative themes and stunning craftsmanship. Inventiveness is in

abundant supply for 11th annual Project Playhouse, which benefits

HomeAid Orange County.

Dozens of generous building professionals have collaborated to

raise the roofs and raise the funds to “build hope” for men, women

and children who are temporarily homeless. Fashion Island has 12

fairy tale creations (and one ultra-cool doghouse) that will be

auctioned off on Oct. 12. The Auction Party begins in Fashion Island,

near Bloomingdale’s, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available by calling

(949) 553-9510.

But in the meantime, let’s talk about the houses on display. It

takes a big dose of “wow” to leave me speechless, and this year’s

creations did just that.

With names like Rascal’s Clubhouse, Fanta-Sea, Hobbit Habitat and

La Belle Maison, you can expect a visual feast.

The American Pie house gives “down-sizing” a fresh attitude. This

house is right out of “Father of the Bride” in small scale. White

siding, black wooden shutters, dormer windows topping off the second

story and a cozy porch make this playhouse charming.

Since mermaids are a personal favorite, the Fanta-Sea creation was

right up my alley (or should I say lane line). The stucco exterior is

hand-painted to replicate the flora and fauna of the ocean floor. The

shingled roof is interwoven with sand dollars. The windows are

portholes.

A copper mermaid weathervane floats on top of a tower and there is

a rooftop patio for alfresco snacking. The interior has a built-in TV

and VCR, a clamshell bed frame and sand-finished floor tiles. Any

little mermaid would be happy to call this playhouse home.

If Middle-earth sounds familiar, you will love the Hobbit Habitat

from J. R. R. Tolkein’s “The Lord of the Rings.” Hobbits will love

this fantasy house with a circular spinning door, barrel-vaulted

ceilings, and a wooden staircase that leads up to a lookout tower. A

slide offers an alternative to climbing down the stairs.

The Rascal’s Clubhouse comes with it’s own magnificent tree. Think

Swiss Family Robinson in small scale. With a rope ladder, tire swing

and slide, this is a perfect hide-away for any little rapscallion.

The Newport Beach Firefighter’s Association and local sponsors

have created a replica of New York City’s Rescue 2 Fire House. The

structure has a brick facade and a permanent Dalmatian to greet

little rescuers. Inside there is a fire/rescue motorized apparatus,

two-way walkie-talkies, loft with a satellite dish, TV, DVD player

and a fire pole. The firehouse kitchen includes a refrigerator.

There is something for everyone on this home tour, even the dog,

or should I say Dawg, as in Dawg-House. This retro-futuristic

doghouse has Plexiglas windows, simulated steel beams, an angled roof

and stacked-stone columns. Life is “ruff”.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Sundays.