97 Laguna Beach Charm House Tour
DR DAVID ROSENMAN
G'day Travel-Lers, Each year I get asked about this event, so here's
the pertinent information.
Cheers, David/SoCal
Village Laguna To Hold 25h Annual Charm House Tour
Five of these enchanting homes will be on display Sunday, May 18th
as part of "Restoration Celebration", the theme of 25th Annual
Village Laguna Charm House Tour. The Charm Homes will be open for
viewing from noon to 4:30 p.m. Displaying a delightful diversity
that exemplifies Laguna Beach, each homesite in rich in history and
unique in quality. Moreover, these homes reveal the passions and
loves of their owners, and are also valued for their important
contribution to village character.
This is event is capacity controlled and only a limited number of
tickets are sold for the Tour.
Based on previous years experience, it is strongly recommended that
tickets should be purchased in advance by calling (714) 455-3348.
The remaining tickets, if available, will be sold starting at 11:30 a.
m. at the Tour Staging Area, the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts
Grounds on Laguna Canyon Road (S.R. 193) <across the street from the
Sawdust Festival>. Parking is available on the day of the Tour in
the vicinity of the staging area for the Tour.
Tickets are $25 the day of the Tour. For reservations or further
information, please call (714) 455-3348.
Abbreviated descriptions of two of the five homes on the Tour appear
below. (Some information omitted to protect the owner's privacy.)
House 1 - Royally Romancing The Sea (early 1940s)
Brimming with history and located on one of the most beautiful
promontories in all of California, this home was built just before
America entered WW II. The owner has enjoyed a special relationship
with Moss Point for over 50 years.
Reflecting East Coast Influences, the large estate home has both an
attic and basement - rare commodities in Laguna Beach. Inside the
home, beautiful art works surround you. In the dining room with its
stunning view of crashing waves on famed Victoria Beach, a Delacroix
reveals a turbulent sea. A Turner seascape and Morland landscape
grace the living room.
These paintings join many portraits which feature the owner's
ancestors. An especially lovely portrait of her grandmother, who was
a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, adorns a wall leading to the
study. A cousin of her mother was England's Archbishop of Canterbury.
In the study are many framed photos with English royalty and
dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth and the Lord Mayor of London....
Adorning the living room floor is a hundred year old pale green
Chinese rug which was once washed in the Yang Tse River. A Steinway
& Sons piano is laden with more family portraits andphotos. When the
owner contacted the venerable piano maker to restore its faded logo,
the firm asked for the piano's serial number. When she gave it to
them, they were flabbergasted, exclaiming: "Oh, my! We've been
trying to trace that piano for years!. It was built before the Civil
War and is one of the earliest Steinways.
Upstairs is the "Daphne du Maurier" bedroom. You willl soon see why.
Gorgeous Ocean Front
This owner has done a great deal to enhance the beauty of Laguna
Beach. If you have ever enjoyed our famed "Window To The Sea" Main
Beach Park, you have enjoyed his efforts. He is a long time Laguna
Beach businessman and civic leader. He is the proprietor of an well
know Asian Antique and Import Shop located on Pacific Coast Highway,
and is an avid Asian traveller and tour host extradordinaire.
His passion for Asian art is abundantly evident in this beautiful
oceanfront home which enjoys breath taking views of historic Villa
Rockledge and Victoria Beach to the South, and legendary Moss Point
to the North. A seventy year old Torrey Pine frames the views from
the living room and dining room. A guest cottage occupies the
grounds above the swimming pool.
Filled with treasures and museum quality pieces given to the owner by
friends and dignitaries in the Far East, this home reflects some of
the diverse and esoteric interests enjoyed by Lagunans. The owner
tells us that many of his paintings date back to the Tang Dynasty in
Seventh Century style.
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