Couple opens up home for Balboa tour

NEWPORT BEACH — To Doug and Carol Hanes, the idea of entertaining 2,000 guests in their two-story Balboa Island home is not worth sweating about.

Although thousands of visitors will troop through their residence from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 11 during the 15th annual Balboa Island Holiday Home Walking Tour, the couple couldn't be more pleased to be helping out their new community.

"We're trying to do everything we can here on the island, shopping and eating and anything else we can to support the island," Carol Hanes said.

The Hanes moved from Calabasas to their newly built home on Pearl Avenue in March. The house, which features three bedrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows and a 500-square-foot rooftop deck with a built-in barbecue overlooking the harbor, took about 11 months for Van Cleve Construction, a local company, and architect John Morgan to complete.

Carol Hanes, an interior designer, worked with Los Angeles-based design firm Barclay Butera to create a "cottage in Cape Cod" atmosphere, using light ocean colors — such as "clear to cea" blue kitchen walls — and red accents to provide warmth and comfort.

The Hanes' home will be one of eight that range from original structures built in the early 1900s to new, multistory bayfront homes. All are decked out in holiday cheer for the tour.

"It's exciting," Doug Hanes said of the home tour and others in Newport Beach he and his wife have participated in over the years.

"It puts everyone in the holiday mood," he continued.

Tickets are $25 and at Balboa Island stores Even Sisters, Island Home, Martha's Bookstore, the Persimmon Tree and the Gift Box.

During the event, Marine Avenue businesses will also host a Christmas Walk with special promotions and entertainment provided by participating vendors, said Balboa Island Improvement Assn. co-Chairwoman Gail Vasterling.

The event is the primary fundraiser of the year for the association, which takes charge of decorating the community for the holiday season and funds events such as the annual Balboa Island Parade in June.

Although new to the island, the Hanes signed up right away to be a part of the voluntary association.

"They do a great job of keeping the island fresh and inviting," Doug Hanes said.

sarah.peters@latimes.com

Twitter: @speters01