Balboa Island homes, decked out for holidays, open their doors for annual walking tour
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After living in their newly reconstructed Balboa Island coastal dream house for more than a year, Martha and Doug Kerstner are ready to open their doors to the visiting public, just in time for the holidays.
The Crystal Avenue residence is one of eight fully decorated homes featured in the 27th annual Balboa Island Holiday Home Walking Tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 13.
Presented by the Balboa Island Improvement Assn., the self-guided tour provides ticketholders with a map that allows them to take a peek inside participating properties and their various scenes of wintertime splendor.
The Kerstner’s newly designed 2,500-square-foot, three-story contemporary sits on a parcel previously occupied by a 1934 shingled beach cottage. Its top level features a roof deck designed to maximize square footage within the limited lot space.
When planning the extensive remodel, the couple leaned on their own professional experience to get the job done, said Martha Kerstner, who has a background in interior design. They made it a family affair by soliciting help from the grandchildren.
“My husband, who works in property management, also has a contractor’s license and did the tongue and groove finish work on the walls, along with the plumbing in the house,” Martha Kerstner explained.
“Before we tore down the old house we let the grandkids come over and have a demo day where they could spray paint or color on the walls with crayons and markers or paint. The boys had hammers and got to hammer on the walls.”
The other seven island homes on display next weekend are a delightful mix of original cottages and new builds.
One residence, on the west end of the big island, is a decades-old house with a peek-a-boo view of the harbor, purchased in 2022 by the current owners, who made a promise to the sellers that they would not tear it down. They honored that agreement during the remodeling, bringing the house up to present-day standards while preserving the charm of the past.
Another interior standout on this year’s home tour features a smattering of stained glass accent windows and a floor-to-ceiling wall of repurposed brick containing a vintage fireplace with a reclaimed wooden mantel.
Nearby, on an inside mid-island lot, the historic charm of an updated 1938 cottage has been preserved, with rich evidence of craftsmanship appearing in its hardwood floors, crystal door knobs and a semi-circular fireplace.
Historic photos lining the original plaster walls tell the story of Balboa Island’s past, providing a local history lesson to all those who visit the converted vacation rental.
One property — which had a brush with pop culture fame in 2022, when its transformation was broadcast on HGTV’s “The Flipping El Moussas” — is a 1921 three-room, 2,240-square-foot cottage that blends elements of past and present and which recently sold in January.
Another is a waterfront Cape Cod renovated in 2020 with an open concept design after the 1940s original cottage was rebuilt from the studs in 2008. A highlight is a set of stacking glass doors that open to approximately 30 feet of frontage overlooking Newport Harbor, providing an unobstructed view of the Balboa Pavilion.
On the opposite side of the island sits a storied location where a Hollywood couple entertained Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood and even Elvis Presley, among other celebrities. The original cottage was a tiny 1946 beach house the couple demolished in the 1950s and rebuilt into the home that still stands today.
The 27th annual Balboa Island Holiday Home Walking Tour takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 13. Tickets are $50 at biia.org/holiday-home-tour/ and at Crush Clothing, the Museum and Sunny Days. Off-Island tickets are available at Bliss Home Design, Seaside Gallery & Goods and Where’s the Party.
