This home won the 2024 Home Decorating contest.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
When judges stopped to look at the decorations at the Borgesons’ home on Ocampo, Judge Steve Guttenberg (actor, author and former honorary mayor) said, “It’s so festive. It has such joy and happiness and it’s patriotic.”
There was bunting, flags, a festive Uncle Sam lawn ornament, red and white ball lights and a little sign in the front.
“The sign says America, so I know where I am,” Guttenberg said. “This a very nice one.”
And after the votes were tallied, Guttenberg said about Ocampo, “It’s great, it was my first choice.”
David, Pat and Bentleigh Borgeson’s residence on Ocampo is decorated every Christmas and 4th of July. The decorations are always done in a tasteful manner, but also joyous and capture the spirit of the season, but this is the first time they’ve ever entered their home in a contest.
“We’re not really into contests,” said Pat who is from Canada. “We’re just into the 4th of July. Dave loves this country and taught us to love the country.”
Dave, who is originally from New Jersey, served in Vietnam. He is a member of the Ronald Reagan American Legion Post 283. Pat and daughter Bentleigh, are members of Post 283 Auxiliary.
She said that Joan Sather [the late and former sponsor of the contest] always wanted the family to enter. Palisades Americanism Parade Association Board member Rob Weber wanted them to enter.
So, this year to help support the annual contest, Pat said, “Sure, we’ll enter.”
Decorating is a family affair, with adult children Greg and Bentleigh helping. “My brother helped hang the bunting,” Bentleigh said. “I did the flags around the house.”
Perhaps the only dispute in the family about decorating is the timing. “Dave likes to put up the decorations early,” Pat said. Christmas decorations go up in the beginning of December and the 4th decorations were up about three weeks early.
The couple will celebrate their 53rd anniversary in November.
Initially Pat was engaged to a doctor who was doing a residency in L.A. County, and she began teaching special education at a private school in the valley.
When the engagement broke off, she met Dave at a party he was giving in his West L.A. apartment – “his parties were legendary,” Pat said.
He must have been shocked when at the party, Pat asked if she could borrow a book on ecology. “The next night he asked me out,” she said.
They were married in 1971, purchasing a home on Iliff in 1972 for $49,000.
“I was looking for a house before we were married,” Dave said, and discovered Pacific Palisades because “a friend from New Jersey live in the Palisades.”
Their two children were born while they lived on the Alphabet Streets: the family moved to the Huntington Palisades in 1976.
While in the Army, Dave was an aerial rocket artillery pilot and earned a Distinguished Flying Cross during his tour of duty (1965-1968). He was shot down and escaped as the sole survivor from the wreck. He spent six weeks in a hospital in Okinawa, before returning to fly with the Black Cats of Phu Loi for the remainder of his tour click here.
After his service with the Army, Dave worked in sales for several companies including IBM, Science Dynamics and Memorex.
Pat transferred from teaching to sales. She started with Waterford crystals, then went to work for Lalique, a French luxury glassmaker, founded in 1888. She was the regional manager when she retired.
Pat, Dave and Bentleigh play bocce on the Pompeii team and Pat is a pickleball aficionado.
When asked if they have any decorating tips, Dave said “start early, and bunting is kind of easy.”
Pat added, “Have decorations that represent America’s freedoms.”
Bentleigh, who was the number one tennis player at Palisades High School when she attended, added that everyone should decorate because, “the more competition, the more exciting!”
The Borgeson family captured first.
Congratulations to all the Borgesons! Beautiful house!