top eco picks and design tips from eastside eco home tour in los angeles

sunday i attended the eastside eco home tour 2010 hosted by farm feliz and the greater griffith park neighborhood council green committee.  sponsors also included california solar innovations, enrich LA and large marge sustainables.  the tour was free though donations were gladly accepted to help raise money and awareness for the environmental studies magnet at thomas starr king middle school in los angeles.

the highlight for me was a house i've been wanting to check out for a long time and that's the zenergy house in studio city created by the green home specialists residential energy assessment services.  this near zero energy house is a stunning example of how to create a healthier, more durable, and more energy efficient home while respecting the environment and adding value to your property.

here's a roundup of some of my top picks and tips from the house:

greeting me in the front yard were eco-rubber flagstones from eco smart made from 88% post consumer recycled rubber buffing from tires (but they got hot in the sun so install accordingly)

perhaps the easiest no cost solution to improve air quality is to remove shoes before entering your home

green certified copper panels creates shade beautifully by parasoleil

clever LED strip behind a stock metal strip casts a beautiful glow on the backsplash and counter

a clever low cost backsplash solution is a stunning eco wallpaper from madison & grow coated in non-toxic polyurethane

furniture made by ecor, made from 100% recycled materials, that is light-weight, strong, curve-able, formaldehyde-free, non-toxic, 100% recyclable and made in the USA
(photo from duong designs blog)

sun valley bronze's recycled content lever with reclaimed apitong inlay 

pillows by paper-cloud are hand printed with water-based solvent-free ink on 100% linen and 100% organic cotton made in the USA shipped in eco-friendly packaging



an organic fair trade linen company, loop, is another sponsor and i specially love this washable woven blanket 

crafted and finished by hand of wood from plantation sources and shipped in 100% post-consumer packaging by vers

planika's glassfire stone collection uses odorless, smokeless, clean burning, renewable fanola ethanol

the zenergy house website has a lot more information on creating a high performance home including info on windows, hvac, insulation, lighting, appliances, water, solar heating, etc.

eco bridal salon in LEED certified annenberg beach house in santa monica, ca

rachel from eTTa design with organizer and eco floral designer shrene hulugalle

as an eco-friendly interior designer in los angeles, i felt right at home last sunday when i attended a fabulous eco elegant bridal event produced by sherene hulugalle of wisteria lane flower shop at the stunningly preserved marion davies guest house, part of the LEED certified annenberg community beach house in santa monica, ca.  the event benefitted heal the bay and showcased an elegant array of eco-friendly businesses and services since eco can often be presented in a hippie look.  

one of many eco creations from wisteria lane

in every corner of this beautifully preserved historic landmark were sustainable floral creations by wisteria, the event host.  their eco-friendly flowers are either certified organic or veriflora and are locally grown in a manner that's gentle on the earth and safegaurds the well-being of farm workers, wildlife and the ecology.   

i love the combination of succulents with the soft pink roses!

the first clear example of eco elegance were the plethora of gorgeous and romantic dresses from 2 extremely talented designers.  one of them is hanna hartnell with her sumptious hartnell line of dresses!  first of all, she has a certified green bridal salon in santa monica.  secondly, she has a clear passion for preserving the environment through the many organizations for which she volunteers.  thirdly, she creates stunning dresses for weddings and events and even offers men's attire!

hanna hartnell's dreamy eco silk creations

her dresses are made from silk with the cocoons of sustainable silk worms processed and dyed in a complex dye houses that control and recycle the run-off of dye water.  the water's then treated and reused, thus protecting local waters.  also, by lining the dresses in a different silk color, they become reversible so a bride can easily wear her gown after the wedding!

details of lindee's dreamy dresses

the other devine dress line is from lindee daniel who uses peace silk which means the silk worms grow to moths as opposed to dying after its silk making is spun (the traditional silk making practice).  this organic silk is dyed naturally so for example, the blue dress shown here is made from real indigo!

lindee creating a new dress by draping muslin which she gives to a patternmaker who makes the final dress in the final fabrics (note the pink is also muslin as there won't be any pink in the final dress)

another silk fashion resource was the adorable young designer pinky and her lovely hand painted eco scarves from her lark e designs company.

pinky's precious painted silk scarves

delicious food from great catering resources akasha, including exquisite organic cupcakes, and from patina, decadent parfaits and colorful salads.

akasha's adorable yet elegantly adorned cupcakes plus homemade jams and chutneys, perfect for party favors!

patina parfaits and veggies that pop with color!  

delightful stationery ideas presented from lilikoi with an example of their hand operated letter press machine.  also, they use tree-free cotton papers reclaimed from the fabric industry which is recycled and made in the USA, employ hand mixed soy based inks, reuse suppliers' packaging, and save all test sheets and scrap paper.

so much fun pressing my own stationary from lilikoi!

lilikoi's hand-pressed samples

another lovely paper source is copper willow located in a cool creative cooperative in very hip culver city.  they print only on recycled or tree-free paper, use only earth friendly solvents and chemicals and soy-based inks, and practice conservation in all phases of production.

love these clever copper willow flowers!

there were mini makeovers provided by calibella who uses USDA certified organic cosmetics and brushes and also provides personalized nutritional counseling with organic nutritional supplements.  in addition, the organic pharmacy from beverly hills (based in england) was there with their non-toxic skin care products and free makeup applications and tips.  this is no ordinary pharmacy, but is more like the old-fashioned pharmacies and even better, this one is mixed with homeopathic skills so you can get remedies for whatever ails you!

non-toxic makeup from the organic pharmacy in beverly hills

makeup maven christina cardenas from calibella

of course there were also the photographers and i just loved viewing their photo displays!  they all had such unique perspectives yet captured the dreamy romance of weddings.  i especially love the charm and magic captured by miha matei, the natural photojournalism sytle of b&g photography and the true personalities captured by jennifer kelley lublin photography (who so generously caught my image shown here).

thanks to jkl photography for the sweet snap!

also in attendance were the recycled bride, the world's first eco-resale website for brides and their friends.  you can buy, sell and save on designer wedding dresses, decorations, accessories and more!  plus, to help you in the fitness department, was ana caban, the good life guru with health and fitness products to prepare for the big day!


such perfect timing was the environmentally focused art exhibit in the beach house's main building, continuing their until nov 28th.  eleven artists from topanga canyon gallery exhibit work that reflects the land we walk on and the vistas that embrace us - illustrating the diversity of this experience through different artistic lenses and mediums.

fortunato's green idea house historical groundbreaking in hermosa beach, ca

green idea house groundbreaking, hermosa beach, ca

today i was part of history!  and as an eco-friendly interior designer in los angeles, it was extra special to attend the groundbreaking for the green idea house in hermosa beach, ca.  it is a cornerstone case study for southern california edison's net zero energy homes program and home to the fortunato family who have had the vision and commitment to make this renovation a reality along with fred koch of koch development, a design build firm and contributor to natural home magazine.  the event's MC was michael divirgilio, former mayor of hermosa beach who introduced presenters like senator jenny oropeza's office, california state assembly ted lieu's office, hermosa beach mayor peter tucker, marcela oliva, b. arch, m.arch, professor of architecture and environmental design for los angeles trade-technical college, kent peterson, past president of american society of heating, refrigeration and air-conditioning engineers (ASHRAE), and dency nelson, passionate environmentalist, founding member of plug in america, former chair of the hermosa beach green building committee, with a terrific resource, friends for a green hermosa beach eamil.

senator jenny oropeza's office awards certificate of appreciation to the fortunatos

why should we care about net-zero?  well, the california energy efficiency strategic plan states that all new residential construction in california will be zero-net energy by 2020 and all new commercial construction in california will be zero-net energy by 2030.  plus, according to past president of ASHRAE, kent peterson, also very involved in the green idea house, net-zero energy buildings mean:

• dramatic reductions in the US carbon footprint, in ways that support healthy economy
• lower operating costs for building owners and tenants, more competitive US businesses
• more sustainable communities, less strain on power grids, delayed needs for new power generation
• infrastructure
• plentiful domestic energy from a clean new source and buildings that generate power back to the grid

house plans displayed in the garage

how can we accomplish this?  well, to help is savings by design, a program to encourage high-performance nonresidential building design and construction. it's sponsored by four of california's largest utilities under the auspices of the public utilities commission and offers building owners and their design team a wide range of services:

• design assistance 
• owner incentives 
• design team incentives
• energy design resources

some of the others at the grounbreaking and involved in the green idea house include southern california edison's mobile energy unit (MEU).  the MEU promotes energy-efficienty solutions and energy management for residential and business customers.  it showcases SCE programs and services through hands-on interactive demonstrations of how SCE customers can save money and, energy and help the environment.  check the road show calendar to find out where and when you can explore the MEU.

socal edison's MEU interactive bus illustrating money saving and energy conserving solutions.

other green idea house partners i discovered at the event include mediterranean heating and air conditioning, inc who manufacturers and will install solar panels with brand new technology, the building doctors, certified home performance contractor and national gypsum's brand new thermalCORE panels which will maintain a comfortable interior environment as indoor temperatures fluctuate during the day.  

solar study via google's sketchup illustrates a 5' overhang with existing orientation acts like an umbrella in the summer, when the sun rises high in the sky, and lets in passive heat during the winter when the sun rides lower.

the green idea house has brought together such an inspiring group of innovative technology, talented and respected individuals, educators and vendors, committed community members and city officials and passionate environmentalists.  it is a living laboratory to share the process of designing and constructing this green home and how everyone can accomplish the same type of sustainability affordably. bravo!!!!