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.