When people say all politicians are the same, we know they must not know Eric Garcetti. He's not only our City Council President, but also an extremely active participant online (you'll occasionally see him chime in on local LA blogs, listening to his constituency). What we didn't know until now was that Garcetti is also a subscriber of modernist, eco-friendly architecture. His 1950's renovated Echo Park home recently featured in Dwell sports green features such as a tankless water heater, solar paneling, closet doors made of recycled plastic, bamboo flooring and painted with low VOC paints...
Eric Garcetti's Green Echo Park Home
"The main objective with the renovation was to make the house as energy efficient and nontoxic as possible. The house does have air-conditioning, but they maximized cross ventilation by installing windows on all sides. They installed a tankless water heater and solar paneling on the flat roof, which provides 50 percent of their energy; they laid bamboo flooring on the second level, built closet doors of recycled plastic, and constructed decks out of sustainable wood treated with nontoxic sealant. No-VOC Yolo paints were used throughout the house. And, at around 2,000 square feet, they kept the whole project a relatively modest size.
Not unlike the home itself, the furnishings embody livability rather than perfection. Several of the pieces are hand-me-downs from Garcetti’s parents. (Gil Garcetti was the district attorney for the City of Los Angeles and now photographs art, architecture, and cultural subjects; Sukey Roth Garcetti headed up a local charitable foundation.) The family grew up in Encino in the San Fernando Valley, in a thoroughly contemporary home. “It was nice growing up with modernist parents,” says Garcetti, pointing out the metal dining chairs with vinyl padding which he used every day as a child."
How can we not but support a representative who also loves modernist and green sensibilities? Read the rest of the excellent interview and article at Dwell.
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That Mr. Garcetti has got some style. He can also belt out the National Anthem and is a proud LA Derby Doll fan:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rinkrat/2544520316/
view pudgy-girl's profile
I didn't know Garcetti had such good taste!
view polychrome1's profile
Does the dining window look out onto a rocky cliff or is that a piece of art? Stunning!
view Danger Dorge's profile
Danger--it's a mirror--check out the light.
But that first sentence nearly made me hurl:
Los Angeles is not all mini-malls and highways.
And San Francisco isn't just cable cars and bums.
view Palmetto's profile
Oh, he has a RAV4 EV. Sigh.
Danger, it's a rocky hillside. I wondered too...the picture on the left shows the dining room in the background and both the larger and smaller windows looking on to the hillside.
It also states in the article:
"We took down walls and eliminated a bathroom where the dining table now sits, and we cut large holes in the back of the house to make the connection to landscape and nature beyond....For example, the windows upstairs could not be as large and low as the originals downstairs, and when they added to the second floor they had to cut back the rocky hill to create a safe distance."
Also:
"In addition to their own yard, the couple acquired two steep, unbuildable adjoining lots."
And there is another image at the article that shows a stairway leading up to the house.
The image of the outside entertaining area has a hillside on the side with the seating. The sun is just above and behind the house to angle in just so. They appear to be very close to the top of a ridge.
Very nicely done. Wonderfully relaxed color scheme in tune with nature, without being bland. Plenty of contrast in texture and finish. Would love to see more of the home.
view TRUE BLUE's profile
I'm dig those grey office chairs turned dining chairs. Looks sleek and totally works.
view nestinteriors's profile
Thanks True Blue. As a NYC dweller with a view of the backside of another building it kind of blows my mind to have a window looking at something so natural and beautiful!
view Danger Dorge's profile
so not only is he hot, but he's got good taste, too?! *sigh*
view sophisticatedsoul's profile
Nestinteriors, I like those chairs too. I always look at "unusual" sources for ideas. Office supplies. And I even found something really cool last night at a beauty salon place online:
http://www.rem.co.uk/product-information.php?productId=172
That is great, isn't it? And they have some interesting coffee tables and seating too:
http://www.rem.co.uk/salon-furniture.php?categoryId=1&page=10
They are in the UK and I don't see prices, but one should leave no stone unturned when looking for ideas.
view TRUE BLUE's profile
"How can we not but support a representative who also loves modernist and green sensibilities?"
What?? That has too be one of the dumbest statements ever posted on AT.
view Seaside's profile