apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've never been a fan of wood paneling but this is nicely done.

This looks like it has a serious issue with sun induced heating though.

And are the windows all equipped with a strong anti-UV coating? As much as I like light I'd have serious issues with all that naked glass.

In the warmer months my biggest concern is keeping the sun *out* so I don't use more energy than I need for cooling. Or having it fade my rugs and furnishings.

I think designs that let in all that sun are missing the point of being green if they're just going to require more energy than a house with less glass.

I'd recommend checking out the site...there's plenty of more in-depth information addressing the issues. The home definitely benefits being located in Santa Monica, where you don't really need to worry about overheating thanks to the ocean temps. When I lived in nearby Venice, I didn't need any air conditioning despite living in a 1917 duplex with large windows all the way around on all four sides.

In that climate, I could see it. My comments were for oriented at non beach climates since thius is a model home and very few people are fortunate enough to have a beach climate.

The site never addresses the UV issue. I think if that was a design goal it would be stated. This seems like a serious omission to me.

Especially since Anderson windows (and other major brands) feature UV blocking glass, and it's prominently featured in their marketing literature and website.

I do like the interior design aesthetic quite a bit (except for the lack of privacy noted above) though.

I love the house and it's design. Have not checked out the website itself yet but will.

The style of the home seems rather retro in it's structure. It gives me the feeling of something that might've been built in the 70's-80's w/ it's boxy shape etc.

As long as the windows have UV blocking properties and argon gas to help with heat build-up, having all those windows should not be too much of a problem. It does let in a lot of light and w/ proper ventilation and perhaps an attic fan, it should not take much to keep it cooler in the summer despite the windows.

Boomer, the home isn't going to hit all of your needs since it was constructed not only to be a model home, but also as a residence specific to its location (as any good architecture should). It's a fantastic outline of how homes can be fitted for the needs of specific regions.

Perhaps you'd feel at least somewhat better knowing the windows are marked as low-emittance insulated glass, and they've used polycarbonated glazing too.

Gregory, I agree it's a great starting place. I hope future designs can bring the price down. I do like the aesthetic...

I have to amend my previous comment with this. I just took a look at the rest of the pictures of this house and I love it.

I like many of the elements within the home and it definitely reminds me a lot of homes style wise that were built in the 60's and 70's in particular, especially with some of the wood paneling treatment, which looks like high grade plywood instead of your run of the mill paneling.

The layout, boxy design and all definitely has that retro feel to it. Another element is the flexible case goods upstairs and the folding walls to open/close spaces as needed. An element that is not used all that often but when it is, is often used to good effect. I've seen homes that were built in the 50's that deployed the folding accordion type curtains to separate 1 large room into 3 separate sleeping quarters for children in one example.

Nicely done and seems to fit in well with the rest of the Santa Monica neighborhood.

And to think this is a bachelor pad...