Who Lives Here: My husband, Chris and I. Oh, and our canine son, Omar!
Location: Costa Mesa, California
Size: 850 square feet
What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home? Our small, cool home is GREEN! When we first moved to California from Idaho we knew little about the green movement, but we quickly caught on to the importance of green living. Our home is a mid century bungalow remodeled with green features. We recently planted an herb garden and plan to expand to an organic vegetable garden soon. Our toilet and shower are low flow. We have Energy Star appliances and low maintenance, native California landscaping with underground drip irrigation. We keep energy use/costs down by taking advantage of all of the natural sunlight and fresh air we get through our windows and doors. At least 75% of the new decor/furniture we have purchased for our home is second hand. We've found some great pieces at local flea markets, craigslist and thrift stores!
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What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in furnishing your small home? Seating for guests has been one of our biggest challenges. Our living area is perfectly comfortable for my husband and I to lounge, watch tv, eat, etc., but when we have friends over we have limited seating. In the kitchen, we have an island with bar seating for two, but we don't have a dining room table. The current solution to this problem is our patio. Our beautiful Southern California weather allows us to extend our living space outdoors. We can eat meals at our picnic table and gather around the fire pit with our friends for drinks and s'mores! Obviously, AT, friends and family, and the above mentioned resources (flea markets, craigslist, and thrift stores) provided inspiration and solutions to this challenge.
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Comments (17)
I applaud the efforts to make this remodel green - but I'm curious to know what makes IKEA kitchen cabinetry more green than say, locally-built using green materials?
I may be missing something, but I don't think this is an ikea kitchen. It doesn't look like any of the ikea cabinets that I'm familiar with.
i'm similarly interested in the true green-ness of this home (if it's green, so is my place), but I'm giving it a thumbs up for the exterior... nice color combo
"It doesn't look like any of the ikea cabinets that I'm familiar with."
justveggingout --
It's Nexus Birch with IKEA brushed aluminum handles (I forget the name) and that's an IKEA island with a butcherblock extension.
I like the trend towards including floor plans on the house tours. It really helps me wrap my head around how space is used. I'm consistently surprised at how small the places look on the plans, but how welcoming they look in the pics (of course, I realize the plans aren't all to scale)! It really underscores how any space can feel great with good design.
What a cute little home. I love the landscaping which seems to compliment the house well.
I would not consider IKEA the most green for they do rely a lot on particle board or other composite type woods w/ an artificial foil finish instead of more natural materials but they are a good resource for lots of things at reasonable prices, that said, I love the choice in cabinetry in the kitchen. Very nice and works well in that space visually.
If anything, recess the medicin cabinet in the wall and if you need to, you can take out a stud and place a header and a sill plate at the top and bottom of the cabinet's opening to help support the wall and then slide the cabinet inside the hole and finish off and it'll then not block the light from above it in the process and it'll give the space a more polished look.
Well, to be fair, it's not a green contest, it's the small cool, and I think this place more than qualifies on both counts. I'd love to see a house tour.
double thumbs up for a great pad and my hometown!
Thanks, Juliet! We are happy that our house has many green features, we are not saying that it is 100% green. Like you said, it is a small cool contest, not a green contest. By the way, we are renting this space...we can only take credit for what we've done with the space we've been given.
I'm pretty confident that Erica was not saying that her house is COMPLETELY green. I think she was just pointing out that she has features of her house that are green. Just saying...
Also, I LOVE this place! You have done a great job of making the space look comfortable and trendy. It's definitely smaller, but you've made the rooms look spacious by adding just the right amount of furniture and decor. Great house!
I love this little space...way to go Erica and Chris!!
Nice to see the cinder blocks are finally gone.
Lovely kitchen, nice color schemes but the living room layout looks a little unfinished, impersonal or maybe just not conducive to conversation. It may be a lighting issue or lack of textural variety.
I love your place Chris and Erica, especially the outside area! You guys have done a great job with the space!
hhbklyn...i agree, our living room in definitely unfinished. It is a work in a progress. Any suggestions?
Ikea cabinetry is largely MDF but has no formaldehyde in it, which is a pretty big green step. Most of their wood and MDF is from plantation forests, so another green step there. Also, it lasts, and lifecycle is key to "green" in these sorts of products.
Weird...most people leave California to come here to Idaho! Great kitchen you have.