Emerald City | Brentwood | Los Angeles Times

Wired LivingHome: Tour of an eco-mansion

So few can plunk down $4 million for an eco-mansion, but many seem to enjoy checking one out for a night. Wired LivingHome, the new prefab eco-mansion in Brentwood, opened its doors last night for a little reception.

And the house looks beautiful, if rather ostentatious. Located in a quiet neighborhood in Brentwood, this Wired LivingHome has a gorgeous view to go with all the latest tech gadgets and eco-designed furnishings.

Here's the sleek kitchen, perfect for storing apples and vodka....

And here's the dining room next to it....

And the outdoor patio next to that....

To the left is a little panel in the bathroom I wasn't sure how to use or what it was for.... [Update: The gadget is apparently a Toto Washlet, made to "gently cleanse you," then dry you off. I used toilet paper.]

No, this isn't an eco-home for the masses, though some of the cool things in the house may soon become commonplace. Many of the little decorative touches came from Branch, one of my fave eco-stores, which carries great sustainably-made home furnishings that are affordable for the less-than-millionaires.

Curious? Check out the Wired LivingHome for yourself; public tours are available Thursday through Sunday until Nov. 19. The $35 ticket includes a one-year subscription to Wired magazine.

In the meantime, you can see more pictures of the house at Underwire by Dave Bullock.

Top image courtesy of Wired; photos by Siel

More eco-mansions! Tour the Wired LivingHome

Eco-mansions are a bit of a paradox, but are also apparently attention-getting ways to showcase green living possibilities. Now, the first Wired LivingHome -- a green, pre-fab home built in just 2 1/2 days -- is gonna open its doors to the eco-curious for 3 weekends of tours.

According to the website, the LEED-certified home "allows luxury and the environment to live together in harmony" -- if you have $4 million to spend on making this harmonious synergy happen in an exclusive enclave of Brentwood. Hydrogen-powered BMW? Check. Lots and lots of the latest expensive tech and gadgets? Check. Possible for the average eco-Jane to aspire to? Um, not really.

But Wired LivingHome's a showcase, not an everyperson home. And mansion's are hardly necessary to go green -- something to keep in mind for anyone who thinks becoming an environmentalist's an impossibly expensive proposition.

So treat the tour, if you go, as a sort of eco-science fair. Tours happen Thu. - Sun. from Oct. 27 - Nov. 11, but tickets go on sale tomorrow, Oct. 8. Cost: $35 in advance and $40 at the door (Update: The tours got moved back a week; Tickets are now only available online for $35), which includes free parking at the LUXE where the tour kicks off, an audio tour of the home, and a 1-year subscription to WIRED magazine. An unspecified portion of the proceeds will got to Global Green and Enterprise.

Relatedly: Project7ten, another LEED-certified home, opens for tours Oct. 11.

Update, 11/6/07: I toured the Wired LivingHome! Pictures and more here.

Image courtesy of Wired