Vision House in Pacific Palisades opens for public viewing

Green "demonstration" houses loaded with what are touted as the latest in environmentally conscious technology and materials may have ebbed with the real estate crash, but a development-and-design team in Los Angeles is about to revive the idea with the Vision House.

Billed as a luxury green demonstration home, Vision House is a collaboration of Green Builder Media and L.A.-based builder Structure Home, which worked with L.A. architecture firm KAA Design, the Newport Beach firm P2 Design, Calabasas interior designer Jill Wolff and Westlake Village landscape architect MJN Design Studio.

Some of the house's features -- an ultraviolet light air-purification system, mold-resistant shower and duct systems, solar panels, a central vacuum system, Gaggenau appliances that include a countertop steamer and a refrigerator with motorized shelves -- are more about function than design beauty. But decorating fans won't be disappointed.

The kitchen, laundry area and bathroom have dramatic textural wall finishes using Porcelanosa tile, at right. Eco-friendly furnishings from Cisco Home include side tables made from repurposed car parts and light fixtures made from reclaimed blown glass. (Asked if the cotton and linen fabrics were kid-friendly, Wolff said she washed all of the slipcovers, brought them to the house in a garbage bag and put them on -- without an iron.)

"This was an educational process for all of us," said Wolff, who worked on the project for two years. "I found products I didn't know existed." She cited Sunbrella's Renaissance line of fabrics, which are made of half recycled fibers and half new fibers. (Sunbrella also has a Recycle My Sunbrella program in which you can donate your old awnings, umbrella covers and other upholstery to be repurposed). "I feel like we are educating people a little bit about and the beauty and warmth of sustainability," she said.

As with most of these kinds of demonstration homes, the property is for sale, and you will see references to its sponsors -- manufacturers such as Kohler, DuPont and Kitchen Craft. But it is open to the public, free for touring. It's open 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. most Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 10 (closed June 17 and 24). The address is 1162 Via de la Paz in Pacific Palisades. And the asking price? It's $3.65 million.

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