In the (designer) dog house

Sure, you could pay thousands for a fancy dog house complete with a woof roof garden for Rover. Or you could get the same green and gracious space with a bit of sweat equity:

Green roofs are good. They clean the air, cool the house below, provide rest stops for birds and butterflies. If you work well with wood and want to try a green roof, why not start by building one for your dog?

Landscape architect Stephanie Rubin and her partner, sculptor Chris Isner, sell doghouses with rooftop gardens for $1,000 to $4,000. Your homemade version will cost a lot less -- and the dog in residence will appreciate a plant-topped refuge that is cooler, in every sense of the word, than anything else around.

To start, Rubin and Isner suggest that you come up with your own general design or scan for ideas on their website,  www.sustainablepet.com. They won't mind if you filch. For a closer look at their doghouses, visit City Bakery in Brentwood.

Read the rest in the full story here.

Photo: Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times