Casting Call: "Green That House" reality show

You gotta love L.A. Where else do you get so many chances to be on TV?

Abbie Hurewitz, of Actual Reality Pictures in Hollywood, may be looking for you. Abbie is working on a new show called Green That House which will air on the Discovery Home network next fall. It's a lot like Flip That House, she said, except that instead of flipping a house for re-sale, the before and after will feature a traditionally built home that, through renovation, will become more sustainable/green.

"I'm based in L.A. and was wondering if you could either clue me into home greening projects in the L.A. area that will start in the near future," she said, "or even let your readers know about our show. That way someone planning to green their house could contact us if they were interested in being on the show."

You can apply online to be on the show. See you on TV! And please remember us little people when you get your star on Hollywood Boulevard.

(Photo: Santa Barbara homeowner Bill Doering in his green home, by Spencer Weiner, Los Angeles Times)

Budget Celebrity Remodel: Kitty Bartholomew's bedroom redo

When HGTV and ABC decorating show host Kitty Bartholomew moved into her 1930s cottage in Santa Monica, she noticed one problem right away: There was a solid wall in the master bedroom that stood between her and her garden.

To remedy the situation, Kitty had a Dutch door and window installed in that wall, along with a used-brick porch outside. Kitty said she purposely did not choose a French door, because she wanted the fresh air a two-piece Dutch door could offer.

Also, Kitty loves to have a fireplace in the bedroom, so she added one, raised up so it could be seen from the bed. The fireplace was installed by Paykel Fireplace Fixtures in Santa Monica.

With the fireplace positioned between the two existing windows on that wall, Kitty bought chests from Pottery Barn and created window seats. The fireplace addition also helped soften the unusual soffit and ceiling angles that were at odds with the rest of the Cape Cod house. The moldings added to the fireplace came from an old house being demolished in the neighborhood, and match original moldings in the living and dining rooms.

The Dutch door, window, porch and fireplace were installed according to code and with necessary permits, and cost about $5,000.

(About this series: So why feature budget "celebrity" remodels? Gosh, this is the Los Angeles area, where there are half a dozen celebrities huddled on each corner. Well, not really. But there are a lot. And some of them are creative. And if their projects are not over-the-top, why not?)

To suggest a Budget Celebrity Remodel, send an email to PODBlog@aol.com.

(Photo: Sharon Cavanagh)

Blogging Ed Sanders' dream home: What do you think?

Ed Sanders, the English carpenter on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and the host of National Bingo Night (which premiers Friday at 9 p.m. on ABC), is breaking ground on a dream house in Claremont next month. He's especially excited to be an Englishman achieving the American Dream.

Ed and his wife would not mind Pardon Our Dust Blog following the building of their home, perhaps with weekly updates and photos. It will be a gorgeous Tuscan home with a central courtyard, and Ed plans on making the dining room and kitchen tables. He has lots to say about the importance of a kitchen table as a place for families to sit and talk for hours. We might learn something about furniture building.

My question: Do you think this would be an interesting project to follow? Would you want to see this house emerge from Claremont's rocky soil? Or not? As the house will take more than a year to build, following it will mean a big commitment.

If you would like me to follow Ed building his dream home on this blog, please leave a comment below. If not, ditto, leave a comment below. If you're shy about stating your preference in a pubic forum, send me an email. Thanks for your input.

(Photo: Ed Sanders)