dwell on design 2014 home tours west side los angeles

YAY! It is that time of year again. Dwell on Design Week in Los Angeles. Before the main Design Event next weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center, I dropped into the Dwell on Design Home Tours, West Side Los Angeles.

I am going to go at it a little differently this time. Rather than bore you with room by perfect room of the latest and most expensive design on the West Coast, I thought I would pick out the highlights (according to me). Let's do a top five ... Shall we?

5. Small bedrooms.

Love it! That's right, bedrooms are good for sleeping and a few **ahem** other things not the least of which are reading and TV. You just don't really need that much space. In house after house on this tour, less space was more when it came to bedrooms.

Snug as a bug. This is partially due to the fact that this was the "West Side" tour, which means you are in Santa Monica and Venice, dealing with narrow beach lots. But let's give them this one. The priorities in every home were common living areas.

In all the homes, kids' bedrooms were super small. Just room for a bed, a few books and that was about it. Well, maybe a pink Eames elephant. No en-suites. No flat screen TVs. My personal philosophy--never make them too comfortable. That goes for guests too.

This is the master bedroom. Yes, seriously.

This is... the master. Not kidding!

4. Glass glorious glass. 

Yes, I have posted one or two things about glass.  Or three. Or four. Okay, who really is counting? There was some very interesting uses of glass on the tour.

Ya got your traditional mid-century glass arrangement. LOVE. What an impactful grouping -- extra large mostly Holmegaard on the hearth. HMMMM. Gives me a few ideas. Except for our big white fluffy monster princess, I might be inclined to try it.

Look at this stunning use of glass creating an amazing sculpture and focal point for what amounts to a house off an alley. From the outside.

And from the inside.

And...from the bottom! Stunning, right? And very stable with a nice handrail.

Glass as a scary catwalk hallway.

I got to the scary catwalk on the scary stairs.

Mirror mirror on the wall. Really a reflection from the perfect glass shower enclosure. I have a thing for big giant soaking tubs.

The floor is some sort of crazy chic expensive stone bathroom floor.

3. Sustainable landscaping.

Any, worth its salt, Dwell on Design home uses sustainable landscaping. And boy did they. Here are a few teases, then I will give you the big shebang.

Cool natural entry way. Pretty little arbor garden gate.

Awesome, almost rugged, courtyard separating guest and garage from main home.

Tranquil outdoor space.

And requisite cool outdoor shower.

Bocce ball court. Don't ask. A Southern California ... Italy ... thing.

And, wait for it. The wall of succulents. OMGosh. I have questions. Who did this? Who maintains it? How often do the little buggers die and you have to replant? How rich are you exactly? Will you adopt me? (Just kidding mom.)

I. Could. Not. Stop. Taking pictures. The metal stuff on the wall is some sort of other sustainable thing like hot water heater or some such brilliant idea.

You can hardly speak. Am I right?

2. Best garage. Ever.

First Dwell tour I have ever been on (and there have been quite a few, my friends), that featured a garage.

I don't get it, but I really wish our garage looked like that. Including the car. And the art. Mostly the art.

1. Pets on tour.

This was TOTALLY a first. Most of the time homeowners take pity on their pets and send them off to doggie daycare or kitty cat camp. But not these homeowners and not these pets. The pets said, "Bring it!" We love Dwell!

Cute kitties. I almost slipped them in my purse. Their fur was so super soft.

And hi to you Mr. (or Ms. I didn't inspect) Friendly!

YAY! I think I have a few other morsels of Dwell-osity goodness to share in a few days. And, by the way, look for me this Friday afternoon, June 20, at Dwell on Design! Best week of the year in Los Angeles!

Click here for my extensive Dwell on Design post collection including home tours in San Diego and New York City. Don't miss out on my One Second of Fame. Sheesh.