When Los Angeles-based Home Front Design was engaged to fix the fragmented floor plan of a 1928 Spanish Colonial-style home and open it to the backyard and to the dining room, designer Goli Karimi committed to maintain and accentuate the house’s original look but with a freshness that feels contemporary. That forward-facing approach extended to the use of sustainable practices and products throughout the home.
“The story for this house is how we moved the clients to solar, heat pumps and other green tech while being flexible when it came to one kitchen appliance – the range,” said Stephan Pallrand, founder of Home Front Build and CarbonShack, a sustainable-only design/build firm and interior design products company.
Eco-Conscious Kitchen
In all their projects, the Home Front Build team advocates for eco-friendly appliances, practices, materials and technologies, educating their clients on the sustainability options.
“Together, we review both the environmental benefits, as well as the health and wellness ones – for instance, in the case of induction cooking, the importance of getting the toxic fossil fuel fumes out of the home,” explained Karimi. “Particularly with clients who are avid ‘kitchenistas’ – as these are – we push induction cooktop technology. But, alas, we are not always able to pull people away from the allure of the blue flame.”
Such was the case with this kitchen. With the exception of the 60-inch gas range – a feature the husband was adamant on including – a full complement of electric EnergyStar appliances populates the room. Faucets and the pot filler are low-flow models, and the old water heater was replaced by an efficient and cost-saving electric 80-gallon heat pump unit that supplies hot water to all the house’s bathrooms and the kitchen.
To configure the kitchen to fit the family’s culinary passions, Karimi removed a maid’s room and bath, adding approximately 125 square feet to the space. This also strengthened connection to the outdoors, opening the room to the California sun and fresh air, reducing the reliance on mechanical venting in the kitchen.
Sustainability at All Scales
Karimi and her team took a mix of modest measures and comprehensive strategies to raise the level of the house’s energy efficiency. Existing mahogany doors were refurbished and reused. The original magnesite floors and stairs were repaired, and select vintage lighting fixtures were rewired.
New dual-glazed exterior doors and windows were added, and the insulation for the whole house was upgraded, boosting the heat-barrier that the thick stucco walls provide.
One Step at a Time
As central as the elimination of fossil-fuel use is to the designers, they believe they can be most effective as champions of the cause, rather than hard-liners.
“People should feel free to adapt and adopt as they are able to,” said Karimi.
Pallrand notes that commanding customers to go all-electric would likely alienate some of them. Taking targeted steps toward the goal is a better approach.
“In this project, we got the clients 90% of the way toward sustainability,” he added That’s pretty good.”
SOURCES:
Design: Goli Karimi, Home Front Build; Photography: Erika Bierman Photography
KITCHEN
Cabinets: Custom, Classic Bath Designs; Cabinet Hardware: Rejuvenation; Countertops: Walker Zanger; Dishwasher: Miele; Faucets, Pot Filler: Brizo; Lighting: Spanish Revival Lighting; Microwave: Sharp; Range, Refrigerator: BlueStar; Sinks: Julien; Tile: Mission Tile West; Vent Hood: Vent-A-Hood; Water Heat Pump: Rheem
POWDER ROOM
Cabinets, Mirror: Custom, Classic Bath Designs; Cabinet Hardware: Rejuvenation; Countertops: Walker Zanger; Faucets, Shower Controls: Newport Brass; Shower Drain: Infinity Drain; Shower Enclosure: B&M Custom Glass & Mirror; Sink: Native Trails; Tile: Mission Tile West; Toilet: TOTO
