When Georgie Smith came across a triplex in Venice Beach she knew that she had hit a veritable gem. Venice is one of the hottest neighborhoods in L.A. and real estate is somewhat hard to come by. 

Smith, a native Australian, naturally defaulted to building in what we Americans consider to be a very environmentally friendly way. “In Australia this is the way everybody thinks” says Smith. “I never really thought that it would be considered innovative.”

The vacation rentals are meant to be luxurious, and are only a block away from the ocean. Smith has approached “green” building in a way that is entirely accessible; beauty and an attention to aestheics was not sacrificed in the process.

Smith's sensible approach included the following:

-Building materials are all sourced as locally as possible to cut back on the carbon footprint of construction and vendors are all as “eco friendly” as possible

-Gorgeous bamboo floors cover the house (generally considered a renewable resource, bamboo tends to be preferable to other wood flooring because it is a grows quickly in comparison to woods such as oak; of course bamboo can be ecofriendly, or not so much)

-High ceilings with calculated screened window placement for increased ocean air flow cut down on the need for air conditioning

-Concrete covered with lacquer replaces granite and marble countertops in the kitchens as well as the need for bathtubs and shower tiles. Not only does concrete create a beautiful Roman Bath effect and an edgy industrial finish in the kitchen, concrete cuts down on the price of building (as granite, marble and tile are all pricey materials); and these materials are generally shipped from great distances (an environmental no-no). 

There are two gorgeous apartments, one two bedroom place and one three bedroom place, available for rental via Smith's website . These properties are hot, hot, hot, renting like a Prius in Santa Monica, so reserve well in advance. And it is no wonder; stylish yet simple and super cozy the vacation rentals come complete with state of the art appliances, an ocean view roof deck, parking and karma points for vacationing green.