Chic in a Family Way in Los Angeles

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THIS GREEN HOUSE
Chic in a Family Way in Los Angeles
by Allison Reynolds
The Ragan-Neil family have put together a green home that is simple, stylish and sustainable ... and utterly enviable in the best of
ways. Call it "Warm Modern."
A Warm Welcome (Back)
Truth be told, Sprig staffers became
smitten with Randi Ragan, her family
(pictured here are her husband Richard
Neil and daughter Olivia) and her
lifestyle while shooting a video about
her beauty treatment boutique: Green
Bliss Eco Spa. A follow-up trip to
Randi, Richard and Olivia's funky
eco bungalow-style ranch in the hills
of southern California's Glassell Park
didn't lessen the love.
Youngna Park
Mod Green Living
The living room is a balance of vintage
and green elements, a really nice space
in which to gather friends. The floor is
100% cork by Eco Cork that
Randi sourced at an old Hollywood
flooring shop called Linoleum City. The
curtains, which keep out the deep
midday heat, are a hemp and bamboo
mix. The furniture is vintage, most of
which is from the Rose Bowl Flea
Market in Pasadena.
Youngna Park
Playing Sides
Instead of chucking an old couch, the
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Youngna Park Ragan-Neil family recovered their sofa in durable nubby cotton. Cork floors tend to be soft; hence, the protective wood blocks
underneath the legs. The vintage nesting tables from eBay are useful when entertaining.
Kitchen Confidential
The family eats their meals overlooking the backyard, a lovely place to start
the day. Clay Wilcox, a friend of the family, hand-made the banquette
table from reclaimed redwood decking left over from other jobs. The mod
lighting fixture is from the Pasadena Rose Bowl flea market.
Youngna Park
A Well-Lived Wall
Alongside the family library, laid out against a wall painted with low-VOC paint,
are some gathered treasures, including crystals, vintage housewares and a
Buddha. The hydrangea, from the local market, enhances the calmness of the
setting.
Youngna Park
The Perfect Green Kid
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Youngna Park
Here in her room, Olivia has a vintage afghan and organic sheets from Target to keep her bunk cozy. The floor is made
from planks of bamboo, a sustainable plant, and her bedroom's soft pink walls are painted with a no-VOC Benjamin Moore paint. Olivia, an
aspiring artist, likes to paint pictures of watermelons on her easel that gets set up in the Ragan's eco-friendly kitchen.
Outdoor Bliss
The outdoor veranda enjoys an ocean breeze. Its curtains are made from
sustainable bamboo and give the deck shade. There is no air conditioner in the
house, but ceiling fans that boost air circulation. The outdoor dining table from
Ikea sits six or more at a smattering of vintage seats. The beautiful lightweight
glass resin bowls are decorative and will go on to retire to pedicures at the
Green Bliss Eco Spa.
Youngna Park
Eco-Cheap Commuting
Randi and Richard tool around town
in diesel Mercedes. Randi's is a 1995
model, and Richard's is from 1982.
That's the chic part. The cheap part?
They resource their veggie oil for free
from local restaurants, on top of which
they each add approximately five
gallons of diesel every few weeks to
make the cars run at optimal
smoothness. Diesel costs
approximately $4.50 a gallon
in southern California, which means
they individually put about $40 of fuel in
their cars per month. Their monthly
savings are consistently between $350
and $400 dollars.
Youngna Park
Authentic Fun
A passed-down playground set is
perfect for backyard shenanigans, as
long as the wood has been checked
for arsenic levels. Once that's out of the
way, parents can enjoy the authentic
wood look and feel, while kids can have
some old-fashioned fun.
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Youngna Park
A Scented Vista
There is nothing better than a Pacific Ocean breeze in a southern California
backyard like Randi's and Richard's. Not surprisingly for a spa owner who
understands essential oils and natural botanicals, Randi put together a garden
replete with fragrant smells that are enough to swear off perfume for life. The
indigenous flowers include three kinds of jasmine, lavender, sage, hibiscus,
lantana, society garlic, plus some citrus trees.
Youngna Park
Terracotta Potta
A terracotta pot containing orange monkey flower sits on a table next to the fire
pit. The family saves water by using an above ground drip system that is
manually regulated to prevent excess use. Their edible garden provides
strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, butter lettuce and nasturtium.
Youngna Park
A Buddha-ful Home
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Youngna Park Leave it to the woman who owns an eco-spa to have a extremely inviting, blissed out, Zen-vibe courtyard. The stone tiles are a
high-performance Calgacrete with a longer durability and lifespan than ceramic or other types of stone. The eco-friendly
doormat is from Target.
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