April 2008 | On Our Radar

Venice’s Sustainable Stay

While it may seem like Venice is razing its bohemian bungalows in favor of shiny-new multi-story rentals, at least one new urban getaway has managed to remain true to the seaside town’s beachy roots without leaving a monster footprint: the Venice Beach Eco Cottages.

Entrepreneurs Cynthia Foster and Karel Samson renovated the three, 80-year-old units from the ground up to create one-of-a-kind sustainable, solar-powered urban beach retreats.

Their funky, earth-friendly take was not the first reincarnation for these 450 sq. foot cabanas. “The cottages had a lot of different lives by the time we bought them,” recalls Samson. “At one time they were vacation rentals, at another they’d been crack houses, and once they were a sober living facility. When we found them they were long term rental units that were in great disrepair, but we loved them.”

Both Samsom and Foster were able to utilize their respective backgrounds in creating the space — Samsom is an environmental economist, while Foster is an actor and artist. They also partnered with organic interior designer Kelly LePlante for some of the design.

The results are nothing short of delightful. Each cottage has its own distinctive feel, with names to match: Papa Hemingway features a sophisticated, masculine look; Aunt Zoe’s Place goes for a lake cabin theme; Le Bebe is mid-century modern. But all three cottages share features like organic linens and mattresses, purified water for drinking and bathing, non-VOC materials, energy efficient appliances and repurposed furniture.

If the cottages’ low-impact allure isn’t enough, do-gooders can rest their heads knowing that Venice Beach Eco Cottages donates three percent of rental fee to the visitor’s charity of choice. Samsom and Foster realize that they might have another hurdle to jump in educating the public about their rental fees — standard market rental rates don’t internalize costs for things like solar power — but they’re confident that once word gets out, they’ll reach capacity booking in no time. And it appears this cottage experiment won’t be their last.

“We now look at little buildings differently and think about what we could do,” says Foster. “Some day, we’ll do it again.”

For more information on the Venice Beach Eco Cottages, check them out online at venicebeachecocottages.com or call 866.802.3110.

— Carly Milne