Curiosity for Rent:  Alexander Ruler of the World Apartments, Hollywood

Classically Greek and exuberantly tweaked, the 60-unit Alexander Ruler of the World Apartments were purportedly built by Paramount Studios to house actors in 1927.  Actor George Pan-Andreas bought the property in 1992 and in 2007 hired artist Danny Doxton to tart it up, beginning with ruby red paint patterned with orange swirls.

“Alexander the Great opened Persia to the world, and so I honor him with this building,” Pan-Andreas says, seated in his lobby near a photo of James Dean and a painting of Jesus paired with Art Nouveau nymphs.

Having nailed their theme, Pan-Andreas and Doxton went to work, adding cartouches styled after figural Greek vases that flank Doric columns topped with an entrance pediment. Greek-style lettering and frets, Olympic rings, depictions of Valentino, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, along with reliefs of Alexander III of Macedon also vie for attention -- along with the building’s hot pink walls --  in case you should miss this Parthenon-on-acid while approaching 830 N. Van Ness Ave.

The building has become a favorite stop for Starline Trolley Tours and others. Doxton, who lives in San Pedro, says he added masses of orange swirls on outer walls “to kill the color,” adding that “George told me one day to make the building look good, to follow his crazy ideas.  We kept adding things all the time.”  Most of the architectural flourishes are cut from foam, covered with wire mesh and then spread with polymer cement.

Pan-Andreas, above, is a raconteur whose graveled, Greek accent streams with tales of early Hollywood. (Ginger Rogers, he says, was his godmother.) Tenants say he's not just larger than life.  He’s good-hearted.

“George loves actors,” says Rob, a one-year tenant and TV production manager who declined to give his last name.  “Most everyone here is young, moving from different states to land gigs in the industry.  I’ve heard stories of actors not being able to make their rent for a month, and George understands.”

Community Gardens Dispatch No. 33: Proyecto Pastoral

Just 2 months old, the tiny Proyecto Pastoral garden in Boyle Heights is going through a growth spurt, like a grade-schooler who jumps two shoe sizes in one season. In the salsa bed, the tomatillos are already fruiting, and some of the cilantro is starting to flower. The first batch of strawberries already were harvested, eaten communally as a sweet lesson in healthy snacks.

Such a perfect picture gets a little more complicated, however, when one hears that the new community garden was funded largely through a corporate sponsorship -- and that the sponsor was Scotts Miracle-Gro.

Skeptics may say Scotts Miracle-Gro's planting a community garden is like a fast-food restaurant teaching a nutrition class. But the company is moving ahead with plans to build 1,000 public green spaces in the U.S., Canada and Europe by 2018 through its GRO1000 grant program. GRO1000 gardens have broken ground at the Homegirl Cafe in L.A., as well as sites in Chicago; Houston; New York; Tampa, Fla.; Ontario, Canada; and Lyon, France.

Here in L.A., the garden at the Proyecto Pastoral after-school community center serves 80 students, kindergarten through 12th grade. Most of the kids come from the nearby Pico-Aliso housing development, and their garden is set on a busy section of Mission Road, next to a printer, behind a chain-link fence.

In March a city public works crew tore up 700 square feet of asphalt in the community center’s parking area. Then a team from the Guadalupe Homeless Project, a nearby shelter, built the seven garden beds with organic soil. They excavated under the walkways as well, laying down sand, then garden soil, then a 6-inch-deep layer of mulch. Ornamentals were planted around the perimeter, and a “reading garden” went in under the tree by the front gate.

Frank Lloyd Wright called the Alice Millard house in Pasadena “this little house” as a term of endearment. Over time, the nickname La Miniatura has stuck. Both monikers seem ill-fitting for a landmark of such stature today, one that grandson Eric Lloyd Wright called the best of Wright's four concrete block houses in the region.

It boggles the mind to think that the Millard house has been on the market for two years, currently listed at $4,995,000.

If that's out of your price range, at least you can live vicariously through our recently posted article and photo gallery, the latest installment in our Landmark Houses project.

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Photos: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

Rainwater captured at home as well as the wastewater from laundry machines, bathtubs and bathroom sinks hold enormous potential for reducing California's freshwater use. The question is: How exactly can homeowners tap into these alternative water resources?

This weekend, the Silver Lake nonprofit architectural center Materials & Applications will host two do-it-yourself workshops. On Saturday, in conjunction with L.A.-based Greywater Corps, homeowners can attend a Laundry to Landscape  workshop that begins with a 90-minute tutorial in the pros and cons of gray water, the legal issues, soil and health concerns, and types of gray-water systems. The talk is followed by 3 1/2 hours of hands-on experience installing a laundry-to-landscape drip irrigation line. 

On Sunday, the Beyond the 50 Gallon Barrel  rainwater harvesting workshop will show homeowners how to catch larger amounts of rain from their roofs. The workshop will provide information on where to buy the tanks, how to plumb them and where to situate them to make use of the water. 

The Laundry to Landscape workshop costs $50 to $65; attendance is limited to 20 participants. Beyond the 50 Gallon Barrel costs $35 to $50; attendance is limited to 30. Reservations are required.

"Our goal is to teach the standards to DIY people that aren't irrigation or rain-gutter pros," said Jenna Didier, who is co-director of Materials & Applications with her husband, Oliver Hess. "The workshops are for homeowners and business owners who want to take advantage of free water resources."

1619 Silver Lake Blvd., Los Angeles; www.emanate.org

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California adopts more lenient gray-water code

Gray-water report looks at wastewater's potential

After two years of eco-living, what works and what doesn't

-- Susan Carpenter

Photo: A gray-water workshop participant adjusts an irrigation valve. Credit: Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times

On June 10, Los Angeles interior designer Kishani Perera will open her first boutique, Rummage, a colorful mix of the high end and low.

During a sneak peak of Rummage, I spotted vintage Wheaton bottles ($10 to $30 apiece) displayed with 1940s cane chairs ($5,000 for a pair), pillows ($95 to $200 each), an eclectic collection of vintage rugs (beginning at $900) and thrift-store paintings ($300 to $2,500).

Kishani Perera, who counts actresses Molly Sims and Kate Bosworth as clients, says she has spent so much time building her interiors business that she has missed being a collector. “I love finding gems no one else sees,” says the designer, pictured at right.

Rummage, which takes over a space formerly occupied by Specific, also will serve as a showroom for Perera's furniture collection. The line includes handmade zinc tables, concrete planters and tables, a magical iron chandelier tree and a one-of-a-kind vintage mannequin-turned-lamp.

“Levity,” Perera said, “is important.”

7374 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 935-5483.

For a longer look inside, keep reading ...

Every Monday we post a recently built, remodeled or redecorated home with commentary from the designer. This week's project consists of two homes built on a single lot:

Architect: Carter C. Bravmann, InterForm, Los Angeles, (323) 656-7316. Contractor: Mark Blanco, Westmont Construction, Glendora, (626) 485-0912.

Project: Westerly Terrace

Location: Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles

Goal: To create two separate yet equal modernist residences for two longtime friends on a lot zoned for a duplex.

Architect’s description: Zoned for a duplex (R-2 in city of L.A. zoning parlance), this property has been owned by two best friends for years. One friend and his wife lived in one unit; the other friend in the second unit. 

Because both worked at home and needed additional space, we devised a means to create two separate single-family houses on the lot. The property is still classified as R-2 with two newly reconfigured units of housing.

The rear portion of the property accommodates a new residence. The existing duplex at the front of the property was converted to a single-family home.

Each friend contributed 50% to the cost, decision-making and coordination efforts. It was a truly collaborative and democratic process. The completed homes also were meant to be examples of the evolution of the Los Angeles archetype: the single-family home. The reconfigured property has ample space and privacy, yet at a higher density than is found elsewhere in Los Angeles. It is also 100% solar powered and 100% solar-hot-water heated.

Each house reflects unique personalities, aesthetics and functional requirements. Each one relates to the other and fosters a sense of community and shared semi-private/public space for impromptu gatherings.

To see more of both homes, keep reading ...

We've listed select home and garden events below. Suggest your own via reader comments. Submissions must be fewer than 75 words and must be for one-time events with legitimate value to other readers. No store promotions and no frivolous links, please. L.A. at Home staff will determine which submissions will be made public.

June 9: Orchard expert Tom Spellman discusses antioxidants in fruits and how to incorporate these plants into the landscape. 2:30 p.m. Free. Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. No reservations required. (626) 405-2128.

June 10-12: This year’s juried Contemporary Crafts Market features work by more than 250 artists  who make glassware, ceramics, textiles, furniture and more. (Hannie Goldgewicht's ceramic and pine needle vases are shown above.) 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 10 to 12. $8; children 12 and under free. Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main St. (310) 285-3655.

June 11: The Clayhouse annual show “Put a Lid on It” includes teapots, lidded boxes, casseroles, sugar jars, butter dishes, decorative jars and more. Opening reception 1  to 9 p.m. June 11. Studio open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Ends July 30. 2909 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 828-7071.

June 11: The 11th annual Antique and Contemporary Tile Sale at the California Heritage Museum will feature tiles, art pottery, Monterey furniture and more. 9 a.m. early bird admission, $15; regular admission 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $8. California Heritage Museum, 2612 Main St., Santa Monica. (310) 392-8537.

June 11: Hundreds of orchids are selling at the Orchid Society of Southern California's annual orchid auction. Doors open at 1 p.m. for preview plant inspection and bidder registration. Bidding begins at 2 p.m. First Christian Church, Meeting Hall, 221 S. 6th St., Burbank. (323) 223-6089.

June 11: Learn how to replace lawn with California native plants in this two-part class run by Tree of Life Nursery.  9:30 to 11 a.m. June 11 and 18. Free. 33201 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. (949) 728-0685.

June 11: The Alhambra Historic Home Tour organized by the Alhambra Preservation Group includes a 1909 and 1910 Arts & Crafts houses, 1924 and 1934 Colonial Revivals, and a bungalow whose recent addition was meant to echo the 1922 Craftman details of the original 832-square-foot home. Tour-goers also can attend a workshop on wood window restoration and repair. Event runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $20. Buy tickets on tour day at Alhambra Historical Society Museum, 1550 W. Alhambra Road. (626) 755-3467.

June 11: Flower Duet teaches how to make flower arrangements that incorporate citrus fruits. 10 a.m. to noon. $80 to $90. Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. (626) 405-2128.

June 11-12: The 11th annual Exhibit and Sales Festival hosted by the Cactus and Succulent Society features educational displays, demonstration gardens and a plant and pottery sale.  9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 11; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 12. (Kids events are scheduled for June 12 and start at 10:30 a.m.) Free. Sepulveda Garden Center, 16633 Magnolia Blvd., Encino. (818) 220-8005.

June 11-12: More than 60 varieties of ferns plus other rare orchids, bromeliads, cactuses, cycads, terrarium plants and begonias are featured. Workshops and lectures are scheduled. 9 a.m. to  4:30 p.m. June 11 and 12. Included in regular admission of $3 to $8. Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. (626) 821-3222.

For plenty of parents -- and I am likely to be among them -- the temptation will be great to write a quick email or just shoot a sentence in a text message to a child who's gone off to college. After nearly two decades, letting go won't be so easy.

In fact, many parents and students are not breaking their ties the way they did a couple of generations ago. " 'Good' parents believe that they must always be involved in their children's lives and available to them," Barbara K. Hofer and Abigail Sullivan Moore write in the book "The iConnected Parent." But, they say, it's not the same to be the parent of a child or adolescent as to be the parent of a young adult.

The college students, too, play a role in how much contact -- and what kind of contact occurs between home and campus. The Home section takes a closer look at the relationship this week.

Hofer and Moore suggest setting some goals and ground rules together over the summer. I, for one, will try to keep my hands off my BlackBerry -- at least some of the time.

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The Bond: Why can't some parents let go?

-- Mary MacVean

Illustration credit: Stephen Sedam

The 1921 photo shows Exposition Park in L.A., unrecognizable from the architectural mishmash that stands there today. Why the thatched-roof Scottish cottage, with its “gentle shepherd” welcoming visitors to join in song and dance the Highland Fling? Why the ducklings, the pigs, the chickens and the Guernsey calves, all in the heart of what today is urban L.A.?

Sam Watters has the answer in the latest installment of Lost L.A., our monthly look at the homes and gardens of times past seen through the eyes of contemporary California.

Photo: Museum Archives, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

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Architects Michael Blatt and Alice Fung had an important client: Michael's mother, Bobby Blatt, whose longtime family home had burned down. Among the questions they all faced:

How to accommodate the busy life of a working professional who entertains frequently, yet anticipate the future needs of someone in her 70s?

How to design a space flexible enough not only for her, but for grandchildren and other visitors?

How to weigh architects' preference for modern design with the client's taste for the traditional?

ARTICLE: The full story on Fung & Blatt's solutions

PHOTOS: Fung & Blatt house  

Photo credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

RELATED: More California homes in pictures

In Los Angeles, cooking pans, no matter what metal they’re made of and coated with, can be recycled in the city’s blue bin. The pans are recycled through a scrap metaler. Pan handles, made from plastic or other materials, are disassembled at the scrap metal processing center.

Because policies and recommendations can vary from city to city, each week we ask a sampling of officials from various municipalities to weigh in. Keep reading to find out if cooking pans can be recycled in ...

Arcadia: No
Burbank: Not curbside, but they can be recycled in the Burbank Recycle Center’s mixed metals bin
Glendale: Yes
Irvine: No
L.A.: Yes
Pasadena: No
Riverside: Yes
Santa Ana: No
Santa Monica: Yes
Torrance: No
Unincorporated L.A.: No
Ventura: Yes

-- Susan Carpenter

Photo by Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

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(Each week, we explain the recycling potential for an item that might be confusing. Here are some previous Can I Recycle topics.)

Store receipts?

Milk cartons?

Pizza boxes?

Post-it Notes?

Tyvek?

Bottle caps?

Wine corks?

Ziploc bags

Plastic mesh citrus bags

This may not be the time to plant a rose, but as a long rose season concludes its spring flush, it is an ideal moment to study the varieties around town, then consider which ones you like and what they might do for your garden.

How such hardy plants spawned the modern rose care industry will one day make a fabulous subject for a business writer. A 2004 Home cover story titled “Rethinking the Rose” challenged the idea that roses need pampering, if stumping their branches in winter, drenching their roots in summer, dusting the foliage with fungicides and filling their arteries with systemic pesticides can be called pampering.

What is worth picking up on here and now is that few notionally water-loving plants transition quite so seamlessly into the Mediterranean-climate garden.

Success is not limited to the heavily armored and small flowered native Rosa californica but applies to almost any rose. Tea roses. Old roses. Single blossoms. Doubles. French roses. English roses. Texas roses.

This is important because, as we all do what we can to conserve natural resources, no one should feel guilty about growing roses. We need only to water them less, mulch them more and surround them with less thirsty lawn and more resilient herbs and shrubs.

There are few cheaper pleasures. Bought bare root from January through March, even the best roses might cost only $20. Anyone could plant one. The requirements are a spot with at least four hours of sun, a pair of garden gloves to protect against the thorns, some composted horse manure or good fertilizer (Dr. Earth works), a small shovel and a hose or watering can. Once a well-sited rose reaches its third year, it should require no irrigation in winter; watering weekly or monthly will suffice in the warm season depending on your microclimate, how much sun it gets and the soil. Roses enjoy the same water regimen preferred by a herb garden full of the tough Mediterranean classics of lavender, oregano, thyme, sage and rosemary. Not by accident, roses look perfect in this company.