These three solar-powered urban retreats are only four blocks from the beach and the hip shops and eateries of Abbot Kinney Blvd. The cottages may be booked for weekly stays; private events and location shooting.

Choose from the sleek candied baroque feel of the Le Bébé Cottage, to the cozy lakeside cabin kitsch of Aunt Zoe’s Place to the warm, woodsy feel of the Papa Hemmingway Cottage.

A visit also offers guests a chance to do good while feeling good at VBEC, 3% of the revenue from each visit goes to charity.

Each of the one-bedroom retreats was restored from the ground up using earth friendly, organic and repurposed materials – from a flea market find bugle turned into a pot rack; to a vintage record cabinet turned into a bathroom vanity to a large bird cage turned into a cozy swivel chair. Interior design consultant on the cottages was Kelly LaPlante, one of the original and most respected organic interior designers www.organicinteriordesign.com

Modern conveniences blend beautifully with vintage accents at VBEC. Each cottage features EnergyStar washer, dryer and dishwasher, WiFi, 42" HDTV and a discreetly placed home theater system with iPod dock. There’s even an energy efficient outdoor h ot tub that uses ozone and UV light to clean the water, with an exterior made of recycled plastic milk jugs! www.d1spas.com

In addition to the beauty and comfort of the cottages, they're also extremely healthy for you and the planet. All building materials are sustainable and non-toxic, all paints and finishes have no/low VOC's, linens and mattresses are organic, cleaning supplies are all natural and fragrance free. The whole house water filtration system means you'll draw drinking water from the faucets and even be showering in purified water.

The cottages are the entrepreneurial dream-come-true of husband and wife owners, Cynthia Foster and Karel Samsom who blended their respective backgrounds as an environmental economist and an actor/artist to create the cottages as a beloved art project.