A circa-1970 Eichler is heightened, expanded, and given a new sense of serenity.

Architect Karen Cullen has made breathing new life into modern houses her livelihood, and this late Eichler is among those she has updated. “This project was a tremendously exciting collaboration with a large creative team, including the homeowner,” says Cullen. “Starting with a large Eichler house in great original condition, the goal was to take every detail and corner of the home to a much higher, more personal level of ‘HyperEichler’ design.”

To begin, the front gable of the 3,000-square-foot house was extended over the entry for a more dramatic street presence. The remodel also opened up the plan of the existing home, converting a utility room off the kitchen into a breakfast area and giving the kitchen/family room more views of the backyard through the dining and living rooms. Interior door heights were all raised to expose even more of the home’s post-and-beam structure, and the doors were replaced with custom wire-brushed solid-oak doors. Back-painted glass, warm gray walls, wenge, and white oak accent the interiors.

About the Architect

In 1991 I founded Greenmeadow Architects, a community based design firm, to save existing at-risk Mid Century California Modern houses from obliteration until the time that they would again be appreciated as living art. The firm received national awards and international recognition for breathing new life into 50 year old modern homes, continuing the original principles of the open floor plan, indoor / outdoor living, structural innovation and natural materials. Greenmeadow Architects closed in 2009 for personal reasons and since then I continue to explore the design opportunities of new eco-friendly technology within the modern idiom as KC Design for Living.

Collaborators

General Contractor: Scott Flegel, Flegel's Construction Co., Inc.

Interior Designer: Erin Martin, Martin Design

Landscape Design: Fanny Obadia, Green Thumbs Up

Painter: Daniel Cray, Cray Painting