Joseph Eichler homes are always a pleasure to behold. Located in the San Mateo Highlands, California, this one was recently updated and expanded by Klopf Architecture, in collaboration with Outer Space Landscape Architects, and Coast to Coast Construction.
The owners, a young couple with two small children, were particularly keen to preserve as much of the Eichler home’s original essence. With a keen eye for minimalist aesthetics, the design they have overseen is wonderfully balanced.
This sparing use of the colour is a really nice touch. It brings a welcome touch of vibrancy to the home, without in any way overwhelming the overall experience. It also allows for better appreciation of some of the more muted material elements.
But besides the cerulean fixation, there are also a few subtler motifs. Take for instance the dark bronze door frames which crop up throughout the house, which are a feature kept from the original Eichler house.
Also, the wood panelling used to clad the walls in various rooms. Likewise an original feature, where possible it was retained in the renovation, with both new and original panelling re-stained to bring out the richness of the wood.
Naturally, a few other practical improvements were unavoidable to make this home fully appropriate to a modern family.
This sparing use of the colour is a really nice touch. It brings a welcome touch of vibrancy to the home, without in any way overwhelming the overall experience. It also allows for better appreciation of some of the more muted material elements.
But besides the cerulean fixation, there are also a few subtler motifs. Take for instance the dark bronze door frames which crop up throughout the house, which are a feature kept from the original Eichler house.
One particularly welcome improvement has been to replace the leaky steel radiant heating tubes with a new radiant floor heating system in both the existing and new concrete slabs, a move which also entailed installing new flooring throughout the entire house.
But in general, the house really preserves the simplicity, and fluidity that are essential to all of Eichler’s homes. Once again, Klopf have achieved something really special.
Photos by Mariko Reed