Yet another Eichler on HGTV - Curb Appeal

Bob - I love how you kept the guy from spraying your clerestory windows. The view is definitely better :). Also glad you didn't let them change your garage door. You would have regreted that later.

A good spiffing up-at least it was in the spirit of the modern aesthetic.
I woulda toned the blue down vs the brown but that may be because I saw it on TV, might look different if seen live. How's the rest of the neighborhood look? Lotsa teardowns and McMansions or everyone else keeping in the same spirit-It's Terra Linda and not Upper Lucas Valley so I dunno what controls as such there are.

here's the show
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/rm_home_ext_before_after/article/0,1797,HGTV_37...

I do feel the paint scheme is inappropriate for an Eichler, or any mid-century modern home. By adding the trim color (white, I think) it's too busy and draws your attention to white lines, something Eichler's architects would not want to happen. Proper contrasting colors are reserved for beams, posts, fascia, and the front door.

Adding a trim color to windows and door jams makes the home look smaller and not characteristically mid-century modern. I am not so sure about the blue either. Coupled with the white trim makes it look like someone is trying to make a craftsman out of their Eichler, a common mistake. The blue would work better without the white.

Bob,

Good job getting rid of the liquid amber tree (a Georgia native). I love the fact that you're "gardening with natives" as the California Native Plant Society (http://www.cnps.org) would say.

I think the front door is really pretty; the door handle has a very high end look. Also, excellent work on the house number, how did you do that? And where did you get the cool exterior light fixture from?

Perhaps I'm a curmudgeon, but these shows are WAY too cute for my liking. Far too much time is spent on homeowner personality and "zany antics." Does the typical HGTV viewer really care if you're a perfectionist? Or where one's spouse is vacationing? And I'm close to losing it during the inane dancing in the kitchen. Thankfully my Tivo gets past that all that fluff.

I would have liked to understand how to install the pavers, why their being level is (or isn't) important, how you made the cool house number, and how the landscaping decisions were made. Surely the plants weren't randomly placed. Its frustrating that the director of the show choose not to provide some insight into the logic behind the remodeling decisions and installation process.

Robert

Hi Robert:

The resources for the house number, light fixture, door and other items can be found by going to the show summary (and scrolling down past the photos) on the HGTV website. Just click on the link provided by Joe B.

Cathye

Thanks all for the feedback.

Regarding color, I realize that final product is the result of a committee decision/compromise between the designer (whose tagline is "go bold"), my wife, and myself. Not one of us is 100% happy with it, but I can say that we've rec'd lots of praise, esp. the shale gray (not really a blue). Also, we didn't want to go too light/tan, since our neighboring houses have that shade. I think all points made above are valid, but I don't think that the blue/gray is far off the Eichler standards. And, finally, it looks MUCH different than the camera shot leads to believe. Note that this was shot very late, almost dark - they had to use special lenses to lighten it up.

Regarding the editing, banter, and silliness - I don't quite understand it, either. That's just TV, I guess. Showing a little personality is ok, I guess, but why they had us doing the dancing goofiness in the kitchen is beyond me. Speaking of which, they wanted the designer to lead the creation of the doormat. He flat out refused. That kind of project is a fate all curb appeal participants must agree to.

And yes, it's a shame we couldn't have spent more time talking about the design and construction. I know the designer would have appreciated this. Much thought went into the hardscape design, and I think it came out right. And there are no less than 20 different plant species! A lot of thought went into placing the rocks, creating the mounds and drainage swails to suit the native plants, etc. Tree choice was interesting, too. I could go on and on.

--Bob