Awakening that Look of Love - Page 2

Grooved Eichler siding is consistent with the modernist aesthetic and a must-have for an Eichler exterior. Eichler used three different vertical patterns in all over the years. Best to choose siding in the original pattern consistent with what was used in your subdivision. Avoid stucco, plaster, brick, aluminum, and vinyl siding, and non-modernist, applied exterior trim. A small percentage of original Eichlers actually included concrete block or shingles as part of their front elevation.

Did you know that garage doors of the two-door, side-to-side variety represent approximately 30 percent of the front elevation on an Eichler? That's quite a bit of territory! Before replacing your original garage doors, consider repair and automation of your originals. If and when replacement is needed, try to find a model designed in the spirit of an Eichler home, one that looks like it belongs. Research side-to-side retrofits, roll-ups, and automated conversions. If siding can be adhered to the replacement door, consider the same siding pattern and paint finish as your home exterior, steering clear of aluminum roll-ups and inset windows.

Here's your chance to make a modernist first impression! Hopefully, your home still retains its original Eichler front door with its circular 'Saturn' escutcheon plate and knob. If not, a replacement front door should be flat, solid-core, without applied decoration. Nix replacement doors with windows, and trendy door handles. Exact replacements for original Eichler doorknobs and escutcheons have become difficult to procure, so some creativity may be in order.

With rare exception, custom Eichler address sets, like the one pictured above, have become a hallmark of Eichler ownership. These days, no other address set seems to say 'Eichler' as well as this one. Easily identifiable three-dimensional white block letters are cast and applied to a black wooden backdrop. Eichler's original plaster numbers may have crumbled over time, damaged by exposure. However, there's good news; these unique address sets are still being manufactured in the Bay Area.

Replacement double-pane windows should be consistent with the original style of the house and the original windows. Choose aluminum window frames and sliders instead of vinyl, and window trim that doesn't clash with modern design. Carport glass is typically simple obscure 'Mistlite' glass, without color, that provides privacy yet allows light to pass through. The use of clear glass is minimized along the front elevation.

Exterior lighting should follow minimalist, modernist principles. Over the years, vintage metal 'bullet' lights have been used effectively for illuminating key exterior areas. Choose fixtures that lean towards being simple and unobtrusive.

As a general rule, maintaining a no-fences-along-the-front-elevation aesthetic seems to work well for Eichlers. If a boundary must be installed, look to erecting it further back from the street, and consider wood slats with vertical orientation, grooved Eichler siding pattern, or planting a hedgerow as a natural alternative. Be careful when considering horizontal slats; they may be eye-catching but lack historic compatibility, and disrupt neighborhood harmony.