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"I encourage Eichler owners to stick with the traditional style of the colors—deeper earth tones for the body and trim; medium tones for [under] the eaves; and whites or off-whites for the beams and fascia," said the veteran painting contractor, who teamed with Eichler Network director Marty Arbunich in 2008 to reconstruct much of the original Eichler paint palette. Using old catalogues, brochures, and some contemporary resources, they built the color chart that appears at the end of this story.
"I really think that deep earth tones look the best for Eichlers and mid-century modern in general," concurred Glessner. "The cream colors don't seem to be popular anymore."
"You don't want Mediterranean colors. The style of mid-century [modern] is more a simple style," she added. "You don't want to stand out so much."
Glessner said an Eichler exterior palette should have four different shades—one each for the body, beams, eaves, and accent elements like the front door and central beam over the garage or carport.
"I wouldn't do the whole house dark," the Sunnyvale-based designer clarified. "I like a contrast, so [beams] are going to be lighter than the body, but darker than the eaves."
For a 'pop of color' on the accent pieces, she recommends something bright like orange or turquoise front doors, adding, "I think that that just works beautifully for the Eichlers."
Glessner, who created the color scheme for the restoration and rehabilitation of the X-100 Eichler in the San Mateo Highlands a few years ago, prefers deep gray for the house body, with suggested alternatives including dark chocolate brown or even black. However, if you absolutely must have some color, she recommended, consider a gray with hints of green or blue.
"It's really understanding the tone of the colors, how they work together," she said of choosing the four hues, stressing the importance of "staying in the same tonality."
• To review many exterior color samples reconstructed from the original Eichler color palette, click here.
• For a more in-depth story on home coloring and painting, visit our home-improvement archive for 'Hues that Say You.'
• For your next painting project, consider Palladino and N-Style Painting, the painting contractors that are part of the Eichler Network Preferred Service Company team.