Falling for the Call of the Wild - Page 2

Owners who modernize in ‘creative’ ways—yet bent on keeping Eichler spirit alive
By Dave Weinstein
CA Modernist
Another example of the 'Dwellification' of an Eichler, this one in Palo Alto. Photo: Dave Weinstein

Rhoda and Miguel Andrada, whom we met in 2016 when visiting the Eichlers of the waterfront city of Foster City, loved the incredible openness of their home just as they loved the openness of views alongside San Francisco Bay.

The home had already been remodeled when Miguel, originally from the Philippines, and Rhoda, from Hawaii, fell in love with it upon first walking inside. It had been modernized, and painted white, and the atrium had been turned into roofed interior space, which only added to the expansiveness of the living area.

"What we really loved was the open layout," Rhoda said. "We fell in love with the glass, the outdoor feeling. Being islanders, that appeals."

Going beyond owners who knock down walls to create larger living spaces are those who, well, seem to regard their Eichlers as a bit of a blank slate. These are folks who preserve enough of their homes to ensure they remain Eichlers—while going to town elsewhere.

 

CA Modernist
  CA Modernist
Sandra Smith (above, in her bedroom) transformed her Oakland Eichler into an object of art. Photos: Dave Weinstein (top), Sabrina Huang (bottom)
  

Because they do show off their owner's creativity—and what owner doesn't want to show that off? —many of these homes appear on Eichler home tours. The 2023 San Mateo Highlands tour had several.

One provided a view between rooms with a moon‐gate‐style window. Another turned a see‐through fireplace into a checker‐boarded wonder.

Few owners have had as much fun with their Eichler as Sandra Smith, whose home is in Oakland's Sequoyah Hills. Sandra told her "very gifted contractor" what she was after: "Drama, I said. Oh yeah—drama."

 

  CA Modernist
A pattern of black, gray, and white rectangles added pizzazz, if not historical verisimilitude, to an Eichler fireplace on the 2023 San Mateo Highlands Eichler tour. Photo: Dave Weinstein
  

Sandra's home appears fairly original from the street, but has been transformed within. "I told my contractor I wanted a curved glass‐block wall. He had another idea, but I said, 'No, this is what I want.' I wanted a sense of movement." She also added skylights.

"I don't feel closed in, and I enjoy looking at the stars at night," she added. "I can see the Big Dipper through the window there, and sometimes I sleep with the moon in my face."

"The house has a peaceful energy," Sandra said. "The garden has a peaceful energy. It's truly my refuge."