How ‘You’ Is Your Eichler? - Page 2

Lamps, whether freestanding, tabletop, or descending from the ceiling, are an easy way to add personality to a room. The standard Eichler globe lamp sets the standard.

But how about a globe lamp that, unlike the original, is transparent rather than translucent? We spotted one of these at a San Mateo Highlands tour back in 2017, a master globe holding within itself a series of smaller Edison lights.

And lights aren't the only things that can dangle from ceilings. Consider a mobile, either Calder‐style or not.

Traditional décor can work well in an Eichler, including wing‐backed easy chairs and tufted ottomans. In fact, you see them both furnishing types in Eichlers whose owners, for some reason, seem to wish they were living in another sort of house.

But you also see them in Eichlers whose owners clearly enjoy the modern aspects of their homes, often people who have preserved the original, warm wood‐paneled walls. In cases like this, what we see in the use of traditional furniture are brave and bold statements that indicate the owners may love the architecture, but won't let it boss them around?

Not every modern home has to be filled with Eames and Jens Rissom furnishings to proclaim its modernity.

We've seen Eichlers look great that employ Arts and Crafts furnishing from the 1900s and 'teens, and those that evoke the related 1920s and '30s modernistic styles of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne.

Not surprisingly, blending these earlier styles with West Coast modernism can feel right, since these earlier styles fed into the sensibilities of mid‐century architects.

Then there are the small things that can add up quickly in establishing an individual's sense of aesthetic ownership, including retro collectables and handmade artworks.

Even when cool tchotchkes are displayed with as little organization as you may find in a thrift store, they can still look cool and say something about the homeowners.

Are they showing off James Bond and 'I Spy' toys, pottery from Italy circa 1953, or Bauerware? When displayed with some flair, these items can come across as works of art.

And let's step outside for a moment, where, for the past decade or so, Eichler‐shaped 'Little Free Libraries' and mid‐century modern‐style mailboxes have been revealing homeowners' tastes to the passing world. One of the greatest mailboxes we've seen in front of an Eichler was in the shape of a swan.

It's your house, after all. You might as well show some personality.