Mountain View Eichler
Built by mid-century modern developer Joseph Eichler in Mountain View, this home belongs to a family that had recently relocated from the East Coast. They were excited about owning a California icon and wanted to remodel with sensitivity.
This particular Eichler model was originally designed with a walk-in-pantry that created an awkward pinch, isolating the kitchen from other public spaces in the house. One design goal became to create spatial unity and provide better ease of movement between the dining and living rooms. Our clients agreed to improve the exposed structure, which allowed removal of the pantry and opening of the wall between the kitchen and dining room.
New storage was created for functionality, as a wall of tall cabinetry that houses the wall ovens, refrigerator, and dried goods. The sink and cooktop were relocated to sit under a single, large picture window with a view of the garden. This would allow the family access to natural light and peaks of green while cooking or washing dishes.
A narrow island was critical to the design by providing the necessary landing strip for incoming groceries or pans headed to the oven while maintaining a continuous open feel. Additionally, a built-in banquette, household command center with a tack-board, and floor-to-ceiling living room bookshelves were designed to make use of previously unused areas.
The finish palette was carefully selected and applied for subtle contrasts. The mid-grey, white, and ribboned anigre millwork, the differing values of the ceiling and wall paint, and the directional pattern found in the Amtico floor tiles are combined to balance warm and cool, pattern and grain, light and dark. In the end, it was a pleasure to revive this beautiful vintage home.
“We hired Eisenmann Architecture to do a complete re-model of our Mountain View Eichler home. Working with Stacy and her team was wonderful. She has unerring design instincts and is incredibly precise about every little detail of a plan, like lighting, electrical outlets, etc.. Our home turned out absolutely gorgeous--faithful to a midcentury model aesthetic, but completely updated, with great contrasts of warm and cool colors and vivid accents. We finished our remodel in 2013 and are still thrilled with the results. And they came in at budget. I would highly recommend Eisenmann and am happy to give.”
- Minna (Client)