House frontage

We found some plans of work done on the house over the years by the previous owners. They took great effort to maintain the original Eichler style and essence.

Here is an example from 1962 when the garage was transformed into a rumpus room:

Front elevation before renovation:
Front elevation after renovation:The garage was moved to the left of the original, which increased the square footage of the home from 1582 sq. ft. to over 2000 sq. ft. Because the renovation was completed in 1962 with similar building materials from that era (including Arcadia sliding glass doors), the renovation seems to suit our Eichler quite well.

I personally find the remodel innovative, pleasing and useful. Buildings do change over time according to the needs of their occupants. For more on this concept, read "How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built" by Stewart Brand.

This 1962 renovation was designed by Grant D. Caywood, a respected Sacramento architect. Per his recent obituary this August in the Sacramento Bee:

"In 1953, Mr. Caywood opened a Sacramento architectural firm that grew to five partners. He worked on many residential and public projects, including California State University, Sacramento; the Sacramento Zoo, and Sacramento International Airport. He retired in 1986 and was an emeritus member of the American Institute of Architects." http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1188432.html
Mr. Caywood also built his personal (and lovely) mid-century home in the same neighborhood as ours.

Local resource: lighting

A little nod to the folks at Sacramento-based Lumens Light + Living, who have created a special set of light fixtures and accessories that work well in our Eichlers and Strengs here in town!




Little details about the house








Mondrian-style design on front door, designed and added later by original owner















Built-in kitchen table; parquet floor











One of two original light fixtures in living room













Cute kitchen plaque; means "good at everything." (Special thanks to ChimayBleue on Flickr for the translation!)










Naugahyde lounge pillows












Original Arro radiant heating instructions














Original radiant heating system















Original CoolAir cooling system

















Apparently original tile in master bathroom








Arcadia door handle

Original owners, Dr. & Mrs. H.

I thought I'd raise a toast to Dr. and Mrs. H., the original owners of our Eichler. Though we never had the honor of meeting them, a few photographs were left behind. They were avid travelers, art collectors and intellectuals with impeccable taste. Dr. H. was a Urologist at UC Davis Medical Center and was also an amateur photographer. They were well liked in the neighborhood. I'll post more as I learn more about them.

Cheers!

Brochure!

What a treat to have a copy of an original Eichler brochure designed specifically for Sacramento!








This awesome circa ~1956 find comes to us via Dane Henas, who received the scanned version from Marty Arbunich (co-author of "Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream" and Eichler Network Director and CA-Modern Magazine Publisher). Thanks for sharing, Dane (+ Marty)!

Articles regarding Sacramento Eichlers

I'm finding very little has been written regarding our small enclave here in Sacramento. However, here are a few articles, which of course feature local Eichler enthusiast and owner Dane Henas :)

Please see links below, some which are in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format.

Nabbing an Eichler - Inside Publications Feb 2005 (download "home+matters.pdf")


A Home Visionary - Inside Publications Jan 2005 (download "home+matters-eichler+homes.pdf")

SacBee article 11.13.04 featuring cool Eichler and Streng homes Courtesy of Pariarts' Martiniland.

Sacramento’s Eichlers or “Oh, is that what those are?” Page 6. July 2004 (download "July 04.pdf")

We're in escrow!





This Eichler was one of approximately 60 homes designed by architects A. Quincy Jones + Frederick E. Emmons and built by developer Joseph Eichler in Sacramento circa 1955, which we purchased from the original owners' estate.

I'm starting this blog to:
- document our adventures preserving this mid-century icon;
- document the history and current state of Eichlers in Sacramento;
- identify helpful and interesting resources;
- report on other modern architecture and design in Sacramento.

Welcome!