Lamp restoration project completed!

We were able to identify and restore a pair of mid-century light fixtures in our 1955 Eichler this last week. I was not liking the frayed cords and was worried about fire hazard; after ~50+ years' worth of use, these fixtures were in need of rehab.


You can see the full project here on Flickr.

I must give special thanks to:
- Bo Sullivan, historian and archivist at Rejuvenation for help in identifying the lamps EJS Model 1204, per a 1959 light fixture catalog;
- Pam Kueber from retrorenovation.com for posting about mid-century lighting and leading me to Bo;
- Norman Metcalf and his assistant, David: clever Sacramento area electricians extraordinaire.

I started this project by trying to identify the pair of pull down brass fixtures online, which led me to Pam's wonderful blog entry regarding the identification of her vintage pull down fixture. This, in turn, led me to Bo Sullivan, historian with Rejuvenation in Portland, Oregon. I sent him some pictures and he had a hunch that the fixtures were from E. J. S. Lighting Corporation from Los Angeles and began his research.


Bo then sent me this picture of Lamp EJS Model 1204, page 70 from 1959 E. J. S. Lighting Corporation's catalog and I immediately knew he was correct. Per Bo, "None of the other catalogues showed wood wall brackets remotely like this shape - one of those details where everyone had something slightly different. The catalogue states the bracket is walnut. This catalogue is 1959, so perhaps if your light is original to the 1955 home EJS had evolved the design a little by this time. The 1204 sold for 19.40 in 1959."

Bo also confirmed that the original rounded style rayon cord is no longer available, so I decided to try to rehab the lamps using the original cord, even though I had obtained new rayon flat cord from Revival Lighting.

Our electrician, Norman Metcalf, and I discussed this re-use and decided that the undamaged old cord was just as well-insulated (if not more) than the newer cord. Once he disassembled the first fixture we got quite an eyeful of what heat from excess wattage can do to a fixture.


After rewiring the fixtures, Norman recommended lower watt CFL's instead of incandescent bulbs. We used 60 watt equivalent CFL's. After Norman's repair magic, we can now rest easier that the lamps will no longer be a fire hazard. The CFL's generate less heat, use less energy and the fixtures are no longer too hot to the touch. They throw a decent amount of light and due to the enclosed design of the fixture are just as aesthetically pleasing.

If you have a vintage lighting project, I recommend Norman from Metcalf Electric at (916) 456-6862. I've been working with him for years at our other mid-century home up the street. He is easy to work with and will help you find a good solution specific to your needs.

Blast from the past -- Grand Opening of Eichlers in Sacramento!

Special thanks to pinetree on Flickr for posting two May 13, 1955 newspaper ads in the Sacramento Bee for the grand opening of Eichler Homes for sale in Sacramento.

For direct scans from microfilm, go here and here.

"Now, the news you've been waiting for... Eichler Homes comes to Sacramento... in lovely South Land Park Hills. Grand Opening this weekend!

3 and 4 bedrooms plus large all-purpose room. 2 baths. 2 car garage. $17,750 to $21,000. As low as $500 down to Vets. From $2650 down on FHA terms.

America's most honored builder proudly invites you to visit the newest Eichler Homes. . . this weekend in South Land Park Hills. See the latest designs of the famous architect team of A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons. See the famous "custom" extras that are standard in Eichler Homes: air cooling, cork tile floors, Philippine mahogany wood paneling, engineered radiant heating, built-in G.E. clothes washer/dryer, Waste King garbage disposer, built-in Thermador oven with range, oversized 2 car garage, extra room, closets with built in chests..."

"Smartest looking home we've ever lived in. . .and our new Eichler Home is so easy to take care of, too! -- says Mrs. Russell Illig, Eichler Home owner in Palo Alto, California.

We never realized what a difference good design can make in your living 'till we moved into an Eichler home. Its clean, simple lines not only set off our furniture and decorations beautifully -- they make housekeeping so much easier than in conventional homes.

The modern way to live! Like Mrs. Illig discovered, Eichler Homes are truly years ahead of other homes -- in design, in durability, in luxury features. They have an exciting, glamorous, contemporary look -- inside and out. And every detail has been carefully planned to contribute to your convenience, your comfort, and your pride in ownership.

Eichler homes -- the growth of an idea...

Ten years ago an architect-designed contemporary home was beyond the reach of most families. Eichler Homes believed that by using modern production methods -- large scale purchasing of materials and volume construction -- it could produce the latest and finest in homes, designed by America's leading architects, at a price within the reach of the discriminating buyer.

Today, Eichler Homes are regarded as the leaders in the home building field. Eichler Homes have been featured in articles and stories in America's leading magazines and newspapers time and time again. They have won more awards and citations of merit than any other homes in America.

More important, they have brought a new and better way of life to more than 2500 families in Northern California. Knock on the door of any Eichler Home. Ask the owner how he and his family feel about their home. We feel sure his answer will make you want to join the hundreds of successful young businessmen, professional men, artists, writers, and their families in experiencing a new, rewarding way of life in Eichler Homes. See you this weekend!"

Cool poster!

An "Obey the Eichler" poster from Crestview Doors via Tikimama of Atomic Tea Party totally cracked me up today!

The poster is part of Crestview Doors' Save Your Neighborhood Campaign: "... an effort on behalf of Crestview Doors to promote awareness of mid-century modern residential architecture and to support efforts to preserve, protect or reinvent it."

I've been meeting more of the neighbors this last week and several of them have mentioned how much they love the original intent and architecture of the Eichlers in the neighborhood.

South Land Park Neighborhood Association

Just a little post to spotlight the South Land Park Neighborhood Association. The association is a non-profit group of neighborhood volunteers and does the following:

• Represents our members to City and County government, and work with other neighborhood associations on issues that affect our residents and businesses
• Provides a non-partisan forum for discussion on neighborhood concerns
• Monitors local government programs or decisions that affect our neighborhood
• Keeps members informed on neighborhood issues

You can join the association for $10 per person/year, or $25 per person/3 years. They send out quarterly newsletters, regular email updates about neighborhood activity, concerts, and events, and offer several events for members only throughout the year. See their website for further details.

Up on the roof

Anyone who owns a home knows (and particularly those of us who own quirky flat topped homes) that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We recently have been busy taking preventative measures to protect our investment. Our first Big Project was making sure our roof wouldn't leak. This is an ongoing vigilant matter with Eichler owners.

Local roofer Hugh Barnes from The Roof Repair Company assessed our roof, came in with some proactive minor repairs and also kindly cleaned our roof and gutters in the process. He resealed all the items on the roof that had penetration flashing with modified mastic and granules, repainted all flashings with aluminum colored paint, and worked on an area that needed repair over our garage. All areas with edges were resealed as well as all areas that were suspect for future leaks. We also invested in a two year roof certification so that in the event the roof leaks he would repair it.


I found Hugh and his coworker easy to work with, professional, and competitively priced. They were also very happy to make sure my clumsy butt didn't fall off the roof when I went up to take pictures.

Hopefully we won't be needing to make use of our roof certification but if we do, I will report back regarding the outcome. You may reach Mr. Barnes at 916.643.3605.

Won't you be my neighbor? Part One

I recently took a walk with our dog around the South Land Park Hills neighborhood (aka "South Hills") and wanted to share these pictures with you, which can be seen in detail in this Flickr set.

In addition to a small number of Eichlers, our neighborhood is filled with 1950's - 1960's custom modern ranches nestled among giant native oaks and built on gently curved streets. Features include: stunning grand double front doors with large ornamental escutcheons; linear textures; large plate glass windows; extra wide soffits; and use of natural materials such as sedimentary rock. Design elements are mostly geometric, including repetitive patterns of brick and negative space. Many homes in the area have Asian-influenced designs.

Some interesting + cool Eichler ephemera

Via Nicholls.net (link now defunct), found some interesting and useful copies of old paperwork for Eichler homes.

My favorite among the posts is the "Eichler Checklist" (pdf) -- a sales brochure for various Bay Area neighborhoods. It lists "special features" and the various brand name materials used in Eichler homes.

This site also includes a terrific schematic of Racon radiant heat systems which were installed by Arro Company.


You can find several sales brochures, such as this one: "Enter the Wonderful World of Eichler" (created for the Fairglen Tract). Love the graphics!


Also on this website, there are also copies of old magazine articles regarding Eichler homes from the late 50's.

Another awesome find: a charming 1956 Thermador oven and range brochure -- with specifications!

Update re: solvent + static electricity = Eichler fire?

The worker who was burned in the Palo Alto Eichler fire was released from the hospital and will make a full recovery.

While the family was not home during the fire, most of their possessions which were stored in the garage were destroyed. A family friend is collecting donations for them.


More here.

Local resource: windows

Just a little over a mile from our Eichler neighborhood is the headquarters for renowned window manufacturer Blomberg Window Systems. Blomberg specializes in a proprietary line of aluminum windows and doors.


We are in the middle of a renovation at our other midcentury house (circa 1961) and I can vouch these windows are the best. We chose four three-pane Series 1400 casement windows (two with hoppers and two with transoms) and a slider -- all with LoE2-172 glass and clear anonized frames. I have really been impressed with their solid quality and smooth operation.


Please don't put cheesy white plastic vinyl windows on your midcentury modern home. You and your house deserve better. This concludes our public service announcement.

The Flat Top

I don't know what it was about the 1950's that predisposed houses and hairstyles to be flat, but I did make an awesome discovery regarding our roof!

I revisited the plans left behind by the former owners. According to the plans drawn by Caywood and Associates back in 1979, extraordinary measures were taken to improve the roof, including a layer of foam insulation.


As most Eichler owners are aware, the roof can be a real challenge to maintain. At least two different installation companies in the Bay Area specialize in foam roofing for flat top and low slope roofs.


We are currently in the process of getting a two year certification for our roof and I will be sharing these extensive roof remodel plans from 1979 with our roofer.