Project Description

Most Californians with a passing interest in architecture are familiar with the work of Joseph Eichler, who built over 10,000 mid-century modern tract homes in California.  So popular was his style that he inspired a subgenre known as “Likelers,” homes with the look and feel of an Eichler that were built by someone else.  This “Likeler” home in Kenwood had many of the desirable features of that era: large walls of glass, an indoor-outdoor floorplan, and wood paneling.  The clients’ wanted to keep the original character while bringing in the conveniences of a modern home.

We modified the floorplan to open up the kitchen to indoor and outdoor entertaining areas with a see-through bar service area as a focal point and installed new kitchen cabinetry with a natural walnut finish as a nod to the paneling common in many original Eichlers.  To keep the house grounded in a playful mid-mod style, pill shaped tiles from Sonoma Tilemakers in a bright teal color were used for the kitchen backsplash.   Lastly, the floor of the entire home was redone with beautiful, large-format terrazzo tiles and the fireplace was reclad in a deco relief tile.  The resulting space is perfect for this couple that loves to cook and entertain.