In March of 2021, Eric and Audrey started an Instagram account to document the remodel of their newly purchased East Bay Eichler home, and soon after got a DM from the Eichler Network saying “congratulations!” Fitting, as these days owning and remodeling an Eichler can feel like joining a club, one where its members take pleasure in sweating the nitty gritty details.

That much is obvious from the comments on Eric and Audrey’s posts about their new old home. For every heart-eyed emoji, there’s just as likely to be a question about the flooring, or how they added a ceiling light in the bathroom with no visible wiring. (Hint: the previous owners made some additional changes when they redid the roof.)

Eric and Audrey’s house was built in 1956 by Jones & Emmons, but had been altered significantly since then. All of the original mahogany paneling was gone. Window patterns were significantly altered when the garage was converted to living space in the ’90s and two vinyl units were added below a row of clerestories. “That would make Mr. Joseph Eichler turn in his grave,” the couple posted on Instagram. Inch-thick terra-cotta tile was laid over the floors in the main living spaces.

Before: Entry

After: Entry

So the couple reached out to designers Brett Foken and Kathryn Lazarus of interior design studio Decorotation to help them reverse some of those unfortunate decisions, and to bring the home into the 21st century. They also brought in Beckner Contracting, who has experience restoring Eichlers.

“The previous owners had done a number of personal updates that we felt covered up a lot of the original character,” says Foken. “Our goal was to not only restore that, but make it feel more modern, and functionally and aesthetically aligned with Eric and Audrey’s lifestyle.”

The floor plan and footprint were kept intact, with the team working to highlight, and occasionally recreate, original Eichler features while making updates along the way. “We realized that Eichlers are really great in terms of the bones, and really classic in the styling,” says Eric. “But they also modernize really nicely.”

Take the main living areas, where an exterior patio had been enclosed to create a sunroom (the window sequence here was also wrong for an Eichler) and sealed off with glass doors. The overall effect was out of sync with the home’s original intent; instead of clean lines and lots of glass overlooking the backyard, there was a disconnected feeling and visual clutter.

Before: Main Room and Kitchen

The team removed the interior glass doors and installed a steel support beam to open up and connect the main living spaces. The terra-cotta tile was removed and the original concrete subfloor refinished throughout. Since the sunroom-turned-living room had once been an exterior patio, it needed new concrete, which the subcontractor carefully poured to match old with new.

Finally, the exterior wall received large panes of glass, two sliding glass doors, and a minimal trim treatment. Now, there are clear sightlines from the kitchen counter into the backyard. “It feels much more open, lighter, and brighter,” says Lazarus. “It feels like the sunroom was always a part of the main space.”

After: Kitchen and Dining Room

Before: Sunroom

After: Living Room

Next up was addressing the office and garage-turned-family room. In the office, where both Eric and Audrey work from home full time, the team added a structural wing wall in order to insert glass back in and make the rear façade symmetrical. The added family room had its interloping vinyl windows removed, and now sports a wall of rift white oak paneling. The white oak was also added in the primary bedroom and hall in reference to the original mahogany paneling that had long gone missing.

“We liked the idea of doing something in the spirit of the original house, with a modern spin,” explain the couple on Instagram. Among other updates from Eric and Audrey, they gave their finisher got a shout-out for pouring over “countless samples” of a finish until it was just right, adding “Gotta sweat the details!” Apparently, it’s an Eichler thing.

Before: Office

After: Office

After: Rear Façade

Before: Family Room

After: Family Room

Before: Primary Bedroom

After: Primary Bedroom

Before: Primary Bathroom

After: Primary Bathroom

More from Decorotation:

A Faded Eichler in San Mateo Gets a Glow Up

Project Credits:

Interior Design: Decorotation / @decorotation_interiors

Builder: Beckner Contracting and Management

Structural Engineer: SEDR Consulting

Cabinetry: Decorotation / Birchwood Cabinets

Audrey and Eric's Instagram: @morethanmeetstheeichler

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