This project aimed to restore a home to its Eichler roots while modernizing the space. It was a serendipitous beginning when the client and designer both were the same outfit on their initial meeting.
The young couple who had purchased the home in San Mateo, California, immediately knew that Karina Marshall of BLAINE Architects and Marshall Interiors was the designer they needed to bring out the aesthetics of their home.
The brief was to redesign the kitchen, living living, family room and dining room. It was quickly decided to incorporate a wood, white and black palette for the new design as is so popular among the clients for Blaine and Marshall Eichler designs. The project was not without its challenges. It was important to bring light into the kitchen but do so without focusing on the kitchen view, which overlooks a narrow walkway and fence.
A further challenge was to respect the heritage of Eichler’s midcentury modern design but also to bring in contemporary aesthetics.
Last but not least, the clients wanted a cooktop on the kitchen island, but this needed to be done without a hood vent obscuring the view to the open kitchen. To overcome the first of these challenges, the solution was to bring in light both above and below eye-level using a window backsplash.
Operable windows were added to enable the kitchen to be aired out. More glass was added above the cabinets which sat over the window backsplash, giving the feeling of floating cabinets. To address honoring the home’s Eichler roots, the solution was to incorporate a color palette that mixed mahogany wood, white, and black throughout the home.
Modern furniture enabled the upgrade to take on a more contemporary tone without diminishing the midcentury features. The kitchen island cooktop predicament was solved by inserting a hood into the roof structure, which allows for the needed ventilation without taking away from the aesthetics.The result? A gorgeous Eichler home updated for today, with respect for its original plans.
Photos by Jean Bai