Text from Klopf Architecture
For this project the clients, who had undergone several previous house renovations, were determined to stick with an established budget from the beginning. Klopf Architecture helped them modernize their Eichler with a premium appearance on a reasonable budget.
The clients challenged the Klopf team to create a design that had a high-end feel and nicely done while adhering to their budget. That meant not all of the initial project scope could be built.
Like many other Eichler homes, the original floor plan did not meet the family’s needs, leaving them feeling disconnected from one room to another. While an early goal was to expand the house into a carport and create a larger garage, it did not survive the contractor pricing phase of the project.
The goals that did survive through to the end of the project included blurring some of the boundaries and opening up some of the spaces, making them more functional and creating a smoother flow in the house.
The Klopf team joined the former separate kitchen and formal living room into one large space and shifted the dining room where it is now connected to the kitchen. Klopf swapped the family room to the front alongside the living room, so the spaces feel more cohesive and are now better suited for family activities.
The functional layout of the master bathroom was changed to include a large, curbless shower.
Klopf balanced material selections by retaining some of the original woodwork and simply refinishing the mahogany paneling. They were able to retain the original windows and sliding doors which were still in good shape, avoiding some of the most costly replacement expenses.
Additionally interior doors were simply refinished and the exterior siding cleaned up and repainted. Formerly dark interiors are now illuminated with new slimmer semi-recessed lighting eliminating the need for costly roof work.
Attention to design details allowed the Klopf team to ensure the house ended up with a high quality feel. Key visual elements were strictly aligned and Klopf worked with the clients to select a unified materials palette throughout the spaces so the house flows seamlessly together.
Aligning the tile layout with the trusses and keeping it level with the concrete slab outside allowed them to achieve a level of quality that may otherwise be missed.
