This 1955 Eichler Home Is in Good Hands

The Eichler home living room has floor-to-ceiling windows and mid century furnishings. — From the floor-to-ceiling windows to the funky modern lighting, this Eichler home is filled with mid century whimsy.

The roofline was what did it. Or maybe it was the banks of windows. Or perhaps the original kitchen, open floor plan and fireplace. Something about this 1955 Eichler home designed by Jones & Emmons told Zann Gates and Jeff Roush that it was meant to be theirs, so they purchased it off-market and left their 1920 stucco cottage in Davis, California, for this flat-roofed ranch in nearby Sacramento.

The front entrance has a shady overhang and yellow door. — The stone entrance makes a bold, mid century statement and has easy upkeep. It’s not only beautiful, but practical, as well.

The front yard is bark dust with tufted grass. — This 1955 flat-roofed Eichler home was designed by A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons for Eichler homes and is part of an intact Eichler tract in Sacramento, California. The homeowners selected a vibrant yellow for the front door after visiting a friend’s home in Palm Springs.

“[It was] pristine—the inspector couldn’t find anything wrong with it structurally, all we had to do was a toilet reset,” Zann says of the state of the home when purchased. “The previous owners spent the three years of their ownership replacing the roof, the exterior siding; insulating throughout; caulking in between all the ceiling boards; new flooring; new hot water heater and double-pane windows throughout the home. It felt like a new house.”

Past and Present Upgrades

Doorways were moved to create an en-suite guest bath, and an extra glass panel was added to the master bedroom, which Zann shares is the best upgrade the prior homeowners made. She doesn’t agree with all their choices for the four-bedroom, two bathroom home, like removing most of the original mahogany-paneled walls. So Zann and Jeff have made modifications that are both 21st-century eco-conscious and fitting to the MCM period.

The back patio has concrete ground, cacti and minimal furniture. — Zann and Jeff worked with a local landscape design firm on their outdoor spaces, which feature native plants selected to attract bees and butterflies.

The Eichler home backyard has tufts of grass and gravel pathways that lead to the back patio. — The Eichler home backyard is popping with tufted grass and whimsical gravel pathways that lead guests back to the welcoming mid century patio.

The hallway leads towards the front door's bright yellow interior side. — All but one of the home’s original mahogany panel accent walls were removed by previous owners. “We’re grateful for that one remaining wall,” Zann says.

“We redid the closet doors back to their original look—painted the frames and rebuilt the grasscloth panels with new grasscloth and plywood,” Zann says. “We added grasscloth to a wall in the master bedroom and a wall in the office to warm up the look.” Walls will eventually be repainted, and the basic laminate floor installed by the previous owners will be replaced at some point.

The poodle rests on top of the living room's sofa, surrounded by wood flooring, furnishings, and a sage green paneled wall. — Toby, the homeowners’ standard poodle, makes himself comfortable in the living room. The bright, airy space offers views of the backyard and a city park with trees about the same age as the home.

The owners' poodle sits on top of their living room's sage green sofa. — Toby sits happily on the living room’s lovely sage green couch. And how could he not be happy living in such a stylish home?

“My dream is cork, and when I say cork, I mean 12″ x 12″ glue-down cork like in the actual mid century,” Zann says. “We have a neighbor that put it in; it makes me cry when I go over there. It’s lovely and patinated like an old ball glove or a grade school in the 1950s that’s seen too many little feet.”

Original Spaces of an Eichler Home

One space that hasn’t needed a refresh is the kitchen, which maintains its original black-and-white color scheme and features the original cabinetry and Thermador oven and cooktop. The stove-side countertop is still covered in the original Formica. The kitchen layout is untouched. “[A] galley kitchen with a proper work triangle is a joy forever,” Zann says. “Jones & Emmons knew what they were doing.”

The Eichler home kitchen is closed off from the rest of the house with thick, white-painted walls in mid century style. — This three-quarter wall is one of Zann’s favorite architectural elements, providing separation between the eating and living spaces but also letting light flood in throughout.

The kitchen has white cabinetry with black trim and wood flooring. — Most of the kitchen was intact when Zann and Jeff moved in. It features the original cabinetry and Thermador oven and cooktop. The stove-side countertop retains its original Formica countertop.

The Eichler home dining room is adjacent to the kitchen and has sage green walls. — “[A] galley kitchen with a proper work triangle is a joy forever. Jones & Emmons knew what they were doing,” says Zann. The dining room is an equal match to the masterpiece of a kitchen.

The Eichler dining room has wood flooring, paneled walls and a large pendant light. — The Eichler home dining room is simple yet full of personality, a delicate and memorable balance that takes a skillful eye to achieve.

The kitchen is one piece of a large open-concept living/eating space, with delineations provided by the surviving three-quarter panel wall and the white brick wall/fireplace. There’s easy flow in this area of the home, and plenty of light is able to stream into the kitchen and dining room from the floor-to-ceiling glass panels and sliders in the living room.

Clean Views

The living room offers an uninterrupted view of the backyard, which was designed by a local landscaping firm. Zann and Jeff requested pollinator-friendly native plants be used in the yard, so bees and butterflies are now frequent guests. The hardscaping is original to the house.

A mid century chair upholstered with rusty orange fabric sits in front of floor-to-ceiling windows. — The panel accent wall was painted Kelly-Moore “head for the beach” by the previous owners. Though beige on the paint chip, the paint color here—bathed in the natural light that comes in through the home’s wall of windows—reads pale sage on the wall.

The mid century fireplace of the Eichler home has white brick walls and an extended base with pillows for seating. — The fireplace is original to the Eichler home. It boasts room for seating and serves as a divider in the open living/eating space.

The colorful bedspread complements sage green walls and has sliding glass doors leading out to the backyard patio of the Eichler home. — Former owners made updates to the home that retained the MCM feel, including the addition of an extra glass panel in the master bedroom. “That is one of the best things they did,” Zann says of the update.

Open bedroome with mid century furniture and sage green walls. — The lovely sage green walls are complemented by a vibrant bedspread, while beehive-shaped pendant lights flank the spacious bed.

A panel wall is carried through from the entryway into the living room and out into the backyard. It was painted Kelly-Moore’s “Head for the Beach” by the former homeowners. Beige on the paint chip, it can read as sage green on the walls, depending on the light. This chameleon quality has made Zann a fan of the color.

A Look Towards the Future

Though just the fourth owners in the home’s nearly 65-year history, Zann and Jeff know they will one day protectively pass this Eichler gem along and are grateful for their place in its ongoing story. “It’s a dream home for us; we feel lucky to be its caretakers for now,” Zann says. “And I hope to God no one ever tears out the three-quarter wall between the kitchen and living room in a misguided attempt to ‘open up’ the space.”

Inspired to upgrade your home with mid century finds? Check out essential mid mod decor pieces for entertaining or simply enjoying yourself at home!

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