Perched high on a hillside in Carmel, CA, with stunning views of the ocean is a house that was originally built by Joseph Eichler, a 20th-century post-war American real estate developer known for developing distinctive residential subdivisions of Mid-century modern style tract housing in California. The recent challenge for the team at Lewis Builders was to hold true to the home’s aesthetic, while updating its features and function. In the end, a streamlined contemporary design was achieved, which was still reflective of Eichler’s initial intent.
Among the obstacles cited by the design team during the seven-month renovation was a heating and ventilation system that was poured into the concrete slab foundation and had pest intrusion, a choppy floor plan where a person had to walk through one bedroom to get to the other, a crowded kitchen that blocked views to the dining room and the ocean, a misplaced fireplace and areas of the interior space that lacked natural light.