I like the cement board on the fireplace. Not crazy about the redwood beams with the stained ceiling.

Errant - Thanks for your honest opinion on the 2nd fireplace! I was thinking along those lines, maybe covering with some sort of textile instead, but I don't know if I can pull it off without looking halfassed!

Beverly - Yes, definitely white posts and beams. Are you thinking white paint for the fireplace? Or do you think it could be stained to be light like in the 3rd photo?

Paint the brick white ...... and for now .... take some black high-heat paint (or sometimes called barbecue paint) and simply lightly sand the brass edge of the doors -- and paint them black ....

Add large mid-century style starburst mirror ....

Here is a link that might be useful: Pinterest -- pin photo

I would probably darken the beams, especially if I was going to strip the ceiling.

The 3rd picture appears that the brick might be whitewashed. I like that or covering it with cement board.

I love your wall of glass. It is the star to me. If you choose to plaster over the brick fireplace it would draw less attention. Here is an example

I love your house! I wish there were Eichlers where I live. The brick repeats outside in the courtyard and the patio so I would keep it as is. Really, I would keep it all as is anyway because I could not bare to change anything.

This post was edited by athomeinva on Thu, Nov 13, 14 at 17:45

Oh, maxmillion I love your house! The ceiling looks high enough that if the water damage precludes you from clear sealing it (which you absolutely should if you can!), you could probably get away with staining it "wood colored."

I'd like to see the beams either white or black/off black depending on what you do with the fireplace.

What do you think of a rolled steel surround?

Such a cool house! What are you doing with the cedar on the walls? Is it a clear finish or some color stain? Just as you have in the picture?
It seems to me that you would want to sand down the redwood no matter what you do in order to get the best finish on it. Even if you are going over it with an opaque stain. I know LOTS of work!
I would paint the brick for starters. Are you positive on white beams?

maxmillion, these folks look to have a nearly identical setup, and kept the brick. I think it looks great. Click through for nice photos.

Here is a link that might be useful: Similar house

No advice but I love your house/LR already! Love the house you linked as well!

Thanks for all the feedback! Keep it coming, there's lots to think about. Photos are especially helpful, since I can show them to DH and convince him to agree with whatever I decide. :-)

palimpsest - I'm glad you weighed in! Given the other thread about fireplaces, I'm surprised you've whitewashed the fireplace in your photo! Do you think the red brick color is not integral to our home? The only place we have brick is in the fireplace, so it does feel one-off. I'm hesitant to whitewash or stain it because it is in perfect condition, in all its red glory.

From your previous posts, you seem firmly in the camp of trying to keep a home in the spirit of its intended design, so I'd love to pick your brain about where you would draw the line. I really do love the style of the house. I just don't like our overwhelmingly red-brown color scheme. Our neighbor's house was originally blue-grey with white beams and red door, and I much prefer the lighter cooler tones. I love wood, but dislike brown paint. It feels like a flat and lifeless wannabe wood to me. I hope that doesn't offend anybody!

emmarene - I do like the contemporary look of a smooth plaster fireplace, but we went through the effort of removing stucco from the exterior. I couldn't bring myself to plaster the fireplace!

athomeinva - I hear you! Sometimes I have panic attacks that we have done too much. Overall we are bringing it closer to original, so I'm trying to stay positive about that.

Kiwigem - Thanks! I did start looking into metal surrounds thinking that it might be removable by a future owner. They are all so dark though. Do you know how reversible metal surrounds are and whether they would work for exterior application too?

Missymoo - Thanks! We are sealing the cedar, no stain. It has darkened a little bit with the sealant from when I took the photo. There's at least one more coat to go, maybe two.

Oaktown - Wow, thanks for the link! Interesting how they painted the front and side of the house but left the back and interior stained. I've also never seen series 7 chairs in that swirl pattern they have in the dining room. Sorry, I'm getting distracted! The fireplace does fit in, but I'm sure that color scheme is too dark for DH.

Love love love your house! I would definitely refinish the redwood. I think any of the suggestions for the fireplace are better than it looks now. I like teacats idea to start. I definitely think the fp needs to be white/white plaster/etc. or white washed to contrast with the redwood.

I hope you plan to share more photos of your fabulous house!

"palimpsest - I'm glad you weighed in! Given the other thread about fireplaces, I'm surprised you've whitewashed the fireplace in your photo! Do you think the red brick color is not integral to our home? The only place we have brick is in the fireplace, so it does feel one-off. I'm hesitant to whitewash or stain it because it is in perfect condition, in all its red glory.

From your previous posts, you seem firmly in the camp of trying to keep a home in the spirit of its intended design, so I'd love to pick your brain about where you would draw the line. I really do love the style of the house. I just don't like our overwhelmingly red-brown color scheme. Our neighbor's house was originally blue-grey with white beams and red door, and I much prefer the lighter cooler tones. I love wood, but dislike brown paint. It feels like a flat and lifeless wannabe wood to me. I hope that doesn't offend anybody!"

I think it could be left unpainted. But since it is a stand alone feature and not tied into brick walls or other features, I don't think I would have a problem painting it.

I believe the beams are currently stained, aren't they?--with a really flat stain--but redwood stained tends to look pretty flat anyway, I think. I would try to stain them darker, not paint them brown, and give them some sheen as well.

I with regard to changing vs. not changing: I think it's a fine line. I don't think houses are ideally time capsules, like they do on some sites like Retrorenovation, but I think you have to be really careful about changing the "essence". Changes become additive, and I think sometimes you can have the Tin Woodsman effect on a house: under a spell he repeatedly injured himself with his ax and eventually everything was replaced with tin, except he had no heart.

I think it's possible to even gut a house, if necessary, but you can still make it look like it should, even though not completely "original" --this is sometimes difficult and counter-intuitive --because you have to make "dated" decisions.

I tried it with restained ceilings. A little too gold but I might go for stained.

This post was edited by palimpsest on Fri, Nov 14, 14 at 11:32

I love the fireplace as is. It wouldn't like hurt my heart to change it, but I think it looks pretty good! Understood about the red/brown color scheme...but it's leavened by the beautiful windows.

Very cool house, maxmillion!

I have to admit I am not loving the gray wash either. I agree with others that I would paint the fireplace white. This is one of my favorite Eichlers with a similar ceiling and fireplace to yours -- they've painted the fireplace white (although they have white ceilings):

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[Midcentury Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/midcentury-modern-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2115) by San Jose General Contractors Flegel's Construction Co., Inc.

Under feng shui principles, the beams are supposed to be the same color as the ceiling. The dark beams are known as "cutting chi" because they dissect the energy of the space and can act as daggers. We had a feng shui practitioner look at photos of our house and the first thing they said was paint the beams and the ceiling a light color.

I painted the beams white and stripped the ceiling.

Eek! Now that is bringing back memories of an Eichler we rented during school in the 90s. I guess it is saying something that I still can appreciate Eichlers after living in that particular house. (It was fine to look at but very poorly built.)

The painter sanded down part of the ceiling and used clear sealant to show me what it would look like. It is DARK. Much darker than I was expecting. I looked at the photo with the stripped ceilings above, and read the article that went with it. They replaced the original ceiling with Douglas fir which explains the color difference. This is a bad photo, but you can see the small patch where they stripped the redwood ceiling and sealed it next to the cedar to see how it compares. He said it will cost me an arm and a leg to strip it. I'm leaning back towards grey stain.

Also, the cedar is darkening quite a bit with the sealant which accentuates the color variance between the boards. I think it would look too busy with a natural ceiling.

In case you're wondering about the siding, the house was originally sided with a dark stained textured plywood (see bottom of this page). PO stucco'ed over the exterior, and the remaining interior plywood was badly faded with patterns of where art must have been hung. We couldn't repair and instead removed the stucco and are siding with cedar in the same areas that once had the plywood.

This post was edited by maxmillion on Sat, Nov 15, 14 at 4:27

Sorry for multiple posts, I can never remember my image hosting passwords! The beams are painted Douglas fir, not stained redwood. There's no way we can strip those and stain them, since we removed some walls to open up the space and added windows (yes, more!) and the original beams were cobbled together. Glass for the new windows just came in today!

Part of what is driving the decision for white posts and beams is the contrast from the exterior. DH does not like how the stained beams here blend in.

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[Midcentury Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/midcentury-modern-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2115) by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers Klopf Architecture

He prefers this type of color scheme where the beams are prominent like these:

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[Midcentury Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/midcentury-modern-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2115) by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers modern house architects

[

[Contemporary Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2103) by San Jose General Contractors Flegel's Construction Co., Inc.

I agree the white doesn't contrast as much as the dark brown with grey stained ceilings, but I think there is still a good amount of contrast. The second photo I posted above is the same house, and I like the beam contrast inside.

[

[Contemporary Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2103) by San Jose General Contractors Flegel's Construction Co., Inc.

Interesting how that photo looks much different on the contractor's Houzz page than on Dwell! There is some image editing going on here obviously, but also the ceiling color is really hard to capture. Depending on lighting and angle, it can look beige-y, brown, or greyish. The grain (and lots of knots) are very visible.

For example, here is another photo of the ceiling in our house that looks a lot more like photo #3 above that I liked. Yes, we are probably committing an MCM sin and adding recessed lights. So while the grey can look bad from certain angles, I am now leaning toward preferring it to the overwhelming darkness of clear sealed.

Still no clue what to do about the fireplace. Is the general consensus here that the fireplace will stick out like a sore thumb, and I should do *something* because anything is better than the red brick?

"Is the general consensus here that the fireplace will stick out like a sore thumb, and I should do *something* because anything is better than the red brick? "

No, I think that there are two different code phrases:

If someone * likes an individual material that's not reiterated (like the brick only appearing on the fireplace and chimney)--then it "provides a nice contrast".

If someone *doesn't like an individual material (like the brick only appearing on the fireplace and chimney)--then it "sticks out like a sore thumb".

I'm glad you're keeping some variations in tone. I think the all-white Eichler is veering toward "redecorated by Miami transplant in 1987" territory. All it needs is a seafoam leather sectional. --Which I think can be fine if you live in something built in 1987, not 1960.

I also think of the Very Brady Christmas house. I was never a fan of the original house or color scheme, but I don't think the 1989 version was any better:

Is this where you are headed, then?

There are two houses like this around the corner, that are pretty much "as built" 1965. The outside front is almost a blank wall. My realtor didn't even know they were houses. I think it's interesting, I don't know what I would do with the brick although the entire house is clad in brick.

I don't get the logic behind taking the obvious intended focal point of a space and essentially trying to cover it with a bedsheet.

And I think it is a serious mistake to have the beams and window frames in different colors.

Palimpsest - Oof, that brick fireplace is .... something else! I'm on the fence about all-white Eichlers. Visually I like them, but I realize they are a major deviation from the intent. In any case, we're not going in that direction.

After HOURS in photoshop (I am clearly not as skilled as you guys here), I'm leaning towards this, except I'm still not sure about the FP. I tried it in various stages of whitewash and didn't like that any better because I think it will turn out pinkish with so much red underneath. An all-white FP removes so much texture.

What do you think? The floors are now pale grey, wall in cedar, posts & beams white, ceiling is greyed redwood color-ish.

Marcolo - By bedsheet, do you mean any attempt to cover the FP with anything including artwork, whitewash, and paint, or do you mean any of the metal / plaster / tile options thrown out? I can understand the viewpoint, but just because something is meant to be a focal point doesn't mean it's a good one, like the FP palimpsest posted above!

There are no window frames in the above photos unless you are counting the sliding glass door frame which is clear anodized aluminum. Those windows are glass that is held in place by paint grade wooden stops which would be painted to match the posts and beams. PO replaced all the operable windows on the bedroom side with brown vinyl, and we are going back to clear anodized aluminum frames. I think that's actually another point in favor of white posts & beams - goes better with the windows and sliders throughout the house which is especially visible in the atrium.

A big vote for painting the window frames, the ceiling beams AND the tall fireplace in white -- a BIG massive vote!!! :)

Just teasing -- but I lOVE the idea of the white fresh crisp architectural elements with pops of color! :)

I suppose in the case of the fireplace I show, there could be a pretty strong rationale for stuccoing the whole thing. Then it creates an entire wall of solid and void rather than a brick candelabra shape superimposed on glass. But this architect also did stucco fireplaces ( I have one). I think this elevation looks kind of odd as is but there is a big However for me. These houses are tiny, right on the sidewalk and were very low budget as built, then the whole idea that you could get a light-filled living room in a house that has to be private and secure on the front (neighborhood was dangerous at the time) and solid walled on the sides (they are town houses) --And get a 12 foot ceiling in the living room (in a three-story house) gives the house a whole different meaning for me:

Maybe this mirror on the white-painted fireplace?

Here is a link that might be useful: bellacor -- mirror

Or perhaps this one -- hung vertically on a white-painted fireplace .....

Here is a link that might be useful: bellacor -- cool mirror -- hang vertically

.... yet another mirror -- but cool wood this time ....

Here is a link that might be useful: bellacor -- another cool mirror

It seems it will come down to owner preference as all the suggestions are ones of personal choice not a design do or don't. I agree the issue is the gray wash on the ceiling. If you could re-stain the ceiling you would be done. The beams and window trim need to stay matching and the beams absolutely have to stand out from the ceiling--not the same color. I see no reason to drag the fireplace into the issue with the ceiling. I am not understanding the temptation to change the original MC fireplace. It is iconic and needs to be left alone, IMHO.

Love your home, I even like the red brick. The white brick is nice too, probably more current but down the road who knows what will be popular.

Also, really like the wood ceiling but it is very dark. Have you considered bleaching the wood.I think a lighter version of wood tone would be perfect.

I vote for white fp (paint or stucco, etc.) but I am also color challenged.

By bedsheet, I mean using a can of white paint as some sort of neutral, default, easy "quick fix" that, oh, by the way, irrevocably alters a key element in your house. These houses were meant to blur the lines between interior and exterior, so the beams, ceiling and chimney should carry through as if they don't even notice the walls and windows. In a traditional house, a fireplace is part of a wall. Here, it's mean to be seen as a three dimensional pillar, one object seen from four sides. So painting one side is a very big deal. That's why I conceptually feel more comfortable with big art or sheets of metal that just hang on the pillar chimney, although none of the inspiration pics above are quite right for your room.

And by bedsheet, I'm also referring to something that was touched on in another thread. Sometimes when a room element is deemed "dated," people try to update the feature any way they can, even if it doesn't actually look good. It's almost as if they're trying to try to issue a note of apology to their guests, and say: "I know it's bad! I'm not responsible!"

Anyway. I understand why you're trying to tone down the brown. And I'm not saying you shouldn't do anything to the fireplace at all. Get the beams and wood right first. Then decide. But white paint is a big step, and it's not what you do while you're just thinking it over.

I have always been in love with this fireplace.

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[Modern Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2105) by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers Feldman Architecture, Inc.

Maybe check out the entire home for ideas? I know it is different in architecture than your is but it might still give you some helpful ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: House Pics

I think the cans of white paint were first promoted by Elsie de Wolfe around the time she compiled "The House in Good Taste" from articles she had written, in 1914.

She wanted to move away from Victorian excesses and felt that houses should reflect the personal taste of the owner rather than their incomes/purchasing power.

She suggested lightening up dark Victorian interiors with simple curtains, removal of dark wallcoverings and painting overly dark woodwork. She hated Victorian furniture but felt that a playful quality could be given to the ornamental excesses of the furniture by painting it all white.

She later said she regretted the amount of painting she had promoted. And, starting in the 1960s sometime people started to discover the good qualities of Victorian woodwork and quarter-sawn oak and you still hear people saying "Why did they cover all that beautiful wood with layers of paint?" --Because now we appreciate it in it's historical context, and then it was just "old".

The pre WWI era was the last of really fine woodwork in ordinary houses, and the 1950s through the early seventies was the peak era of the wood-sheathed interior (albeit not necessarily "fine woodwork"). I think it's kind of ironic that the generation that built those houses was the one that started to appreciate Victorianism and question why it was all so readily altered or covered, and now we are doing the same to the houses they built.

This overly lecture-y post is dedicated to Edmund Burke;

"Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it."

Arcy - I don't see any suggestions *anywhere* that suggest a beam color that matches the ceiling, nor is anyone suggesting different colored beams and window trim. And even if they did, beams and posts/trim of different colors IS a detail that was originally incorporated in many Eichlers. The ceiling was originally stained Cabot Dune Grey which Eichler preservationists are avid about. Unfortunately, that no longer meets code due to VOC content. I was asking about stripping (easy for anyone to re-stain if they wished) or staining an approximation of the original color. I don't understand how the fireplace could NOT come into play. As everybody says, it's a major focal point. Of course it matters, whether that means coordinating the surroundings to it or changing it to coordinate with the surroundings.

Marcolo and Palimpsest, sorry for lumping you together but I think we're all on the same page here, and thanks for the info about Elsie de Wolfe. I know lots of folks are rooting for white paint, but that was really never an option from my perspective. I threw out stain because my understanding is that it alters the color but not the texture and is reversible by staining back to red. (Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't been able to find that much info on masonry stain.)

I'm trying to be open to ideas because I'm still in the brainstorming stage. But I'll admit, I'm not super excited about any of the options so far and am hoping someone will have a unique idea. If I can't find a better option, I'll leave the fireplace alone (aside from artwork), and that's kind of where I am right now.

And yes, I absolutely understand the connection between the inside and outside. One of my criteria for any possible fireplace treatment is that it must be doable on the inside, outside, and above the roof.

I promise not to do anything like this:

A lot of people who see my house immediately ask "What are you going to do about the fireplace?" as if it's so hideous that I can't possibly leave it alone in midst of a major renovation. I'm honestly surprised how many people have a negative visceral reaction to it, and I'm trying to understand that better. If you hate the red brick, is it because you would prefer a completely different style of house, because it seems dated, because you would prefer it marbled and gold leafed (in which case I'm going to ignore you), because you hate the color, or some other reason?

I personally don't like the color, but I don't know that I hate it enough to change it.

Rockybird - Thanks for weighing in. I know you appreciate MCM with your beautiful house and painstaking renovation! I am a bit color challenged too.

Teacats - Thanks for all the mirror links! It actually reminded me of why I wasn't sure about artwork on the fireplace -- the globe lights will partially block it. I should add the light into the photo to show where that hangs.

Antiqueannie - You're absolutely right about changing popularity. I think that's why I'm not sold on the cement board. It seems current, and I don't know that I'd like it in 10 years.

Aktillery - Thanks for the new idea! That's a beautiful house. Sigh, I wish I could have convinced DH to try refinishing the concrete floor, but he dislikes concrete and anything remotely "industrial" or "commercial".

After looking at real estate listings, I'm feeling a lot better about my fireplace. I promise not to sheetrock it and paint it purple:

Or drywall and add an extension onto the back:

Do whatever this is:

And I definitely absolutely promise not to add any faux columns or crown molding, especially not to the beams.

A lot of people who see your house are probably thinking it's inherently ugly or at least terribly dated. That might be hard to understand for someone who appreciates intact houses with a very specific architectural viewpoint (whatever that particular style might be), but to some people "old" is just "old" and they will never understand why you would leave something like this as is. They *might* appreciated something as old as a Victorian house because that is almost like a museum at this point, but for something that was built in many people's lifetimes or shortly before --that's all candidate for major change.

To them you might as well have Jane Fonda's shag mullet from Klute and walk around wearing double-knit jumpsuits if you are going to leave a house like that alone because architecture is as ephemeral to them as fashion and old is old and rarely satisfactory.

There are many, many people--including people in this forum who would find your "whatever this is" living room Far Superior to what you've got now. Because except for the "weird ceiling" it looks current.

There: cover the wood with some drywall, and replace the globe with a bowl and some oil-rubbed bronze and you are completely done, and honestly it's not at all unpleasant. It's just something different from what it was.

Also I live in a row of four houses all of which had exposed sheathing, open raftered ceilings with a peaked wall of glass at one end. Two have been completely covered with drywall. One has had all the triangular glass removed and replaced with a conventional French door and two rectangular windows. They happen to think it's a big improvement over the original. It looks like the attic story in a "normal" house.

------

I think the point here is this:

I am assuming this is a house that is about 55 years old.

If you leave it alone, for the most part, in 15 years it will be a 70 year old house in a historic design.

If you change things it will be a 70 year old house that has 15 year old styles superimposed on it and those changes will be "dated".

A lot of people who see my house immediately ask "What are you going to do about the fireplace?" as if it's so hideous that I can't possibly leave it alone in midst of a major renovation

To many, whatever is in the current Pottery Barn catalog is Correct, and any deviation from it is clearly an Error. They just want to know how quickly you're going to fix the "mistake."

It's a lack of discernment and appreciation. The people who think all aesthetics are a matter of subjective preference don't understand the difference between design and their own personal taste. One can appreciate an Eichler without wanting to live in one.

Fortunately, most houses are pretty conventional and transitional and the rectangular rooms can take a lot of updating and changes pretty successfully because the rooms are sort of "containers for people and furniture". There's nothing the matter with that and actually the ability to adapt is a good thing. Even this house, or at least many like it, probably has a few simple rectangular room that would adapt to change pretty readily. The sort of room in the original post isn't one of them.

Pipdog - Sorry, I missed your earlier post. That house was the inspiration for one of my neighbor's remodels! Interestingly, they painted everything white BUT the fireplace and put in similar light wood flooring. Their fireplace is on an outer wall, not in the center, so it doesn't really stick out.

Palimpsest - LOL on the mullet. I admit, I did have a mullet haircut 5(?) years ago when they were back in style, and DH had the faux-hawk. But hair is temporary by its nature, and I like looking silly. :)

I didn't mean to be dismissive of "whatever this is" but I honestly don't know what to call it. I'm a big fan of modernism, and I'm clueless when it comes to transitional decor. I understand modern design principles, but ask me which chair goes with which table in a transitional home and I'm at a loss.

And I'm really not a preservationist. We are making significant changes. The siding is definitely not original (I'd argue better than the stucco). We're updating the kitchen and baths, removing walls, etc. And our furniture is definitely not period correct.

The house I posted above with the metal sheets is from a Dwell home tour and dubbed the "Hyper Eichler" by the architect. He approached the update by considering what the architects / builder might have done if the materials and building technology of today was available back then. I think it stays true even with the numerous changes from the original finishes, and I try to keep this approach in mind.

Marcolo - I don't know that wanting to paint a fireplace or making any non-standard MCM chalterations is necessarily due to a lack of appreciation or trend following. Most of my neighbors truly believe they appreciate the MCM nature of their homes and probably wouldn't know a current trend if it hit them in the face, but they make all kinds of changes that purists would cringe at: granite counters, shaker cabinets, atrium conversion, fireplace removal, wood flooring, etc etc etc. A lot of it is due to tweaking their homes for their lifestyle (fireplace in the way, needed sq footage from atrium), or something I often hear is the emphasis on natural materials (granite counters, wood floors) despite the fact they're replacing formica and VCT.

And... to try to bring this back to my fireplace, I spent many more hours adding furniture. There are tan leather end tables and a coffee table that I couldn't find photos for. I'm debating between using the Nesta rug or a mohair rug in the living area, both grey. The furniture isn't exact (sofa configuration is not what's shown, dining area is all rotated), but you get the idea.

Now what do you all think of the fireplace? I put a poster from a movie I like on it, but that poster doesn't actually come that large so I need to think of something else to put there. Any ideas?

Like the wall siding color more with the orange furniture colors, but adding orange to the room makes me favor using white or another neutral on the fireplace. the brick and orange don't work well together for me

I don't think everything in these houses was a good idea, and honestly a lot of modernist houses are pretty shoddy construction-wise, at least when it comes to certain elements. My house had windows that were single sheets of glass held in with quarter round moulding. (It still has some). The vinyl replacements are pretty ugly and inappropriate (and slated to be changed) but at least they are a real window.

But the owners of modernist houses in particular have a really narrow path to tread: I am not a preservationist either. I know that my original full bath was black and bright gold mosaic floors with gold sparkle on white wall tile (Daltile "Golden Granite" still made). I could "recreate" this with the same colored tile and even with black fixtures (and probably baroque looking faux flocked wallpaper)--but I wouldn't find that particularly pleasant, and the recreation would not be any more "genuine" that what I would replace the cheaply redone "Edwardian" bathroom with anyway.

So I will nod to the past by doing a "compatible" bathroom.

But the narrow path is dictated by the reality that "compatible" with Eichler (or Kahn, or Weise) provides you with a lot less options than "compatible" with generic post-war ranch modernism or William Levitt. I really don't push for people to live in recreated time capsules. But I would tend to advise people against buying a house with a strong personality and then trying to change it by chipping away at it. That,-- like trying to change the essential attributes of someone you marry--rarely works.

As for furniture, I think to some degree you do Not have to put modernist furniture in a modernist house. There are beautiful modernist houses filled with 18th c. antiques and reproductions here (or *were*: that generation is dying).

I agree. These houses have a very strong point of view. That's their beauty and their challenge.

I keep going back to the pic with the stainless steel. I don't like the material there at all. But I do like the concept of a sheet of something suspended in front of the fireplace.

Maxmillion, if you can flag down mntnrdredux, she has the url of a site that sells really cool tall banners that were used to advertise museum exhibitions. Might find one that works there.

ETA: found it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Museum street banners

This post was edited by marcolo on Sun, Nov 16, 14 at 14:57

Lisaam - Yeah, I'm still not thrilled by the color of the brick, but I will wait it out and take a photo when everything is in place.

Palimpsest - I make a distinction between the structure and the furnishings. When it comes to the structure of a house, keeping the spirit of it intact is important to me. But furnishings are fair game, and I think many people have done a great job incorporating their preferred style into their settings.

Marcolo - Thanks for the link! I saw one of these decanters at a winery this summer. My friend who has taken up glassblowing was smitten with it and wants to take a stab at reproducing it.