Before & After: Another A. Quincy Jones Eichler Is Returned to Its Former Glory in Oakland

ByMyProperty Life

A designer couple restored and are now ready to part ways with this midcentury home for $1.55M.

The couple became inspired after touring the John Lautner–designed Sheats Goldstein House in L.A., and decided to use a microtopping coat on the floors.

When a historic Eichler popped up on the market three years ago in Oakland, California, designer Indhira Rojas, along with her partner, Jason, immediately put in an offer with a shared mission in mind: to restore the home to its original splendor. Sited on a large lot in the “Lost Eichler” neighborhood of Oakland, California (an enclave that contains the only Eichlers in the area), the double-gable house was designed by famed architect A. Quincy Jones in 1965. Yet as a result of previous renovations, the property had regrettably lost touch with much of Jones’s original design.

Photo credit????

Designed by A. Quincy Jones in 1965, the recently remodeled double A-frame is located in Oakland’s “Lost Eichler” neighborhood. With fewer than 50 homes in the development, this enclave represents one of the smaller Eichler housing tracts in California.

Read another article:Design Trends for Creating a Vacation Vibe at Home

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Berger of Compass

“Our main goal was to return the space to its timeless design,” explains designer and current homeowner Indhira Rojas. “The previous owners had enclosed the open spaces, leaving the atrium, pool, and backyard completely covered. Fortunately, the simplistic layout hadn’t been altered much, so it became clear that if we just removed a lot of these layers, we could restore the house to its original intent.”

Before: The Front Entry

Front entry before

A look at the front entry before the renovation. “The atrium looked like a mini golf course with an astroturf floor and a wooden fountain at its center,” describes current owner Indhira Rojas.

Read another article:Hot Trends: 20 Best Farmhouse Style Kitchens in White and Wood

Photo courtesy of Redfin

While the plan seemed fairly straightforward, the process was anything but short and easy. “On the advice of our friends, we took our time to live in the house and get to know it before making any big renovations,” says Rojas. “As typical designers, we started with a research deep-dive, and became obsessed about all things midcentury-modern. We read about Eichler and the architects who collaborated with him, specifically A. Quincy Jones who designed the model of our home. We went on multiple midcentury home tours in the area and in Palm Springs, and, filled our Pinterest boards with inspiration.”

After: The Front Entry

Before moving into the residence, the design duo tore open the atrium, which immediately gave them a sense of the home's potential.

The couple restored the original open-air space between the two gables. 

Read another article:Revamped Small Barcelona Apartment Combines Multiple Styles and Finishes

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Berger of Compass

See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: Another A. Quincy Jones Eichler Is Returned to its Former Glory in Oakland
Related stories:

  • Consider a Move to Vienna to Snap Up This Architectural Icon of Early European Modernism
  • A Converted Boiler Room Designed by Le Corbusier Asks $450K in France
  • An Artist Handcrafted This Abode as a “Thank You” to His Mom Nearly One Hundred Years Ago

Similar Posts

  • Olympia Prairie Home

    The designer’s task was to build a modern, budget-minded home that was livable and respected its rural environment. The Yelm residence is a contemporary take on a country home: using a combination of simple, cost-effective methods to create a warm, comfortable space through clean lines and precise design. A minimal exterior material palette of wood and stucco siding with metal panel accents helps to highlight the beauty of the 10 acres of land on which the house rests. Concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls frame the entry and a flat roof plane hovers overhead to ground the project into the prairie style landscape. The home reflects the clients’ informal lifestyle and relationship to the environment. He is a graphic designer who works from home; her hobbies include sewing, craft projects, and gardening.
    The home is 2,200 square feet and L-shaped in plan, which allows for the master suite and office to be separated from the guest rooms, craft room and garage. Centrally placed are the open plan living room, kitchen, and dining room. These rooms create a core space with expansive glass walls that connect the owners visually and physically to the landscape. Private views of foothills and tree-covered wetlands are offered through the transparent core, along with sightings of deer and elk near the back patio. Designed with radiant floor heating, heat-recovery technology, and natural ventilation, the simplicity of the floor plan’s organization creates an intimate and warm interior environment. A concrete masonry fireplace paired with the copper-toned, stained birch ceiling also adds material warmth. Circulation through the space is enlivened by built-in storage benches, acting as visual breaks and adding pops of color. Efficient planning and the repetition of elements throughout the house helped to keep costs down, resulting in an economically priced, modern home that compliments its natural environment.