Pictured above: Cover of Eichler Homes: Design For Living. Copyright Chronicle Books. All rights reserved

Although Sequoyah Hills began its life as an Eichler development, only 48 Eichler homes were built here. This relatively small number has earned our area the "lost Eichlers of the Oakland hills" nickname.

While our number may be small, our distinctively modernist Eichlers offer some superb examples of Eichler's work, including designs by architect Claude Oakland. In addition, many homes in our areas were spared some of the more calamitous remodeling efforts of the '70s and '80s which still mark many peninsula, South Bay, and Contra Costa county Eichlers.

The links below give an idea of how the more populous Eichler communities view their homes' aesthetics and cultural history, as well as their unique maintenance needs.

Basic Resources
"Celebrate Eichlers" Event, Cubberley Auditorium, Palo Alto, November 1-2, 2002 — In conjunction with the Fall publication of a major new Eichler book, Eichler: Modernism Rebuild the American Dream (see below), and with the Historic Quest committee's drive to gain National Register status for several Eichlers, this two-day showcase of speakers, materials, and vendors hopes to be the focus of Bay Area media attention on Eichlers. On this Eichler Network page you'll also find a link to a pre-publication discount on the new book, but be aware that Amazon's price (below) is still lower.

Eichler Network: The Wonderful World of Eichler Homes — proclaims itself to be "THE Eichler site," and for once the hype is probably accurate. An important source of information and discussion for all Eichler homeowners.

Cupertino's Design Guidelines for the Historic Fairgrove Eichler Development — This PDF documents Cupertino's comprehensive voluntary guidelines and some not-so-voluntary restrictions intended to maintain the integrity of the Fairgrove Eichler development. Topics include such issues as the choice of complementary exterior lighting fixtures, color choices, even "acceptable" ways to incorporate a second story addition(!). Consultants included Jerry Ditto and many others represented by the sites above and below. Even outside Cupertino, this booklet provides a practical list of dos and don'ts for all Eichler homeowners.

Eichlers in the News — L.A. or the Bay Area, this well-maintained news page of Eichler Homes of Southern California (see below) is a valuable resource for its collection of scanned articles and photographs from a variety of sources, including Sunset and Metropolitan Home, as well as outside links to relevant online news stories.

Remodeling
Why NOT Remodeling Is Sometimes Better for Eichlers' Property Values — originally printed in the New York Times, December 27, 2000. Many of us wish our homes' previous owners had taken this article to heart. Now it's our turn to think twice.

An Eichler with a modern Asian twist — Remodeling an already-remodeled Eichler kitchen in Palo Alto; this time the kitchen meshes better with the overall Eichler look.

Relandscaping of a Palo Alto Eichler — Photos of a project to create a blend of contemporary and original '60s style landscaping of an Eichler.

History
Eichler Archives — Flash site with a wealth of original advertising used by Eichler; use this site to gain a sense of the developer's aesthetics, and the manner in which the homes were originally presented to consumers. Put together by an architect focused on Eichler research, Ruth M. Freeman, and Steve Cabella, the owner the Modern i shop.

Eichler Interview: Race and Housing — This insightful 1964 interview with Joseph Eichler provides background to the developer's most notable achievement: abandoning race restrictions in the early 1950s, a full decade or more before other developers here (not Alabama, but the Bay Area) began selling homes to Asian-Americans and African-Americans, as well as Anglos. And this at a time when Eichler was the nation's largest developer in the $20,000 to $25,000 range.

Enter the World of Eichler Design — graceful site detailing a Highlands Eichler in San Mateo.

Eichler Real Estate-Related Sites
Eichler Homes Realty — Jerry Ditto, a peninsula real estate agent and one of Design for Living's authors, offers his perspective on Eichlers; if you own an Eichler, you probably are on his "Eichler Insights" newsletter's mailing list.

Eichler Homes of Southern California — an Orange real estate site with useful information and interesting photos; thoughtfully hosts the Eichler interview on race and housing above..

Books
Amazon.com's entry for the book Eichler Homes: Design for Living (Jerry Ditto, et al, Chronicle Books, 1996)

Amazon.com's entry for the book Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream (Paul Adamson and Marty Abunich, Gibbs Smith, October 1, 2002)

Shopping
1950.com's "mid-century modern" links — useful for learning about the Eichler style in home design and furnishings

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