As we first reported earlier this week, a pristine condition Eichler, with original kitchen cabinetry and a mint condition bathroom, is on the market for $1.15 million in San Rafael.
From the marketing materials for the ‘museum quality’ home: “The current owners have mindfully thought about the importance of renovation vs. preservation and their upgrades have brought the home up to today’s living standards, while keeping the original integrity of this architectural gem….The legacy of this masterpiece will hopefully last for years to come, as the owners are ready to pass the torch to the new caretakers to enjoy its beauty and magnificence.”
And from the insightful notes of a Redfin agent who toured the home: “Will benefit from cosmetic upgrades to kitchen & bathrooms, but the bones, location, and lot are solid.”
For someone interested in living in an Eichler, I don’t see much wrong with the kitchen or bathrooms. It would be a shame to goop that place up with a Kohler soaking tub and granite on every available surface. Going against the grain here but I think that Formica is an appropriate countertop material in a home of this type. Embrace the retro.
In other words… “Feel free to gut it to the timbers…”
Its beautiful the way it is and lets hope the new buyer appreciates it for its simplicity and doesn’t make it look like every other new remodel.
I hate scratchy formica, I’d gut the kitchen. Call me a Philistine.
You could replace the formica alone with a similar looking but much harder wearing synthetic or manufactured stone product. Just keep the dimensions and edge treatments the same or as close as possible.
I’ve had different experience with formica and found it to be a really tough material. So long as you don’t use knives directly on the surface, it stays looking great for a long time. And when it comes time to replace it is a lot cheaper than stone.
That said I prefer stone and stone-like countertops myself.
To preserve the 1960s feel, no cell phones or computers allowed and the console TV stereo should only get two channels.