Living in an Eichler -- modernist tract houses built in California in the 1950's and 1960's -- can be frustrating as they're wildly different than your average ranch home. We've learned some interesting skills as we've encountered oddities of our house.

Atrium Cover

Our house has an atrium -- an open courtyard -- in the center of the house. It's great to see plants growing year round. Ours has an annoying habit when it rains, so we built a cover over it to keep the water out.

Eichler Roofs

Eichler's roofs are unusual because they're open beam -- the boards that are the ceiling of each room also hold the roof up. There's no attic, just boards, then roof. Understanding how the roof is put together makes it easier to learn how to add skylights, bathroom vents, and electrical work.

Arcadia Door Spare Parts

Spare parts take a bit of work to find for the original Arcadia sliding doors used in our houses. I created 3d models of two parts:


Both are at the Shapeways 3d printing site, and can be downloaded so you can print your own copies.

Lighting

Dressing up the house with fancy Adorne light switches.