gheichler's Profile

thanks for all the kind words. we have worked very hard to bring this house back to it's former glory. i'm not clear what the comments about our house not being in near original condition are based on. we were fortunate to buy from the estate of an original owner who loved and cherished her home and while the upkeep slipped as she grew older, she never did a remodel aside from replacing a few lighting fixtures(which she saved so we could reinstall). the kitchen is original, aside from the color we added to the cabinet sliders. the mahogany wood paneling is original. the ceilings have their original stain. our bathrooms still have original tile and cabinets. although retiling the shower and bath is high on our to-do list. we rebuilt the fireplace which had collapsed in the '71 earthquake and had never been rebuilt. we based the new fireplace on original blueprints, photos, and our neighbors original fireplace. while not exact, it maintains the form and spirit of the original, while producing more efficient heating than the original. one thing that is not original, but will be returned to original is the glass in the partition between the atrium and the carport. at some point it was replaced with a plastic substitute which has the same frosted effect but is not the original mistlite glass.

we have been in many of our neighbors homes and i have to say that i have not seen a single one that has more original elements than ours. i don't know what windows michael thinks were replaced or why. he may have been looking at a section of one of the sliding doors and presumed the windows had been replaced. our large windows have the water stains to prove their pedigree. one day we will replace the glass with new tempered glass, but as of now they are the originals. and i don't know what awning he is speaking of. we don't have an awning anywhere on our house. and if removing vct tiles and refinishing the floor makes a home less original, so be it. i suppose a purist could come in later and just lay down tiles if they wanted.

the cement floors were ground down to remove the mastic and sealed with a clear glossy finish. there is a grid pattern that comes up through the cement from moisture over the years. so it actually comes from below rather than from above as redneck stated. we like the look of the shadow grid it makes. without furniture, it was a bit overwhelming, but with furniture and rugs it becomes much more subtle. luckily we were able to do the floors before we moved in.

i think it is important to keep in mind that there are many small variations between these homes as to when they were built. even in the same developments. i was in another very original double gable design in our neighborhood, and i was surprised by the many small differences that evolved over the couple of years between when hers was built and when ours was built. some people think that these homes were all built exactly the same, using the same materials. i have found that to not be true.

i would love to correct any other misconceptions about what may or may not be original in our home. we are not purists so much as appreciators. why fix what isn't broken. although, many modern changes can be made and still retain the integrity of a home, we chose to keep the original elements and live in the house for a few years before doing anything drastic. kitchens and baths are important, but to try to force change for the sake of updating is a mistake, especially if the original is completely functional. once it gone, it is difficult to impossible to go back.

the chandelier lightbox is from onestopmodern.com