Amplified Lifestyles has long admired the California mid-century Eichler Homes built by developer Joseph Eichler (1900 – 1974). These light-filled houses are recognizable for their recessed entryways with broad, low-gabled roofing. While small windows faced the street for privacy, large picture windows at the back look to unobstructed views of the outdoors. Wood entrances, exteriors, paneling, and exposed widely-spaced posts and beams further emphasize the house’s connection to the natural world. To streamline the interiors, the developer utilized built-in furnishings and appliances. Open-concept kitchen, dining, and living areas, sometimes with glass partitions and central atriums, allowed homeowners to blur the line between the inner and outer worlds.
Eichler did not begin his career as a real estate developer but as a purveyor of butter and eggs. The native New Yorker moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1925 to help with his in-laws’ wholesale business. By 1943 he owned a retail store Peninsula Farmyard specializing in eggs and poultry. At the time, he and his family rented the Sidney Bazett House in Hillsborough, a Usonian-style residence designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The experience of living in a Wright house inspired Eichler to create communities of homes that incorporated modern architectural elements for the average family. With millions of soldiers returning from WWII, the time was right.
In 1949, Eichler Homes, Inc. started building affordable residences designed by the Bay Area architects Robert Anshen and Steve Allen of the architecture firm Anshen and Allen. The architects masterminded the California Modernist style of the homes that first went on the market for an average sale price of $12,000. Later Eichlers were designed by Claude Oakland, A. Quincy Jones, and Raphael Soriano. Having experienced discrimination in New York for being Jewish, the developer advocated fair housing, selling homes to Asians and Blacks. Between 1949 and 1966, Eichler Homes built over 11,000 houses, primarily in San Francisco Bay Area suburbs. Today, their timeless appeal endures.
Arthur Elrod: Design Innovator
Not only did interior designer Arthur Elrod define Palm Springs Modernism, but he was also fascinated by new technology. In 1952 he moved to San Francisco for a two-year stint at the high-end furniture store W & J Sloane. Elrod designed an innovative exhibit to celebrate General Electric’s Diamond Jubilee of Light, transforming the San Francisco Museum of Art galleries into a penthouse apartment and terrace. For a contemporary look, Elrod selected furnishing from the British architect and designer T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings. Instead of adding lighting as an afterthought with fixtures, he integrated it into the design. Inspired by the night sky, a downlight color constellation changed hues while concealed dimmer controlled spotlights.
After the GE exhibit, Elrod continued to create visually and technologically advanced interiors with sophisticated lighting and sound systems. He opened his eponymous firm in 1954 at 28, developing a clientele of Hollywood elite and wealthy individuals in Palm Springs and across the country. The design studio employed monochromatic color schemes to complement their clients’ impressive art collections or utilized saturated color blocking. Lighting elements and stereo speakers hid away within the custom furnishings.
Elrod and his associate William Raiser tragically died in a Palm Springs car accident when another vehicle struck their Fiat. At 49, he was still in his prime as a designer. Modernism enthusiasts best remember the designer for his residence, the futuristic Elrod House built by Googie architect John Lautner in 1965 and immortalized in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. The home features a space-age concrete dome above the main living area. Its circular glass design with an outdoor swimming pool and terrace provides San Jacinto Peak and Palm Springs views.
At the time of his death, Elrod planned interiors for the volcanic-shaped hilltop villa that Lautner designed for Bob and Dolores Hope overlooking Palm Springs with views of Coachella Valley. While he did not complete this project, he created mid-century getaways for many notable clients, including Walt Disney, Frank Capra, Claudette Colbert, Laurence Harvey, Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz.
