Eichler Palms: A Labor of Love

For many, February evokes images of hearts and flowers but — for Mid-century aficionados — this month means two words: Modernism Week. This year's events ran February 14-24. This 11-day celebration of Mid-century architecture and design drew thousands from around the world to Palm Springs, Calif., to enjoy more than 350 events, from home and garden tours, to lectures and films, to social engagements.

One of the highlights of the event is always the Modernism Week Featured Home, which, this year, is the newly built “Eichler Palms” property developed by KUD Properties. This newly built residence is a replica of the original homes designed by Joseph Eichler but modernized for today’s standard of living — and Dunn-Edwards was proud to be a part of bringing this Mid-century gem to life!

Taking inspiration from Eichler’s designs and Anshen + Allen’s affinity for the Californian architectural style, KUD updated the space and went with a clean palette of whites and charcoal and a dazzling dose of yellow.

Steven Shields, of Shields Residential, the contractor on the project and a specialist in Mid-century Modern remodels and construction, said about the project: “It was a labor of love — creating something that has the spirit of an Eichler and feels like an Eichler but is set up to thrive in today’s ideal of quality — offering livability and comfort. For example, the galley kitchen of the original homes don’t fit today’s living. The kitchen is now a very social space so we made moves to open up the kitchen to reflect that.”

He continued, “All of these Mid-century homes were originally spec homes created for someone who didn’t exist but now I’m creating a custom home for a specific homeowner. What are their individual needs? It’s an intimate discussion.”

Owned by Brad and Heather Fox, the Minneapolis-based pair from HGTV's "Stay or Sell,” the five-bedroom home beautifully blends the best of all worlds — Eichler’s classic designs, seamless indoor/outdoor living and distinctively modern touches, making it ideal for them and their young family. Of course, the Foxes brought their own style to the home.

“The Foxes picked out their own tile and wanted Sunflower DE5391 on the front door,” said Troy Kudlac of KUD Properties, “I convinced them that it would be good on the beam on the front, as well, and keep the rest of the beams White DEW380 to make the ceiling look like it was floating. And we like Cool December DEW383 for Mid-century interiors because it has enough coolness but with some warmth and tone to it to make the house really pop.”

Kudlac said he loved partnering with Dunn-Edwards on this project. “Obviously, I appreciate the quality of the paint. Some other brands could cost less but Dunn-Edwards is a top-tier paint that gives a clean finish. I’m also a big fan of the historical colors they offer, not to mention the many local store locations and awesome and helpful staff.”

Shields added, “I really like Dunn-Edwards interior paint and loved the use of Cool December. The exterior EVERSHIELD was awesome! Working with Sara McLean, color expert and stylist for Dunn-Edwards, was a huge impact, as she helped up find colors that fit that time period. She converted us to using Dunn-Edwards paint, exclusively. Eichler worked on the West Coast, and Dunn-Edwards paint is so regional that many of the original Mid-century homes were painted with Dunn-Edwards. It was a perfect fit.”

You can learn more at Modernism Week or stay tuned for Fall Preview 2019 on October 17-20.

Images by Peter Tran