An Eichler restoration in Granada Hills, with budget top of mind
By Jeff Spurrier
Set designer Cindy Epping remodeled and redecorated her 1960s Eichler House in Granada Hills on a tight budget. She says she spent less than $50,000 for the reconstruction of her fireplace, the refinishing of original architectural elements and online shopping for decor. That called for much creativity in re-creating the period vibe of the house.
Like many Eichler homes, the entrance to Epping’s house is an atrium. She cleaned up the space, keeping the slat roof (not original to the design) but replacing the plants and adding a simple Primelite lamp. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A door knocker from Atlas Homewares. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
An aluminum trophy head hangs on the fireplace in Epping’s living room. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
The fireplace, damaged in a 1971 earthquake, was resurfaced with a cinderblock finish that evokes the period of the home’s construction. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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A little color in the living room: an orange-stiched ottoman from Urban Outfitters and a blanket from Anthropologie. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Epping removed wall-to-wall carpeting, then linoleum to reveal the original flooring, which included a pebbled entrance in the living room. She polished and buffed the old flooring back to life. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A classic Vernor Panton light fixture in the living room. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A Primelite fixture, one of several throughout the house, hangs in the living room near a painting purchased from a Cuban street vendor in the 1990s. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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A pair of Bertoia wire chairs from the 1960s take their place in Epping’s atrium. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Carpet tiles from www.flor.com form a rug in the kitchen. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Epping updated her kitchen, trying to preserve the original ambience while adding modern touches such as the new faucet for the original avocado-green sink. The cabinets were sanded and restained. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A detail of the casework: a fresh new look that preserves the period vibe. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Common in Eichler homes, the kitchen has a swing-out kitchen table. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A painting found on EBay reflects off the dining room table. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Epping has parlayed her hunting and gathering into a website for period furnishings, www.onestopmodern.com. Among her online store’s offerings: a canvas-print light box by Duffy London and pillows by Plush Living, both shown here in a sitting area off the kitchen. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Also in the sitting room off the kitchen: a bookshelf designed by Thomas O’Brien for Target, a classic Coconut chair by George Nelson, left, and a vintage wooden chair reupholstered in a print from Diamond Foam and Fabric in Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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On display in a bedroom is a stencil on the wall from Nelly and Nelly, a radio by Lexon and artwork and lamp from Urban Outfitters. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Dots and circles by Wall Candy Arts and small canvas prints from Urban Outfitters decorate the walls of Epping’s son’s room. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Epping’s dog Ruby races outside the Granada Hills house. For the complete story on this house, look for the Home section in the Jan. 10 print edition of the Los Angeles Times.
For a peek inside other Southern California homes, check out our Homes of The Times gallery. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
