This Beautiful Mid-Century Modern Eichler House Has an Amazing Atrium and Gorgeous Decor

Name: Mollie Debrie, my partner, Rene and his two kids (part-time)
Location: Walnut Creek, CA (East Bay suburb of SF Bay Area)
Type of home: House
Size: 2,400 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year, owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: This is the first home Rene and I have shared with his kids, so it’s special. And if you know anything about Bay Area real estate and specifically how coveted Eichlers are, it was a super intense process to actually buy the home. We were competing with seven other offers and wrote two letters, created one video, and even included Rene’s 66 El Camino in our counter-offer. Surprisingly and amazingly, the owners picked us over another higher, all-cash offer AND let Rene keep his treasured car. So it was meant to be!

I feel so lucky to be a caretaker of this mid-century modern architectural treasure. Our home is a Claude Oakland-designed Eichler; Joseph Eichler was a builder in the ’50s and ’60s who enlisted the expertise of actual architects to build his suburban homes in the post-war housing boom. His goal was to build functional and beautiful living spaces with lots of windows and central atriums to let the outdoors in from every room in the house. He ultimately built about 11,000 of these houses and we are fortunate enough to be able to own one! I still pinch myself every day and probably will for as long as I’m fortunate enough to live here.

What is your favorite room and why? This is so hard but if forced to choose, I’d have to say the living room. One of our two gables sits over this room so the ceilings are very high and one is surrounded by windows, where you can look out to the backyard or the central atrium. It also has the fireplace and therefore is the best and coziest spot when we have fires in the winter. This room also has my favorite pieces of furniture.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Mid-Century, eclectic, bohemian, vibrant, indoor-outdoor

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Gosh, this is also challenging because I’m constantly finding awesome vintage pieces at the monthly Alameda Antiques Faire. I currently have an obsession with those mid-century glass heads; I’ve got two black ones and one translucent one… how many heads is too many?

Any advice for creating a home you love? Please please please don’t just go and buy everything from a showroom. Decorating your space should be personal and reflect you and your family’s personalities and lifestyle. It’s fine to get pieces here and there from the big box stores but supporting makers and independent artists keep our communities vibrant and supported. You also can’t go wrong with vintage scores; anything that is time-worn and previously-loved adds character and warmth. I take my time finding the pieces that I love and really speak to me and there often isn’t much rhyme or reason to it. If I love it, I find a way to make it work.

This submission’s responses have been edited for length and clarity.

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