A Family (Finally) Gives Their Eichler Home a Top-to-Bottom Reboot

This recent renovation of a family’s beloved 1950 Eichler home in Palo Alto, California, was a very long time coming. The family—Bennett, her husband, their three daughters, and two dogs—purchased and moved into the 1,548-square-foot home in 2011 after falling in love with its large windows and backyard citrus trees. "It was perfect for us," says Bennett. "The big windows let in just the right amount of California sunshine, and coming from Singapore and New York City, it was a lot of space."

The family loved their Eichler, but as time went on, the children grew and they found themselves needing more space, more openness, and more storage. They planned to eventually renovate, but they put it off for years. "One day, I was wistfully yelling at the ceiling that I was going to remodel, and my eldest daughter, Fallon, rolled her eyes and said, ‘Mom, by the time you remodel the house, I’ll be gone,’" says Bennett. Fallon’s comment was the kick Bennett needed to finally move forward. "It hit me hard," she says. "You want to remodel so your family can enjoy it, not do it when they’re all gone."