Strong Street Presence

Strong Street Presence Dark and lighter green paint colors, appealing siding and a roof using high-dimension shingles give the Craftsman home a strong road presence and major control appeal.



Friendly Front Porch The front porch has carefully selected details which make the space the ideal place for casual conversation or enjoying a glass of iced tea on a warm day.



Welcoming Space Different patterns add texture to the welcoming front porch, which offers a relaxed area for appreciating the neighborhood and street life.



Have a Seat Four modern weather-resistant teak rocking chairs with a gentle curve onto the chair and back provide comfortable seating on the porch. The chairs include jute and wool pillows with a split-weave layout and black cotton back.



Funky Footstools Four ivory-and-black handmade wool-and-jute puff footstools supply function and add pattern and texture into the porch.



Iron Side Tables Two black square side tables made from high quality iron include an industrial touch to the inviting front porch.



Striped Area Rug A durable mildew- and mold-resistant bone and black striped area rug, placed over grey composite decking, offers a cozy surface underfoot and provides bold design to front porch.



First-Rate Front Door The house's attractive Craftsman-style fiberglass front door in a medium reddish brown wood tone offers the look and feel of wood with the durability and efficiency of fiberglass.



Handsome Handle The front door's sturdy exterior handle includes a pleasing patina that offers the perfect finishing touch to the entry.



Extra Touch A dentil shelf adds authentic Craftsman personality and dimension into the home's handsome front entrance door.



Got Mail A wall-mount mailbox by the house's front door provides an easy way to get and send mail, and the at-door style reflects the metropolitan community.



Sleek Fans A set of slick contemporary vintage-style ceiling fans helps circulate the air from above and maintain the front porch cool on hot days.



Lovely Landscaping Hydrangeas, monkey grass and Japanese maples are part of this graceful landscaping beyond the front porch of this HGTV Urban Oasis 2016. The landscape was created by students from nearby University of Michigan.



Smooth-Leaf Hydrangeas The smooth-leaf hydrangeas that dot the house's landscaping have creamy flower heads which form flattened spheres and add beauty and texture to the lawn.



Low-Maintenance Perennial Coneflower attracts butterflies and birds to the lawn and provides a wonderful cut flower to gather, add to a vase and deliver inside the house to decorate the table.



Lush Surroundings This view looking towards the rear of the screened porch highlights the home's lush and green surroundings that feature a well-chosen selection of flowers, plants and trees.



Urban Farming From the garden, a rookie chicken coop handcrafted from 100 percent North American Look Grade Western Red Cedar means a supply of fresh eggs stays within easy reach.



Pretty Privacy Screen Among the most popular evergreen privacy screens, arborvitae also adds height and texture to the lush lawn.



Raised Garden Beds From the edible garden also made by students from University of Michigan, galvanized corrosion-resistant troughs with around ends create raised beds for tomatoes, basil, dill, nasturtium and more edibles. Holes were drilled to the bottom of the troughs to provide sufficient drainage.



Fresh Tomatoes Homegrown striped heirloom cherry tomatoes develop from the backyard, ready to top a salad or be eaten whole as snacks.



Proper Size Tomatoes and lemongrass sit nearby the durable starter chicken coop that shields hens in a small footprint created for an urban yard.



Nice Capabilities The ergonomically friendly starter chicken coop with updraft ventilated roost includes a waterer and feeder to keep the hens contented and healthy.



Marvelous Mint Fresh mint which can be used to add bright flavor and aroma in an infinite number of recipes grows in the yard's galvanized troughs.



Variety of Herbs Basil, dill and nasturtium also grow in the house's lush backyard. Nasturtium offers beautiful colour with edible flowers and leaves that have a hot taste akin to arugula.



Pest Protector A variety of lettuces, tomatoes and marigolds sit side by side in the garden, with marigolds planted with tomatoes to ward off pests.



Rain Runoff Option A frequent garden design technique for handling rain runoff in metropolitan areas, here a dry creek bed and rain garden includes tough plants that may take changes from wet to dry. The design accomplishes bright landscaping that fits the setting.



Smart Yard Design Also part of this garden's smart rain runoff alternative, big boulders framework stairs leading up the rear of the home surrounded by perennial grasses and hydrangeas.



Durable Dog House With strong pest-rot resistant construction, the home's compact dog home is also water resistant using a raised floor and trimming feet to provide outdoor pets a comfy and durable home.



Hangout Spot The back door and stairs lead in the mudroom in the courtyard, a hangout place with a system of openings between the home and the garage and screened porch back. A fairly container of creeping jenny and begonia adds a touch of color and texture.



Beautiful Bikes A set of high quality six-speed electric bicycles, ideal for exploring the area and commuting to work, come with a charger, a lithium ion battery and a tool kit, and they're a part of the HGTV Urban Oasis 2016 decoration package.

A Contemporary Update of the Indoor-Outdoor Home

A Contemporary Update of the Indoor-Outdoor Home This is the front of this Eichler house before the renovation. As you can see, the challenge for the architects is to conserve the traditional elements of the original layout when giving it a contemporary twist and incorporating a more natural indoor-outdoor convergence.  



[Before] The Design A typical kitchen layout from the cosmopolitan mid-century design of an Eichler home. This space will be incorporated into the living room plus a new kitchen is going to be generated from the left corner of their house with open access into the courtyard and living area.



[Before] The Mid-Century Kitchen Situated at the front of the home at the corner (if you are seeing the home from the road) is the room which will turn into the new kitchen. Open access into the courtyard will replace the wall on the right.



[Ahead] Ready for a New Configuration The former living room featured the fireplace in the center of the wall and prevented the residents from enjoying an open, unobstructed view of the exterior patio/garden area.



[Before] Rethinking the Living Room What was considered contemporary and stylish now looks a bit drab and uninspiring but you can see the potential. The courtyard area and whole exterior of the home will get a major revamp that will completely energize this space.



[Before] Courtyard Blues On the left is the sliding glass door entrance to a bedroom with a partial view of this living room area on the right side. The latticework is going to be removed and the entire exterior wall of the living space will be replaced with a really spacious layout.



[Before] Out with the Old, In with the New The living area is in the very first period of renovation. In the background you can glimpse the beginnings of the new kitchen which is in the ideal corner in the front of the house with ample access to a terrace grill area (still under construction).



[Ahead] Starting from Scratch Previously a bonus room in the original Eichler design, this distance is now being renovated as the new kitchen.



[Ahead] Kitchen Reboot The prior terrace was taken away and the floor is ready for a new courtyard area which will feature a design that incorporates the bedroom (on the rear), the living room and the kitchen (off-camera into the right) into a natural open air environment.



[Before] Imagine the Possibilities The former patio has been taken away and the ground is prepared for a fresh courtyard area that will feature a design that incorporates the bedroom (on the left), the living area and the kitchen (off-camera into the right) into a normal open air atmosphere.



[Before] Ready for the Makeover Front of the Eichler house is undergoing a transformation which will feature a two car garage to the far right, a principal entrance in the center and a new kitchen and courtyard to the left of the residence.



[Before] A New Face The new kitchen keeps the most desirable qualities of the original Eichler design whilst bringing something fresh and contemporary to the design (notice the grill area just outside on the right). Photo from Mariko Reed.



[After] Chef Wanted In this redesigned courtyard/patio, a fire pit, outdoor furniture, chair seats, a grill and dining area and garden space supply a variety of alternatives for entertaining company. Photo by Mariko Reed.



Multifaceted From inside the new living area you get a stunning open view of the adjoining patio/courtyard. Notice the folding door method by Nanawall about the far right that allows the homeowners to close the open living space when weather in unfavorable.   Photo from Mariko Reed.



Really Open The preceding photograph revealed a patio view in the left side of the living room and this reveals an equally magnificent patio accessible from the right side of this living area.   Photo from Mariko Reed.



Opposites Attract A close-up perspective of one of the renovated patios off of the living room shows a blue tile-studded fountain with contemporary outdoor furnishings plus a beautiful redwood fencing as the background border. Photo by Mariko Reed.



Details, Details, Details Brightly colored throw pillows and modernist orange cubes for seats create an inviting visual belief against the earth tones of wooden benches and a stucco coated concrete background in this renovation detail. Photo by Mariko Reed.



Neutral Tones and Bright Colors The fashionable side entry into the remodeled Eichler home includes a paver footpath with drought tolerant ground cover between them and border plantings of blossoms and other attractive low maintenance vegetation.   Photo by Mariko Reed.



Side Effects An exterior view of this remodeled bathroom shows a floor to ceiling window that allows natural light fill the space but also provides total solitude as the bathroom faces a walled-in section of the yard. Photo by Mariko Reed



Outside Looking In A designer fire pit and subtle interior light creates a warm, inviting setting in this inside courtyard view at night. Photo by Mariko Reed.



Nighttime Glow From the road you can see that all the classic components of a Eichler house have been preserved but also modernized in ways which produce the style more relevant than ever. Photo from Mariko Reed.