Mid Century Modern Masterpiece

1960s hallway. Credit: Richard Powers Buying Californian Designer House

Bringing The Outside In
Devotees Of 20th Century Design

Ever fancied yourself in a time warp? Drive along the suburban streets of San Rafael near San Francisco, where Iris In't Hout and Michael Sainato live, and you're right back there in the 1950s. This quiet area is where the iconic homes of Joseph Eichler, the king of west coast modernism, rest comfortably in the Californian sun (take us there now, please).

What We Love About The House

'The link between the house and outdoors was one of the things we loved most about this place,' says Iris. The huge expanse of glass windows means the couple can sit back and enjoy their surroundings from the comfort of their sofa (designed by George Nelson for Vitra, picked up at a flea market), with the fire blazing during the cooler months.

Today, Iris and Michael's home, with its mahogany walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and spring-fresh decor, gloriously celebrates bringing the outside in. Entering the house from the street you walk straight into a glass atrium bathed in light, with a view of the whole house and the garden beyond.

'These houses are very modern, simply designed homes, filled with natural daylight, and they give off an amazing energy,' says Iris. 'In winter, with the fireplace burning and the pouring rain hitting the windows in the atrium, it still manages to be really cosy.'