I heart my house

My house has a hole in the middle!

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Before I moved into my current house, I never much considered the architecture of the house or building I lived in. At most, I worried about what color my walls were.

But now, I live in an Eichler.

Living in an Eichler is cool. Sure the architecture is cool, mid-century modern, and that's especially hip right now. But the coolness is that, when you buy an Eichler, you buy into a whole alternate Housing universe, populated by People Like You, and that's what makes it cool.

Your purchase price includes membership in a community, which makes 'Eichler Living' a hobby, rising above merely having a (no-attic, see-the-bottom-of-my-roof-beams?, is-yours-insulated-on-top?) roof over your head. When you tell people you live in an Eichler, you get knowing nods and smiles from fellow owners. People who don't get it give you that look of disgust. You can share stories about those roofs, Phillipine Mahagony, single-pane glass, architects and floor plans (Barry Brisco has my floor plan), atriums, and radiant heating. We have our own website to propagate the story, share tips and tricks, and give people a forum to share our experiences, both good and bad.

Which all makes me heart my Eichler.

Seth Godin's most recent blog (and book) is about Lies (really, stories, but Godin likes to get, you know, dramatic) that make products and experiences extraordinary. Part of choosing an Eichler is choosing this grand story, being a part of this hobbyist community around a still-alternative approach to houses and, by extension, life.