“Every morning I wake up and look out these windows, and I can’t help but go outside,” said Munson. “The architecture compels you to step outside your door.” She went on to explain that Eichler did not design the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired homes himself but hired a range of outstanding architects to execute his vision. The Los Angeles-based A. Quincy Jones, one of the most highly regarded of the Eichler architects, designed Munson’s most recent home, but it was not her first Eichler. Munson and her first husband purchased their first Eichler, designed by San Francisco-headquartered Anshen & Allen, after moving to the Bay Area in 1948. Munson, who grew up in Nebraska and earned her master’s degree in microbiology at the University of Nebraska, loved the way the home made the most of the ideal California climate. She met Joseph Eichler while touring his celebrated model homes. “We all loved to visit the model homes to see how he’d furnished them with beautiful furniture from Knoll and Herman Miller,” said Munson. “At one point Mr. Eichler said to me, ‘You like the homes so much, why don’t you come work for me?’” And so Munson did. Starting with just a few days a week in order to be with her young children, Munson eventually developed a very successful career selling Eichler homes around the Bay Area but specifically in Marin County. “I’ve been in every one of the 720 homes in the Upper Lucas Valley development,” said
“OWNING AN EICHLER IS A LIFESTYLE” Munson. “It’s so interesting to see how each owner makes them their own.” Munson saw the gallery-like design of an Eichler home as one of its biggest attractions. “The homes were made for display,” she said. “Whether you collected art or fine crafts, the twenty original floor plans allowed people to be very individual in the way they furnished their homes.” Though some might say that the designs are rigid and prescribe a modern aesthetic, Munson said she’s seen people use color and antiques beautifully in Eichler homes. “Because they are so plain and simple you can mold them to be any way you like.” Munson noted that though Eichler had a strong vision for his designs, he was also open to suggestions from clients and brokers. “In response to criticisms, he’d say ‘Let’s get the architects back in here and change things.’” Later on in her career Munson developed commercial properties herself and incorporated some of Eichler’s design
principles like having a calm, quiet profile and single-level rooms. “And I always remembered that the form needed to follow the function,” she recalled. She also made use of her early microbiology training through her extensive work—including board chair—with the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. “They do such good work there trying to discover the basic causes of diseases associated with aging,” said Munson. “I’m lucky to have been able to pursue both of my main interests in life.” Sitting in her lovely living room filled with a mix of contemporary and antique furnishings, including her own Herman Miller furniture, Munson continued to be a wellspoken advocate for Joseph Eichler’s vision. “I wouldn’t live in anything else,” she said.
To learn more about Catherine Munson’s business visit www.lvpmarin.com
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