Learning from the Masters

As an owner of a Bay Area modern-design showroom, Vas Kiniris has seen many a design blunder, often caused by homeowners ignoring their home’s inherent character.

In the middle of a neighborhood of Marin Eichlers, Kiniris will offer hands-on advice for furnishing the modern home on Friday November 9. The free talk, part of the Lucas Valley Homeowner Association’s 50th anniversary celebration, begins at 6 p.m. at the Lucas Valley Community Center, 1201 Idylberry Road, San Rafael.

Kiniris, who runs Zinc Details in San Francisco, says the talk will address, “When you do have a historic home like an Eichler, how do you respect the form and update it to how we live now?”

He will begin by discussing the work of Eichler and of designers Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard, and Eero Saarinen, whose work, he says, exemplifies “the optimism of the post-World War II era, experimentation with new forms of building and new materials.”

Kiniris’ top tip? “Be mindful of the space of an Eichler,” Kiniris says. The openness, the glass, and high ceilings define the homes. Yet, he says, “A lot of people want to box it in. You’d be surprised how many people want to put barriers in the space.

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