Inside the ‘Cultlike’ Quest To Find the Rare Wood Needed To Restore Midcentury Modern Homes

When Sophia deDomenico moved into a historic Eichler home in Thousand Oaks, CA, the interior architect and designer knew she wanted to restore its original glory using authentic materials wherever possible.What she didn't expect, however, was how the search for the lauan mahogany plywood panels and old-growth redwood used in these homes would connect her with an entire community of devotees on a quest for rare wood.It's a dilemma faced by many owners of iconic midcentury modern homes, such as those from developer Joseph Eichler or architect Frank Lloyd Wright. To preserve the historic authenticity of these homes, some go to great lengths to hunt down wood finishes that are no longer widely available."Midcentury modern enthusiasts are a cultlike following and hold these houses in incredibly high regard," says deDomenico, who notes that many owners seek to keep these homes historically honest.However, preserving midcentury modern homes is challenging because many wood products used extensively in the 1950s and '60s are no longer manufactured."A lot of the difficulty with these projects comes down to the fact that people aren't just looking for 'mahogany' or 'redwood,'" says Luke Zale...