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You Do ADU, Part 1: The first question to ask before deciding on an accessory dwelling unit is, ‘What am I trying to accomplish?’ Then check whether an ADU is the way to achieve that goal.
Building an ADU, or accessory dwelling unit, is becoming a popular option for homeowners in Southern California. But doing an ADU project the right way is vastly more complicated than putting up a backyard shed or some other weekend project. The You Do ADU newsletter can help you navigate the permits, processes, problems and people you’ll be dealing with.
Sign up for You Do ADU
Our six-week newsletter will help you make the right decision for you and your property.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
But once you have a small living space, it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style or succumb to clutter. It just requires creative thinking. That should be no problem in Southern California, where homes are known for their architectural variety — Craftsman, Spanish and Midcentury Modern among them. Here are some inspiring ADUs from Times coverage that are noteworthy not just for their design, but also for their small footprint.
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Design inspiration
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More ADU, housing and design coverage
In housing-strapped Los Angeles, a single mom adds an ADU to accommodate her three teenagers and aging parents.
Isabel Janken lived in her Westwood duplex for more than 40 years. Today, the garage of her duplex has been transformed into an ADU, creating a community of three rental units.
Tie-dye artist and former model Laura La Rue is raising her 16-month-old daughter in a former school bus. “I’m trying to be present for my daughter,” she says.
After a decade of working out of coffeehouses and co-working spaces, Oscar-winning filmmakers Jaime Ray Newman and Guy Nattiv turned their broken-down garage into a creative live-work hub.
A tiny bungalow in Los Angeles nearly doubles in size thanks to a modern addition and ADU. When the homeowners looked to move, the real estate market was unaffordable.
He killed his Bermuda grass lawn with cardboard and planted plants better suited for California. Six years later, his DIY yard is thriving.
