In 2020, Los Angeles started to get serious about accessory dwelling units. In one effort, under the direction of the city’s chief design officer, Christopher Hawthorne, it created a program that allows architects to submit plans for pre-approval to cut down the weeks-long permitting process to as a little as a day; potential clients could pick a design off the shelf and get things moving. Add to the mix architects creating custom, compact designs, and prefab builders like Cover, a local company that manages every step of adding an ADU to your property, and things only get easier.

There are of course limitations to building an ADU in Los Angeles—the size is fixed to 50 percent of the main residence if attached, for example, or up to 1,200 square feet if unattached. The potential for your backyard to become more than just a patch of unused grass or concrete, on the other hand, is unlimited. Here, we’ve gathered 16 of our favorite projects to help your imagination run wild.

This Azure ADU Is an L.A. Teen’s Home (Slightly) Away From Home

Thompson, a founding principal of Assembledge+, had recently participated in a Los Angeles Magazine project to imagine solutions for those who lack housing in the city. Their notion was for public agencies to subsidize building ADUs in backyards along alleyways, dovetailing with existing alley revitalization initiatives." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Yoshi Makino" photoUserId=""/>We decided that the accessory dwelling unit would be modern," Joanna says, "and we wanted the extension to be pretty much in keeping with the existing house.”" layout="wide" credit="Photo by Yoshihiro Makino" photoUserId="6886015378293096448"/>

A Los Angeles Screenwriter’s Enchanting Backyard Gets a WFH Studio to Match

For Jane, the presence of the books was a deciding factor. “As a writer, the tactility of books is very important to me—I knew then the relationship was going to be right,” she explains." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Olivia Hemaratanatorn" photoUserId=""/>

A Creative Couple’s Backyard ADU Makes Room for a Gallery and Art Studio

A Bright Red ADU Anchors a Lot on L.A.’s Westside

Instead of building out a box to the lot lines, as is common for new developments in the area, the studio created two separate buildings in tandem with one another: a long, linear home and a bright red ADU with a faceted roof that “references the form of the neighborhood’s one-story gable cottages,” says the firm." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Eric Staudenmaier" photoUserId=""/>And as for its unexpected color? “It was inspired by a strawberry bush at the owner’s former home,” says the firm. In such ways, not only did ORA balance indoors and out, and the present with the future, but the firm also created a home that both surprises and comforts." layout="" credit="Photo by Eric Staudenmaier" photoUserId=""/>

With Three Good Reasons and $400K, an L.A. Couple Build the ADU of Their Dreams

A Tree House–Inspired Backyard Sanctuary Blends Tranquility and Whimsy

A Venice Beach Granny Suite Exudes Serious West Coast Cool

Glass doors surround the ground floor, creating a seamless visual flow between courtyard and parking space. For even more room to play, the family can move their camper van out of the way to use the light and airy open room as a studio space." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Here and Now Agency" photoUserId=""/>

A $185K Prefab Guesthouse Pops Up on a Tricky Hollywood Hillside

This Bright and Airy Backyard Cottage in Los Angeles Feels Like a Cabin in the Woods

A Svelte ADU Gives a Los Angeles Bungalow Room to Breathe

A Playful, Postmodern ADU in Los Angeles Is Built for $249K

A Blue ADU With Cloud-Like Doors Represents the Los Angeles Sky

A Two-Unit ADU in Los Angeles Offers Inspired Spaces for Creative Tenants

A Color-Blocked ADU in Los Angeles Takes a Cue From Talking Heads

In the same way Byrne’s jumbo suit enlarges his frame, Sundius and Ichiki installed angled clerestory windows that create a sense of detachment between the walls and ceiling of the ADU. “Space inside a home is perceived as the way walls meet other walls, a ceiling, and a floor,” Sundius says. “Blurring the way these elements come together can make something small feel huge.”" layout="wide" credit="Photo by Ye Rin Mok" photoUserId=""/>

A Trio of Friends Build a Backyard ADU in Los Angeles for $252K

For many years, homeowners Reggie Vinokur and Matthew Deters discussed the possibility of adding an ADU to the backyard of their Los Angeles home. By 2017, that goal was complete, thanks to a collaboration with their close friend, architect Hunter Knight of Weather Projects. The 1000-square-foot ADU is two levels with a footprint that allows the owners to retain plenty of outdoor space for their dogs to play. The façade “is a rain screen system, so the heat gain on the Brazilian hardwood is minimized,” said Knight. " layout="wide" credit="Photo by Hunter Knight" photoUserId=""/>

Salvaged Wood From a Neglected Shed Shines Again in This Los Angeles ADU

Why Now, More Than Ever, the ADU Is the Future of Home

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A Svelte ADU Gives a Los Angeles Bungalow Room to Breathe