When the City of Los Angeles passed an ordinance that allowed mobile tiny homes to be installed as backyard ADUs in 2019, Silver Lake resident Jyotsna du Ciel was over the moon. “I freaked out,” she says. “I was like, I’m going to be one of the first to get this going.”

Jyotsna, a real estate investor who focuses on mid-term rentals, had been dreaming of adding a tiny home to her property for some time. “In a place like Silver Lake, every bit of space matters,” she says. She envisioned a high-end, contemporary, and customized residence she could rent out for now, and possibly call home in the future.

Jyotsna currently lives in one unit of a duplex on her property. She rents out the other, and also hosts tenants in an adjacent on-site bungalow. She wanted to add a tiny home to provide another source of income, but she was adamant about not disrupting her dense urban neighborhood with months of on-site construction.

$183,608 Base Halcyon 02 Price	$8,909 Window Upgrade Package	$5,996 Dual Head Mini Split
$2,685 White Oak Cabinets, Flooring, Railing, Stairs, & Shelving	$699 Integrated Stair Lighting	$2,281 Dishwasher
$625 Wall-Hung Toilet	$4,098 Queen Bed & Headboard	$2,943 Concrete Shower Floor
$1,177 Furniture Upgrade	$3,917 Uninsulated Skirting	$74,200 Site Prep & Slab
$19,600 Crane	$7,500 Site Planning & Permits	$4,500 Survey
$12,200 Delivery & Installation
Grand Total: $334,938

Her solution? A prefabricated home. “Prefab makes sense because it means quality production in a controlled environment, which is a big plus when dealing with logistics and permitting craziness in Los Angeles,” she says.

Set on purchasing a prefab tiny home—withs wheels, for ultimate flexibility—Jyotsna searched the internet for just the right designer/builder. She discovered Fritz Tiny Homes and knew at once they were the company for her.

“Their craftsmanship stood out,” she says. “They’re all about innovative, multifunctional design, and most importantly, they’re good folks. I vibed with them—they just got what I envisioned, and it felt like a perfect match.”

Jyotsna wanted two bedrooms for versatility, as much wood and glass as possible, and plenty of integrated storage. “I love natural materials, so I asked for lots of rift-cut white oak,” she says. “Big windows were also a must to bring in natural light and make it feel spacious and airy.”

Kevin and Heather got to work designing and building Jyotsna’s tiny home, employing white oak for the flooring, cabinetry, shelving, stair treads, and railing. “We were nervous about bringing in so much wood rather than doing white cabinets, which make the space feel big,” says Kevin. “But it worked—it’s just beautiful, especially with the tall windows and high ceilings.”

Jyotsna spent $2,685 on the added rift-sawn white oak, and $8,909 on larger windows. “We did a full-size shower with a floor-to-ceiling window that’s like a glass wall that brings the outside in,” says Kevin. “There’s an exterior shutter for privacy, but the window looks to the Hollywood sign, which is pretty cool.”

Jyotsna’s tiny home, the Halcyon 02 model, typically comes with a primary bedroom and a flex room. At her request, Kevin and Heather transformed the flex room into a second bedroom with a queen-size bed that features integrated storage and a white oak headboard with LED lighting for $4,097. “It’s so seamless, and it has this handcrafted vibe,” says Heather.

Jyotsna started the project with a budget of $250K, but after adding custom features and paying for site construction, craning, and transportation from Alberta, Canada, where Fritz Tiny Homes is located, her final cost was closer to $334K. “It was definitely an investment, but it was worth it to get the exact space I wanted,” she says. Jyotsna figures she saved on cost by choosing a prefabricated tiny home. “Off-site construction saved time, which saved money because I didn’t lose out on rental income,” she says. “And I saved on labor and material costs—it’s expensive to build in L.A.!”

Heather couldn’t agree more. “Jyotsna’s street is the tiniest street with a 13% grade,” she says. “I don’t know how she’d bring in a site crew to do construction for six months to a year. She was so thoughtful in her choice, as this had the least impact on her property and her community.”

In only two days, Jyotsna’s tiny house was placed on her Silver Lake property. “The day the tiny home was craned in was a mix of nerves and excitement,” she says. According to Jyotsna, watching a 350-ton crane lift the home over the front duplex was an incredible sight. “It drew neighbors and patrons from nearby shops,” she says.

“It’s creative, efficient, and a bit unconventional,” Jyotsna says of the project. “Being close to Sunset Junction, it’s right in the mix of things, and in an area with a low housing supply and where space is tight, a backyard tiny house just makes sense.”

More Budget Breakdown stories:

This $193K Off-Grid Tiny House Is Burly Enough for Canadian Winters

A Colorado Family Builds a Tiny Mobile Art Studio for $12K

A $237K Tiny Home on Wheels Brings Kids, Parents, and Their Parents Together

Project Credits:

Design & Construction: Fritz Tiny Homes / @fritztinyhomes

Sofa: Retro Modern Designs / @retromoderndesign

Site Construction: Knight Builders, Inc.

Craning: The Crane Guys

Consulting & Permitting: Alan Dana, AIA, Dana Studio, Inc.

Photography: Amy Bartlam / @amybartlam

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