ADU

The house is completely off grid. It operates on solar panels, wood-fire heat and water from the lake; there’s even a compost sewage system.

"It's always enjoyable to partner with other designers and design-centric thinkers,

To mimic the kitchen, Julie installed wardrobes in the bedrooms with the same built-in circular knobs.

In Philippe’s bedroom, a new internal window overlooks the staircase and adds a feeling of suspension. It also completes the “double facade,” with the first being the exterior facade cladding the opposing window.

On sunny days, new skylights and clear sightlines flood the second floor with light. At night, a striped green pendant light by Marset illuminates the compact space.

Philippe’s favorite spot in the renovated apartment is the kitchen nook, where a dark green table by Muuto and a built-in banquette upholstered in yellow fabric create a cozy spot for working, eating, and reading.

Pardo used dark blue cabinetry and a matching painted ceiling to create a deliberately cave-like kitchen.

A pair of PH5 lamps by Louis Poulsen hang over a custom wood dining table.

The primary bathroom features a Badeloft tub and Brizo fixtures. “It’s nice to let the desert breezes blow through the house,” says Heather, “especially after a summer monsoon, when the smell of creosote blankets the desert.”

"I never thought a house would teach me so much,' Luisa says.

John and Ciera, with their dogs Stanley and Rosie, moved into their Seattle home in 2020. They converted an existing shed into a 180-square-foot flex space when they needed more square footage. The wood deck is by Kebony, and the CB2 chairs surround a table from Webstaurant Store.

Kevin and Katie enjoy happy hour on their new covered patio. The plantings were inspired by the garden in Mexico where they got married. During the pandemic, "We were like, I want to go on vacation, but we can't, so let's just make our backyard a vacation,

Matte black subway tile from Home Depot surrounds the shower and Kohler tub. The ceiling is natural Douglas fir.

The custom natural oak vanity was fabricated by Greenpiece Furniture, with a quartz countertop in ‘Serena Gold’ by Vadara. The freestanding tub is by Kohler.

The same white oak flooring continues on this level, combined with built-in storage by Kevin, using Ikea cabinets with a custom natural oak countertop leading into the dressing room.

The pink island in Fireclay tile anchors the reimagined kitchen, where white oak cabinetry by Michael Grandy features integrated custom pulls. Cedar and Moss flush-mount fixtures replace generic can lights throughout the space.

The transformation cost roughly what contractors originally quoted for the full renovation—but spread across two phases, it felt manageable. Sometimes Erica jokes about doing it again. "There's something about taking a space and really reimagining it and making it beautiful that's just a ton of fun, even though it's very stressful," she says. "I'm kind of into it."

Fireclay tiles wrap the kitchen island and backsplash, their handmade edges carefully composed to avoid cut tiles at transitions.