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Warwas offset the rear of the ADU to accommodate the power lines running behind the house, and he designed a window in the office/guest room upstairs that meets the roof in the same way that the window off the dining area/kitchen meets the ground.

In the Dank Lounge, a film screen lowers in front of room-darkening curtains on movie nights. The deep sectional was built by Lizz and Isaac while the Blob coffee table is by Project Room, and the Scandinavian rya rug is vintage. The couple’s art collection includes works by many friends and local artists. A print by Alex Smith, along with drawings by Cammie Staros and Karl Haendel, hang in the lounge beside a painting by John Finneran and a photo by Lizz.

Using found materials and DIY know-how, Jordan Meerdink and Shalini Amin create a polished home that emphasizes their African roots.

Jordan and Shalini revamped the kitchen with a sleek pendant light, matte-black contact paper on the cabinets and counters, and a stainless-steel backsplash behind the range. They also extended the counters with butcher blocks and repaired the leaky tin ceiling.

Jordan scraped old paint from the transom window between the dining area and living room to once again let light shine through. The chandelier is a West Elm mobile that they bought used on eBay, the IKEA sofa was purchased secondhand on Craigslist, and the floor lamp base was saved from the trash on the Upper West Side. Jordan built the coffee and dining tables, and Shalini made all of the macrame plant hangers.