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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,

Owners and tenants of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) share key insights about how to navigate the unique living experience.

Backdrop’s After Hours, a soft charcoal hue, gives Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown’s home in Woodland Hills, California, sleek curb appeal. Lund Sconces by Kuzco Lighting punctuate the exterior, and the streamlined garage doors are by Amarr.

The Alerce shingles change color when it rains, moving from red to grey. “It’s alive,” says Marambio.

A new wood-panel wall is a focal point in the open layout. The original white oak floors were also refinished.

Jennifer and Kenard Bunkley braved resident wildlife and the soaring cost of plywood as they demolished and rbuilt their vacation home in upstate New York.

Parlor floor living area

A family chose MyCabin to construct prefab structures in their home country of Latvia. The prefab structures have space for work, sleep, and relaxation.

The ADU’s cladding is stainless steel, making it resilient in all types of weather. “The D.C. metro area has four distinct seasons—it rains a lot, snows a lot, and it gets hot in the summer—so we wanted to create a unit that was adaptable and sustainable,” says David Lee, founder and CEO of prefab design company Aroom. The exterior of the main house contrasts the steel with its brick and light-blue siding, but the Yeons loved the idea of a refreshing and modern look for the backyard unit.

Exposing structural materials as finish materials created valuable cost savings. The structural concrete floors and exposed second floor framing strengthen the overall aesthetic, while eliminating the need for drywall or additional flooring.

The 750-square-foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that Bo Sundius and Hisako Ichiki of BunchADU designed in Los Angeles’s Atwater Village is filled with bright colors that help to designate the spaces within the small backyard home.

Exposed laminated strand lumber (LSL) joists and painted brackets introduce texture and color while keeping material costs down.

The goal was to turn the space into a guest suite that “feels like an out of body experience; a Willy Wonka vacation hideaway,” says the designer, who now lives in the ADU

The suburban backyard garage in Hertfordshire, England, that architect Olli Andrew of Hyper converted into a work studio is wrapped in charred larch wood pieces that give the impression of scales and foster biodiversity, providing a place for insects to nestle.

Behind the bathroom wall is the bedroom, which features sliding glass doors with access to a private deck.