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

22950 Crespi Street is on the market for over $1.5 million in Los Angeles, California.

Kim Moellenberndt and Ryan Tyner found their future home at a corner store built in the 1940s. The deal started with a handshake deal between the couple of the store's owner.

The living room’s showpiece is a Zircon stove by Malm; its flue snakes 25 feet to the ceiling. “We really wanted the fireplace to be the anchor within this large space,” says Raj. A rust velvet Lenyx sofa from CB2 provides a punch of color within the minimalist palette. Nearby is a custom maple credenza by Croft House. The white-trimmed windows are from Loewen and the white paint throughout is Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore.

A Murphy bed folds down from the custom cabinetry, so as to save space when it’s not in use.

Garcia clad the ADU’s exterior with a local Texas limestone, similar in color and texture to the main house, “just to tie the two together visually,” says the architect.

Hay’s “Blush Room” was designed for a 12-year-old girl and offers studying, sleeping, and playing areas. Different materials and textures—wood, metal, wool, fabric—add variety while feeling polished.

For a family with three kids, Hay fashioned a custom tree-like shelving unit that connects to a curvaceous, built-in sofa—ideal for lounging and reading. Yellow accents brighten up the restrained wooden palette.

In Herzliya, a suburb of Tel Aviv, designer Sarit Shani Hay created a bedroom for two boys aged three and six. The two beds, arranged at staggered heights, provide the benefits of a bunk bed while allowing storage space.

A custom cabinet in the ground-floor playroom provides a variety of storage options. “The biggest frustration of parents is that the toys are everywhere,” says Eva. “I always try to create a kids’ corner as well as some space for the parents. And of course enough storage options and a logical layout of the house will help to make a home child friendly.”

A large bed was deliberately chosen so that Kiki can grow into over it time. The vertically oriented plywood echoes the vertical lines of the hone’s timber cladding.

A Woodchuck-made loft bed anchors Sam's room. The dark green playmat is by Alex Playmats.

Just beyond the open-plan kitchen and dining room is the living room with a Gelderland sofa and JOV rug.

This 1956 gem was designed by Ralph Spencer Twitchell, a key figure in the Sarasota School of Architecture.

A large, open kitchen is located on the other side of the living room. New appliances were integrated into the space as part of the recent remodel.