Garages

A discreet built-in wardrobe in the bedroom.

The children’s bedrooms are side-by-side, with a shared playroom/study outside of the doors.

Pine plywood grown in New Zealand covers the interior. “It’s quite economical and also quite warm,” says Maclean. “I find the patterns on it quite interesting to look at.”

Maclean opted to wrap the building in zincalume corrugate, or corrugated iron. “Dunedin is not the sunniest spot in the world. It rains a lot,” says Maclean. “So, having something that sort-of shimmed in the bush was quite attractive, rather than it being dark and stealth or another color that mimicked greenery.”

The green box is lined with tambor strips to give it texture and interest.

The living room furniture is from Sobu.

The exposed framing is painted a light baby blue. Floating white track lighting was installed between the joists, hanging off bent brass rods.

A vaulted ceiling in the living area gives the space a feeling of spaciousness. The barn door separates the public rooms from the bedroom and bathroom.

The couple combined Ikea cabinetry with custom plywood doors and dark green tile in the galley kitchen. The skylights are among the five that Brian designed for the place. "A lot of people nix skylights from their projects because of the cost and because they're scared they’re going to leak,

The Santa Cruz ADU that Brian Friel and Melissa Virostko share with their two children opens to a flastone patio that extends the living space. Says Brian, "Our living quarters are efficient, but it’s nice to have some other spaces that we can to escape to.

The compact yet fully outfitted kitchen enables Mary to prepare meals and host friends. The pendants are by Livex. The cabinets are standard Ikea boxes with doors by Semihandmade.

Mary Kawar made the most of limited space in her backyard ADU in Berkeley with Clei's Circe wall bed and Genie convertible table, both from Resource Furniture in San Francisco.

Photo by Art Gray

Built in Sunset Park, L.A., the original model was made by ERLA Construction (a company started by one of Minarc's cofounders) from a structural insulated panel (SIP) developed in house.

Pictured here and in the top image, the 350-square-foot Plús Hús ADU is an example of Minarc's larger offerings.

The studio is kept simple to give creativity room to flow. "We often come up here after dinner and play a game in the corner nook," Emily says. Eric says that light from sunrises makes the space feel magical in the morning.

Floor Plan of Oak Cliff Casita by Best Practice Architecture

Inside, the couple's vintage organ anchors the space. A new pink sofa from Interior Defined is one of the only new items purchased for the home; most are vintage or pieces the couple inherited. The rug is a vintage horse blanket the couple picked up at a flea market in Kansas, and the white chair is a piece they found in a friend's old building in Corsicana, Texas.

Best Practice Architecture transformed a former garage in the Oak Park neighborhood of Dallas into a light-filled casita filled with art by local makers and vintage finds.