Stunning Redwood City Backyard Cottage ADU

When this Redwood City homeowner looked out into the backyard last year, they could see the potential for a picturesque Accessory Dwelling Unit space. As the before and after images above show, the backyard was flat, access was easy, and the Redwood trees at the edges of the yard seemed to invite a new neighbor.

The homeowner had a clear vision for their ADU. Guest House ADU for hosting parties and family. Using the ADU unit as a comfortable residence during a future existing home renovation. Property value and possibly event rental income down the road.

However, a cookie-cutter in-law unit wasn't going to cut it. A rectangular modular home ADU wouldn't fit without encroaching on the protected redwood trees, while prefab ADU units couldn't match the existing home and its baby-blue wooden siding.

The Cottage design team shared the homeowner's vision from the very beginning, designing an L-shaped, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom ADU unit that maximized the overall square footage of the unit. At 742 square feet, the ADU was exempt from school and other municipal impact fees and still fulfills all of the homeowner's needs.

While the L-shape was mainly driven by the location of one of the key redwood trees that needed to be maintained, it also created a design opportunity to separate the living space into two distinct zones.

First was the kitchen, dining, and living room "side" of the ADU. A pair of double French doors opened up to a spacious open floor plan. On the immediate entry side, a living room large enough for a full couch, coffee table, and TV. On the other side, a full kitchen with high end appliances, complete with under-counter storage and open shelving.

Three sets of windows in the open concept side of the house allowed ample light to flood into the space—perfect for hosting parties and entertaining guests.

In contrast, the other side of the Accessory Dwelling unit was designed for privacy and separation from the entertainment side of the unit. The first bedroom has its own private bathroom and closet. In addition, a matching set of white double French doors allows future residents to enter directly from the backyard without disturbing the entertaining going on in the other side of the ADU.

The second guest bedroom, while slightly smaller than the master bedroom, is plenty spacious enough for a queen sized bed. It also shares bathroom access with the entertaining side of the ADU for flexibility. This bathroom has a full shower and tub, showing how ADUs do not have to sacrifice bathroom size and count to fit within the space.

The Cottage team proudly completed this fully custom ADU from the ground up in mid-2021. It fulfilled the homeowner's vision for a flexible hosting and living space, while also adding significant value to the homeowner's property value for the future.