Two-Story ADU Designed for Multigenerational Living
A garage becomes a light-filled, two-bedroom dwelling with flexible spaces and room for extended family
A Berkeley, California, couple with kids needed extra space to comfortably host visiting in-laws from Southern California and India for extended stays. Like many urban homeowners, they had limited options. But a one-car garage being used for storage instead of cars proved to be the perfect solution.
The couple teamed up with designers Evren Vural and Lamiae Ameziane and general contractor Julian Jankowski to transform the garage into a flexible two-story, two-bedroom, two-bathroom accessory dwelling unit. The main floor of the ADU includes a kitchen, living room, dining area, laundry closet and bedroom with an en suite bathroom designed with aging-in-place features. Upstairs, a gym-yoga studio doubles as a guest bedroom and connects to a bathroom, home office and generous-size deck with views of San Francisco Bay. Clean-lined architecture, nature-inspired details and lively pops of color help the contemporary ADU feel like a seamless extension of the main home while giving the family the extra space it wanted.
The couple teamed up with designers Evren Vural and Lamiae Ameziane and general contractor Julian Jankowski to transform the garage into a flexible two-story, two-bedroom, two-bathroom accessory dwelling unit. The main floor of the ADU includes a kitchen, living room, dining area, laundry closet and bedroom with an en suite bathroom designed with aging-in-place features. Upstairs, a gym-yoga studio doubles as a guest bedroom and connects to a bathroom, home office and generous-size deck with views of San Francisco Bay. Clean-lined architecture, nature-inspired details and lively pops of color help the contemporary ADU feel like a seamless extension of the main home while giving the family the extra space it wanted.
Before Photo
After: The contemporary two-story ADU has clean lines, modern interiors and abundant natural light. “We tried to match the main house with a pitched roof,” Vural says. “Most clients want harmony with their main house.” A deck with a steel railing sits above a living area, offering views of the bay.
The warm off-white exterior (Ivory White by Benjamin Moore) has neutral gray trim with sage undertones (Fieldstone by Benjamin Moore) for subtle contrast and definition. “After the ADU was done, they painted the main home those colors,” Ameziane says.
The main house sits just to the left of this photo. Plantings along a modern fence with wood posts and cable railings provide privacy from the street, where the homeowners and guests now park.
The warm off-white exterior (Ivory White by Benjamin Moore) has neutral gray trim with sage undertones (Fieldstone by Benjamin Moore) for subtle contrast and definition. “After the ADU was done, they painted the main home those colors,” Ameziane says.
The main house sits just to the left of this photo. Plantings along a modern fence with wood posts and cable railings provide privacy from the street, where the homeowners and guests now park.
The living room opens to the kitchen and dining area and includes a custom sofa and TV. “This is the main hanging-out spot,” Ameziane says. “When the homeowners’ parents come, they hang out in this living room and the kids come from the main house to spend time with them here.”
Lofty ceilings help the ADU feel airy and open. “We did 8-foot ceilings on the lower level and pushed the height higher on the second floor,” Vural says. “That’s why it doesn’t feel compact.”
Luxury wood-look laminate flooring throughout most of the ADU adds warmth and durability. Creamy white walls (Cloud White by Benjamin Moore) create a soft backdrop for the bolder finishes and wood built-ins. LED ceiling lights provide general illumination.
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Lofty ceilings help the ADU feel airy and open. “We did 8-foot ceilings on the lower level and pushed the height higher on the second floor,” Vural says. “That’s why it doesn’t feel compact.”
Luxury wood-look laminate flooring throughout most of the ADU adds warmth and durability. Creamy white walls (Cloud White by Benjamin Moore) create a soft backdrop for the bolder finishes and wood built-ins. LED ceiling lights provide general illumination.
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The kitchen features two-tone frameless cabinetry in white and navy blue accented with brushed gold knobs and pulls. “This client wanted the ‘ocean’ in the kitchen,” Ameziane says. “She at first wanted a brighter blue color, but we ended up toning it down. A darker blue is more timeless. We used the white cabinets at the top to make the space feel light.”
Floating stained rift-cut white oak shelves display plants, cookbooks and other items. “Corner cabinets make it hard to reach things,” Vural says. “Having the floating shelves there makes the kitchen feel more airy.”
A 27-inch undermount stainless steel sink with rounded corners sits beneath an operable window that brings in fresh air and natural light. A gold-tone pull-down faucet and undercabinet lighting add function and polish.
Floating stained rift-cut white oak shelves display plants, cookbooks and other items. “Corner cabinets make it hard to reach things,” Vural says. “Having the floating shelves there makes the kitchen feel more airy.”
A 27-inch undermount stainless steel sink with rounded corners sits beneath an operable window that brings in fresh air and natural light. A gold-tone pull-down faucet and undercabinet lighting add function and polish.
The backsplash combines white glazed zellige-look ceramic wall tiles with a decorative inset of matte blue-and-cream ceramic tiles above the induction range. “I knew for a fact I couldn’t use it for the entire kitchen because it would be too bold,” Ameziane says of the patterned tile. Pure white quartz countertops keep the compact kitchen feeling bright while providing a durable prep surface.
Backsplash tile: Artigiano Italian Alps (main), Daltile, and Erizo Blue ceramic (over range), Riad Tile
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Backsplash tile: Artigiano Italian Alps (main), Daltile, and Erizo Blue ceramic (over range), Riad Tile
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A pair of energy-efficient glass patio doors between the kitchen and living room connect the ADU to the main house across an outdoor walkway. “I think the French doors also easily open up the space,” Ameziane says. “In the couple’s everyday life, those French doors and their door on the main house are always open. The grandparents are hanging out and the kids are always coming over.”
Between the kitchen and front entry is the dining area, with a round wood table with midcentury-style chairs. “That table is extendable,” Ameziane says. “That’s where the family eats together. When the parents are visiting, the entire family shares meals together in the ADU.”
A pocket door on the left opens to a bedroom (see below), while angled doors conceal a washer and dryer. Above them, a wall-mounted all-electric ductless mini-split system — one of three in the ADU — provides heating and cooling. The front door opens to a small mudroom area.
Chairs: West Elm
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A pocket door on the left opens to a bedroom (see below), while angled doors conceal a washer and dryer. Above them, a wall-mounted all-electric ductless mini-split system — one of three in the ADU — provides heating and cooling. The front door opens to a small mudroom area.
Chairs: West Elm
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The downstairs bedroom features a wood-frame bed and midcentury-style nightstands. A pocket door opens to the en suite bathroom. “Most people now prefer pocket doors for ADUs,” Vural says. “They save space. Every single inch matters in an ADU. They also make spaces more accessible.”
Bed and nightstands: West Elm
Bed and nightstands: West Elm
The downstairs en suite bathroom has a curbless, accessibility-focused shower designed for aging in place, complete with grab bars for safety and a bench (not shown). A custom glass enclosure helps show off the green hexagonal tile on the back shower wall. “The inspiration here was nature,” Ameziane says. “We knew at the start this bathroom would use green and then built around it. I didn’t want to use that tile on all three shower walls because it might make it feel too claustrophobic.”
The vanity includes modern frameless cabinetry with textured laminate fronts, gold-tone hardware and a pure white quartz countertop that matches the kitchen. A wall-hung dual-flush toilet reinforces the clean, modern aesthetic. Large-format (12-by-24-inch) light gray porcelain floor tiles with a matte finish ground the space. Two operable windows provide ventilation and light.
Floor tile: Morse in White Nature, Porcelanosa; shower wall tile: Zellige Hexa in Emerald, WOW; vanity: 1600 series, textured laminate, Bellmont Cabinets
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The vanity includes modern frameless cabinetry with textured laminate fronts, gold-tone hardware and a pure white quartz countertop that matches the kitchen. A wall-hung dual-flush toilet reinforces the clean, modern aesthetic. Large-format (12-by-24-inch) light gray porcelain floor tiles with a matte finish ground the space. Two operable windows provide ventilation and light.
Floor tile: Morse in White Nature, Porcelanosa; shower wall tile: Zellige Hexa in Emerald, WOW; vanity: 1600 series, textured laminate, Bellmont Cabinets
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Off the ADU’s front entry, a custom rift-cut white oak shelving unit lines the staircase to the second floor, offering display space for art, books and decorative objects. “We don’t like wasted space in an ADU,” Ameziane says. “Any opportunity we have for storage we take it.” A fixed skylight helps brighten the stairwell. “We have four skylights in this ADU,” Vural says.
The upper level opens to a large, light-filled flex space currently used as a home gym and yoga studio. “The bedroom downstairs is designed primarily for the grandparents, while this space is a flex space that can be used as a home gym or as a guest bedroom,” Ameziane says. A pocket door in the corner opens to a home office.
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The home office has custom white oak cabinetry with a built-in desk. An interior window above the desk overlooks the stairwell. “It makes this small space feel bigger, versus a solid wall,” Vural says. Origami made by the homeowners’ son is proudly displayed on the sill.
A pocket door connects the gym to the second-floor bathroom.
The second-floor bathroom has a low-curb shower with a custom enclosure and brushed nickel fixtures, a modern tub with a tiled deck and a compact vanity with frameless cabinetry and textured laminate doors and drawer fronts.
European white-and-coral, glossy-and-matte porcelain tile makes a bold statement in the streamlined space. “This bathroom is the wife’s retreat,” Ameziane says. “She uses this space mostly. She has a film on those windows for privacy. For the tile she wanted something playful and colorful. Her colors were pink or orange. The design intention was to do the main wall in that coral tile so the tub becomes the floor and the floor becomes the wall.” A wall-hung toilet is located across from the shower.
Tile: Duo in Coral, WOW
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European white-and-coral, glossy-and-matte porcelain tile makes a bold statement in the streamlined space. “This bathroom is the wife’s retreat,” Ameziane says. “She uses this space mostly. She has a film on those windows for privacy. For the tile she wanted something playful and colorful. Her colors were pink or orange. The design intention was to do the main wall in that coral tile so the tub becomes the floor and the floor becomes the wall.” A wall-hung toilet is located across from the shower.
Tile: Duo in Coral, WOW
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A railing on the upper deck provides safety while preserving bay views, even when seated. “[The homeowner] wanted to host parties there and have an indoor-outdoor experience,” Vural says.
In the future, the homeowners envision the ADU being used by their grown kids and grandkids. “I’m proud that this ADU looks like a main house instead of something small in the backyard,” Vural says. “Some of the decisions made along the way helped us create something that can be used for the years ahead. These homeowners understand the concept of multigenerational living and cared about the space they were giving the parents.”
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of four that hosts the grandparents for extended stays
Location: Berkeley, California
Size: 963 square feet (89 square meters)
Designers: Evren Vural (architecture) and Lamiae Ameziane (finishes and interiors) of Inspired ADUs
General contractor: Julian Jankowski of CA Bear Construction
Before: The existing detached garage sat by the main house. “They have a long and tight lot,” Vural says. “The client knew Berkeley allowed this space to be used for an ADU, and we were able to take advantage of the existing garage footprint and extend the first floor and add the second floor.”
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