Los Angeles has had a long history of high living costs. So, it’s no surprise that many residents opt for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to create more living space.
Generally, an ADU is a supplemental residential structure that can be detached or attached to the main house. Most people furnish ADUs to be dwelling spaces for out-of-town guests and in-laws or a home away from home. Some rent it out to earn surplus income.
If you have an ADU in Los Angeles or are thinking of building one, you might want to consider optimizing every square foot. Here are tips for optimizing space in your ADU.
1. Store things smarter
While ADUs add extra dwelling units in your home, they aren’t as enormous. Hence, they can’t accommodate tons of stuff. To efficiently store items in your ADU, try these ideas:
- Use vertical storage for space by building shelves and cubbies into the walls, leaving the floor clean.
- Trick out your ceilings with brackets and hooks to keep outdoor gear such as bikes out of the way.
- If your ADU has stairs, install cabinets under them for storing seasonal items.
2. Broaden your bathroom
Bathrooms should be calming, relaxing spaces where your in-laws or tenants can unwind after a long day. Therefore, don’t compromise on its space when building your ADU. Instead, create the illusion of space by forgoing the double vanity and using the same tile for the floors and shower stall.
Additionally, go for an oval-shaped sink and a rounded vanity as they take up less space.
3. Create the illusion of more space
You can make your ADU feel larger than life by placing mirrors in various rooms to open them up. And, instead of traditional doors, use sliding doors as they take less space and can act as extra storage units.
Lastly, experts recommend using neutral pale colors for your walls to ensure your ADU feels light and airy. However, for the ceiling, consider darker colors to create the illusion of depth.
With these tips, you can efficiently optimize space in your ADU in Los Angeles.
