ADU Remodel, NE PDX
For this space, the objective was to update an existing attached ADU, which had a dysfunctional layout, pet stains, and wait for it: a carpeted bathroom.
The new design needed to factor in a couple of things:
The ADU would now primarily be used for income as a furnished rental. It would need to be cozy and functional, with a relatively neutral design.
The ADU shares a roofline, and breezeway with the primary home: the tenant would need separate access, via side-gate, as well as a privacy screen.
When the ADU is not rented, the family wanted to be able to re-incorporate it into the household layout, meaning whatever privacy wall was chosen would need to be retractable—and the style generally needs to match the upgrades inside the home.
First, with the kitchen, we didn’t understand why the bedroom closet protruded so far into the cooking space. We opted to remove the closet entirely, and leave the pocket door, which now opens into the kitchen. This allowed us to reposition the fridge and dishwasher, and generally rejigger the whole layout. We added an eating or laptop work station, since there really wasn’t space for a dining table. New countertops, hood/exhaust portal, task lighting, shelving.
We did new flooring and trim throughout, and added a closet in a long corridor off the bedroom, which previously had no defined purpose. We extended a wall off the kitchen to create room for a pantry/linen closet. Black hex tiles in the bath replaced the wrinkly, stained carpet, and a custom wood wrap replace the previous MDF cabinet.
Outdoors, we created a storage closet with spaces for two hanging bicycles, as well a small dining area. We created a visual screen with cedar trellising, fashioned onto sliding rails—the whole thing designed to open up as wide as possible when not in use.
