A sleeping niche, carefully planned plumbing, and the perfect light fixture make for a big impact in this renovation by MR Studios.
It was the combination of a location in a great school district, a charming town, and “the least awful of the houses we were looking at in our price point” that led lighting designer Kille Knobel to purchase her 1,500 square foot ranch-style house in 2009 in Glendale, Los Angeles. And since the home had been recently renovated by an investor, it was move-in ready—even if the finishes weren’t her favorite.
Fast forward nearly fifteen years, and Kille was ready for an update. The house was built in 1950, and its detached two-car garage had been constructed at the same time, painted to match the main house. Kille, who is a single mother of 3 teenage boys (plus a dog!) and works as a lighting designer for live concerts and special events, was initially looking for a way to renovate her main home so that guests wouldn’t need to go out a rear door and re-enter the house in order to use the bathroom. After some initial investigation, Kille realized the potential of her garage, and the possibilities of expanding and converting it.
To carry out that idea, Kille hired the LA-based firm of MR Studio, a growing architecture practice led by Emily Mohr and Jonathan Rieke. With a construction target of about $230,000, they sought to “maximize space and effect on an efficient budget,” says Mohr.
See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: An LA Garage Is Transformed Into a Vaulted ADU for $230K
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