Modern ADU Plans

01/24/2025

We will be closing down this page shortly. However, we aren't going away.
Please subscribe to our newsletter to stay in touch and get the latest ADU news: https://www.modernaduplans.com/newsletter

This is only a goodbye to facebook. We still love ADUs and will continue working to make great design accessible to all.

Stay updated on the latest trends in ADU design, strategies to increase your property's value, and ways to generate rental income. Our newsletter offers exclusive insights into new ADU plans, design recommendations, and expert advice to help homeowners maximize their real estate investments.

12/24/2024

The ADU Ebook makes a great last minute holiday gift!

Make 2025 the year you build your !
Make the Modern ADU Plans Ebook your first step towards achieving your goal.

Unlock Your Backyard: Choose from 20 ADU layouts Dive into the world of ADUs with our comprehensive "Modern ADU Plans E-Book: Schematic Plans." This e-book is a treasure trove for anyone planning an ADU project. It features 20 diverse ADU designs with vivid images and dimensioned floor pl

09/22/2024

Dive into the world of with our comprehensive "Modern ADU Plans E-Book: Schematic Plans." This e-book is a treasure trove for anyone planning an ADU project. It features 20 diverse ADU designs with vivid images and dimensioned floor plans. It's an invaluable resource for selecting the perfect ADU design for your property. Visualize how your future can look by reviewing some of the best designed ADUs around.

https://www.modernaduplans.com/adu-plans-store/adu-design-inspiration-catalogue

Unlock Your Backyard: Choose from 20 ADU layouts Dive into the world of ADUs with our comprehensive "Modern ADU Plans E-Book: Schematic Plans." This e-book is a treasure trove for anyone planning an ADU project. It features 20 diverse ADU designs with vivid images and dimensioned floor pl

09/02/2024

Get all of your ADU questions answered:
https://modernaduplans.com/faq

Get answers to all your frequently asked questions about ADUs from our expert designers. Learn about costs, timelines, and more for your ADU project at our site!

06/16/2024

Find the best ADU plan for your backyard. The E-Book offers images and floor plans for 20 ADU designs.

Unlock Your Backyard: The Essential Guide to ADU’s Dive into the world of ADUs with our comprehensive "Modern ADU Plans E-Book: Schematic Plans." This e-book is a treasure trove for anyone planning an ADU project. It features 20 diverse ADU designs with vivid images and dimensioned floor

05/29/2024

A cozy bed nook creates a nice separation between living and sleeping areas in this very tight ADU. Wrapped in warm walnut wood, and with an expansive window, the bed area feels like you are sleeping in the trees.

Creative design solutions like this help clients get the most out of their ADU projects. Often we are trying to squeeze the most usable space into a very tight backyard. Thinking outside of the box let's us find unique and creative solutions to make beautiful interiors that are also very functional.

05/24/2024

Ideas for a playful ADU.

Stacked boxes, outdoor terraces, and compact footprint makes this a nice option for a very tight backyard.

We love being challenged with difficult problems to solve as they often lead to the most creative solutions.

05/20/2024

When I am Among the Trees
by Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It's simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”

---

05/18/2024

Your backyard is waiting for the perfect rental unit. This elegant but simple ADU is affordable to build and designed as a perfect place to rent either long term or short term on .

The vaulted ceilings, exposed structure, and multiple skylights make the interior feel bright, open, and spacious. Both the living room and the bedroom open up to the outdoors, giving this home a strong connection to nature.

05/17/2024

Clients come to us with problems to solve. Sometimes it may be a goal of increasing their property value, or perhaps building a new home for an aging parent. To solve their problem, we ask lots of questions, listen carefully, try to understand the unique aspects of their situation. We internalize this information to develop the best possible solution.

However, you never know when inspiration will strike. That is why a sketchbook is one of the indispensable tools of a designer. We often carry one around and sketch out ideas, take notes, or just let our hand and pen wander. Sometimes it is messy, sometimes it is organized, and sometimes the ideas on the pages strike a chord with our clients and lead to the final design.

05/10/2024

A homeowner was looking to add an ADU to their property that they could use as a rental unit. They wanted a spacious living/kitchen/dining area to attract tenants and minimize vacancy rates. They also had a very limited space in the backyard for the ADU. It needed to fit exactly within a 24' by 30' size.

Our initial sketches show splitting the unit into two halves. One side is completely open, with the kitchen tucked along one wall to create maximum flexibility in the layout of the living and dining areas. Large windows then connect the space to the garden. A covered front porch also includes an exterior closet for outdoor gear, bikes, or other storage.

The second side includes a spacious bathroom, walk in closet, and nicely sized bedroom. Both the bedroom and a door off the kitchen connect to a covered back patio that offers some private outdoor space.

05/06/2024

This family added an ADU to generate rental income through Airbnb.

This means, they also wanted a lot of privacy between the main house and the ADU as there would be lots of people coming and going from the rental unit.

The landscape design became an important design aspect, giving some outdoor space to both units, while creating an attractive fence to limit views and increase privacy.

Lesson: Great design doesn't stop at the edge of the building. It is important to consider how the home will integrate into the landscape and the surrounding context.

Outcome: The family makes a couple thousand dollars per month on average from their Airbnb rental. This gives them additional income so they can pay down their mortgage and plan for retirement.

Want to have your backyard make money for you? Talk to us about adding an ADU to your property today!

05/03/2024

A couple wanted to downsize from their large home to a smaller backyard cottage. They love entertaining and having dinner parties.
They also have hobbies and wanted a space that could be a home workspace or a guest bedroom.
They also wanted to accentuate the separation between public and private spaces in their new home.

The Solution:
🟢 Pulling apart the house into two volumes, defines the public and private spaces.
🟢 Between the two boxes we introduced courtyard gardens to help the ADU blend into the surrounding garden.
🟢 The main living box includes and open plan with spacious kitchen, dining area, and living room.
🟢 The living room extends to a patio off the back to provide more living and entertaining space during the warmer seasons.
🟢 The private box has two bedrooms, one of which acts as their hobby room but can double as a guest room when needed.
🟢 Large windows connect all of the interior spaces to the surrounding garden.

05/01/2024

A couple asked us to design a simple affordable ADU that would make an attractive rental unit on AirBnB. They wanted the ADU to provide passive income to help them cover their mortgage and save for retirement.

To increase the value of the project we knew the unit had to be simple, low maintenance, but also attract tenants. We kept the form of the unit as simple as possible, but introduced skylights to bring in natural light, a full washer and dryer to appeal to longer term tenants, and a spacious great room that offers a comfortable place to lounge, but also has a full kitchen.

04/30/2024

Transparency and predictability are incredibly valuable when it comes to design fees. We don't believe anyone should bill hourly and homeowners should always ask their designers for a fixed price up front. Whether you are purchasing pre-designed ADU plans or hiring someone to do a fully custom design, ask for a fixed price.

Our thoughts on why fixed pricing is the best option for homeowners:
https://www.modernaduplans.com/adu-pricing

ADU Pricing

04/30/2024

Generate rental income and increase your property value with The Shotgun ADU!

A perfect blend of elegant design but a simple form, the Shotgun ADU is great for a backyard rental unit. It also is a perfect ADU design for aging family members as it offers barrier free living on a single level.

Plans are available at: https://www.modernaduplans.com/adu-plans-store/the-shotgun-adu

04/28/2024

Great video about ADUs from the Los Angeles Times:

Southern Californians are racing to build accessory dwelling units — or ADUs — small, fully equipped homes on the same lot as a larger h...

04/28/2024

A client had a sloping site and requested a house and ADU over a garage.
To accomplish their goals we developed this sketch, showing the garage semi-submerged into the slope of the site with a contemporary twist on a traditional house form defining the design of the homes above.

Early concept sketches like this help us communicate design ideas to the clients. We work through many iterations with our clients, integrating them into the process, and asking for lots of feedback as we develop the design. We want to make sure the design is helping accomplish the goals and dreams of the families who will live in the project for generations to come.