A small home becomes a comfortable place for the whole family

Here’s a New Avenue renovation—ten years after we built it.

It’s a story that repeats itself over and over: a family of four bought a small 2 bed, 1 bath home in a neighborhood they loved and came to New Avenue looking for a way to add more space. We converted an old barn into a wonderful little ADU that made the home work for them for years. 

This wonderful home with its New Avenue ADU is perfect for biking or walking to the local preschools and elementary schools, and it's just a block to a huge park with playgrounds. The Berkeley Bowl is nearby, and everything you need is within walking or biking distance. If these homeowners wanted to, they could be some of those bike people who are shockingly fit despite a busy career and family life!

Hidden treat: This is hard to imagine if you've never seen it, but a few fig trees between the front house and the ADU make for a cool forest experience in a small yard. (All the beauty of Jurassic Park without the danger.)

This home was a dream for this young family, who decided to sell the property and move onto their next chapter. These photos are recent, taken a full decade after we created this special ADU. It still looks great.