With just 780 square feet of space to work with, GMD Custom and Best Practice Architecture faced a real layout and storage problem on an above-garage accessory dwelling unit in Seattle’s Seward Park neighborhood.

The Detail

In the center of the room, a custom oak shelving unit was introduced to transform the ADU’s open concept into three separate spaces: a kitchen, living room, and bedroom. While taking up a significant portion of the small space, the shelving also provides much needed storage.

"I personally always love to build structures inside of rooms, or rooms inside of rooms," says Ian Butcher, founder partner at Best Practice Architecture. "So whenever we have a client who's willing to indulge our interest in creating rooms without building walls, it's a treat."

The clients’ loft is designed as one open room in order to make use of the garage’s existing floor plan while still keeping the space bright and airy.

The central shelving unit creates a galley style kitchen near the entry, with a small and simple living and dining room just off the kitchen.

The other side of the shelving unit creates a private bedroom with just enough space for a bed. With a large bay window opposite the bed, the space remains light and open despite the compact quarters.

"We had the freedom to create privacy without needing to worry about adding a door," says Butcher.

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The project team designed the new garage and ADU around an original garage’s existing footprint to preserve a big leaf maple tree in the front yard, which capped the ADU at 780 square feet with a 710-square-foot garage.

Working with minimal space can be a challenge, and that’s where the shelving came in. Not only does the design solution create distinction between each living area, it also features both open and closed storage for clothes, extra bedding, books, and decor items.

Still, part of the goal was to ensure the space felt light and open. This was accomplished through large windows that break up blank walls, bring light in, and make the space feel bigger than it really is.

The project team also designed the ADU with an offset gable roof to create a cathedral-like interior and draw the eye up.