About this build.
This accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in San Rafael, in Marin County, California, is a compact 299-square-foot studio garage conversion with one bathroom, built by Burton Builders in 2025. The little building leans into its garden setting: a single-slope shed roof, sage-green lap siding with deep forest-green trim, and a wood-framed glass entry door reached by broad redwood steps with steel-cable railings, tucked beneath a mature shade tree among terraced planting beds.
Inside, the main room runs galley-style — black cabinetry with a brass faucet and quartz counters, a window-side breakfast bar with stools, and a band of clerestory windows pulling in daylight, with in-unit laundry and a ductless mini-split for year-round comfort. A cedar-lined flex room adds warmth and character, its salvaged-wood walls and corrugated-metal wainscot giving the space a crafted, cabin-like feel. The bathroom goes bold: sky-blue penny tile floor to ceiling, a black-and-white hex mosaic floor, wood-trimmed windows, and matte-black fixtures.
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