About this build.
This detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in Albany, in Alameda County, California, is a 225-square-foot studio with one bathroom, built by Burton Builders in 2023 — proof of how much fits in a small footprint when the plan is disciplined. It has everything a home needs: a full-size kitchenette, a private bathroom, in-unit laundry, and an open living and sleeping area. The homeowners use it as a guest house for now, with the option to rent it out for extra income when they are ready.
Outside, white stucco meets deep-green trim, a cantilevered entry canopy, and a plum front door — small, but with a front door that means it. Inside, a large skylight does the heavy lifting, washing the whole studio in daylight so the space never reads as cramped. The kitchenette goes bold with navy shaker cabinetry, a marble-look quartz counter and matching backsplash ledge, white subway tile, a matte-black pull-down faucet, an induction cooktop under a stainless hood, and an under-counter refrigerator. Wide-plank floors run throughout, a stacked washer and dryer tuck into their own alcove, and the bathroom turns the palette inside out — charcoal walls against a white subway-tiled corner shower with a curved glass enclosure.
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