Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

A Blue ADU With Cloud-Like Doors Represents the Los Angeles Sky

A Blue ADU With Cloud-Like Doors Represents the Los Angeles Sky

Architectural designer Ben Warwas converts a dilapidated two-car garage in Los Angeles into a whimsical backyard dwelling.

Located on a quiet street in Los Angeles’s El Sereno neighborhood, the Cloud Dream House is a 400-square-foot garage–turned–residence that architectural designer Ben Warwas, founder of local design studio Byben, was commissioned to upgrade by developer William Tong. "We originally found this property for a client, but when they landed up buying something else, our renovation company purchased it," Tong says. Once the renovation of the existing front house was complete, Tong turned his attention to the garage, tasking Warwas with converting it into an accessory dwelling unit.



Architectural designer Ben Warwas converted a compact, two-car garage behind a 1,440-square-foot front house into a 400-square-foot accessory dwelling unit in Los Angeles.

"The garage, a typical 20-by-20-square-foot pitched roof enclosure, is the kind of structure you see all over L.A.," says Warwas. "[It] actually offers a very functional shell for the creation of a small home." Thanks to California’s ADU laws, which prevent cities across the state from imposing significant restrictions on their ADU codes, Warwas and his team "sailed right through the planning process," he says.

"No planning approval was required-it’s easy if there is an existing structure," Warwas continues. However, the architectural designer was required to upgrade the original structure’s insulation to code in order to make it habitable, he says.



Semicircular windows above the glazed sliding doors at the entrance create a "cloud-like" effect.

The layout of the Cloud Dream Home is fairly straightforward, with the primary gathering spaces located toward the front and the private domain at the rear. The bifurcation of the space means that the living area opens up onto the newly added deck, which benefits from "great California weather," Warwas says. "By adding the external deck, we made the relatively small interior space really functional," he adds.



In the kitchen, the concealed refrigerator matches the bespoke plywood cabinetry, while mirror backsplash creates the illusion of more interior space.

To stay within the project’s tight budget constraints, Warwas kept the interior simple, using thoughtful design techniques to create the illusion of more space. The ceiling is now lined with clear pine plywood that matches the bespoke kitchen cabinetry and concealed refrigerator. Warwas also integrated mirror backsplash in the kitchen and bathroom, which visually expands the rooms. Light is drawn into the main living areas through the glazed windows and doors at the front of the home. "I actually enjoyed [working around] the space and budget constraints," Warwas says.



Warwas lowered the ceiling between the gathering areas and the rear sleeping "wing" to create a sense of drama and separation between the public and private spaces.



The one-bedroom, one-bathroom ADU includes two closets and ample storage space.



The bedroom and bathroom are located at the rear of the home.

While the existing roofline was maintained, the architectural designer lowered the ceiling between the living room and sleeping "wing" to create a sense of drama. "It’s a classic Frank Lloyd Wright technique, whereby the space you enter is somewhat constricted but opens up as you move through [it]," Warwas says.



The front facade of the Cloud Dream Home represents "the big Los Angeles sky," Warwas says.

But the biggest spectacle is the blue-painted exterior, which features semicircular windows above the entry that create "cloud-like doors," Warwas says. "I was looking at using affordable vinyl doors and noticed there were moon-shaped options," he explains. "It led me to this idea that the exterior of the house represents the big Los Angeles sky, and as you walk in, you’re literally walking toward the direction of the sunset."



"I try to add an element of whimsy in my projects," Warwas adds.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×