FAVORITE SPACE
From left : An old shed , converted into an office and music studio ; the outdoor dining room surrounded by nature
OPEN SPACE
A LOCAL HOMEOWNER SHARES WHAT WENT INTO RENOVATING HE AND HIS PARTNER ’ S LAGUNA BEACH HOME DURING THE PANDEMIC , HOW HE QUICKLY BUILT AN ADU , AND WHY HIS FAVORITE SPACE IS THE ONE OFFERING “ NATURE ’ S WALLPAPER .”
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JUSTINE AMODEO
In the midst of the COVID pandemic in 2020 , a local Laguna Beach entrepreneur and his partner , a holistic health practitioner , purchased a rundown property in the Temple Hills area of Laguna Beach . The selling point : an expansive deck with a huge wall of greenery on the hillside opening up to the ocean .
Because the construction industry was considered an “ Essential Business ” for COVID-19 purposes in California , the homeowners were able to replace floors , fixtures and the fireplace , fix water damage , remodel bathrooms , repaint , and build an ADU .
Pointing to the tiny house connected to the property by a butterfly roof conceived by local architect , Vince DiBiasi , the homeowner explained that what sat on the land was “ a useless lawn . We found out that the county water district would give you rebate to take it out . I didn ’ t need a lawn there , so we used the rebate to build the ADU . The ADU law was a great get to homeowners . From the time we had a plan drawn up until the architect got approval from the city it took three weeks . This is unheard of – an ADU is the fast track to getting anything done here .”
The 450-square-foot house utilizes every bit of space and is connected to the main house by a butterfly roof ,
18 FALL / WINTER 2023 / 24 | LATITUDE33MAGAZINE . COM