Lifestyle

He transformed his carport into a stylish ‘granny flat’ for $95,000. Take a look inside

Designer Alexis Navarro is on the cutting edge of a new trend: trying to find ways to build stylish accessory dwelling units without breaking the budget.

John Velasco and Ariel Gomez-Hernandez, with their dog Lando, outside their East L.A. ADU.

John Velasco and Ariel Gomez-Hernandez, with their dog, Lando, outside the East L.A. accessory dwelling unit they rent from Alexis Navarro. We take a look at how this project came to life.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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A car is parked under an awning.

Before the ADU was built, it was a carport.  (Alexis Navarro)

The entrances to a Spanish-style duplex.

The carport is at the back of a property that started with a duplex — side-by-side one-bedroom apartments — in front and a traditional, freestanding two-bedroom house in back.   (Alexis Navarro)

The bathroom door is set in a bright orange wall.

Navarro designed and built the 536-square-foot structure to prove that ADUs could be stylish and affordable. Color fills the tiny rental, where two skateboards from Ariel Gomez-Hernandez’s collection hang on a wall.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

A woman and dog sit on a bed, with a dresser alongside.

Ariel Gomez-Hernandez sits in the unit’s bedroom, designed to provide a sense of privacy amid the open floor plan.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

A narrow kitchen has modular storage on the walls and a counter with seating.

Glazed windows and a skylight in the galley kitchen help to cool the unit and let in additional light.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

A woman walks through the kitchen.

The countertops and sink are from Ikea; the open shelves allow for easy access.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

A man and woman sit at the kitchen counter.

Ariel Gomez-Hernandez and John Velasco share a laugh at the kitchen countertop.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The ceiling, with two can lights, opens to a skylight.

Skylights are trimmed in yellow, to add drama.   (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A man stands in the entrance to the home.

Velasco, an audio engineer, stands in the doorway of the casita. Both he and Gomez-Hernandez, a speech-language pathologist, are working from home during the pandemic.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

A small bath with shower, rectangular vanity and mirror . Small tile reaches halfway up the walls.

The bathroom, with fixtures from Home Depot, is the only enclosed space in the ADU.   (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Two men and a woman sit in a small patio.

Landlord and designer Alexis Navarro, right, talks with his “Casita L.A.” tenants Ariel Gomez-Hernandez and John Velasco.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Potted succulents are arranged in front of the home.

In retrospect, Navarro said he could have saved even more time and money on the exterior. “I installed a high-quality plaster exterior,” he said. “I could have done a regular plaster job and reduced the time factor by about a month.”  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The tenants and their dog sit at a small table on the patio.

Gomez-Hernandez and Velasco rent the East L.A. ADU for $1,650.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The couple relax in their living room, which doubles as an office.

The couple relax in their living room, which doubles as an office.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The narrow bedroom with two dressers.

The ADU includes one small closet in the back of the bedroom.   (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The couple sit in their living room beneath a ceiling fan.

The open and flexible design allows for two work desks for the couple, despite the snug quarters.   (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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