Budget Breakdown: A $614K Renovation Carves Up an L.A. Bungalow Like a Slice of Swiss Cheese
Shin Shin Architecture brings playful porosity and a fresh ADU to a 1923 single-family home.
Shin Shin Architecture brings playful porosity and a fresh ADU to a 1923 single-family home.
Sisters Amanda and Melissa Shin are the cofounders of Shin Shin Architecture, an award-winning, full-service design and architecture firm based in Los Angeles. Before moving to Highland Park in May 2021, Amanda was living in a studio apartment in Koreatown. Seeking more space, she set her sights on a 1923 single-family bungalow located behind an active commercial corridor filled with hip restaurants and natural wine bars.
"The location checked all the boxes," she says—although the property itself was flagged with years of code violations and had fallen out of escrow twice before. "We opened the door, saw what a wreck it was, and were like, ‘This is great!’"
Shin Shin Architecture added a new level that holds the kitchen/dining/living area for the main residence.
Photo: Eric Staudenmaier
Not ones to shy away from a challenge, the sisters worked together to execute a complete gut renovation and redesign, transforming the structure from a single-story, single-family residence into a two-story home with a separate accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that can be rented out for added income. "We needed some sort of passive income stream in order to afford the investment," says Melissa. "We saw that as part of our financial model."
ADU Costs:
| $168,000 Labor & Raw Materials | $1,600 Flooring (Laminate) | $1,200 Tile |
| $180 Light Fittings | $1,800 Doors | $390 Windows |
| $650 Kitchen Appliances | $2,300 Plumbing Fittings | $11,620 Millwork & Installation |
| $3,250 Counters & Installation | $200 Hardware | |
| ADU Total: $191,190 | ||
Main House Costs:
| $342,000 Labor & Raw Materials | $6,250 Flooring (Engineered Maple) | $1,900 Tile |
| $1,150 Light Fittings | $2,700 Doors | $6,000 Fleetwood Glass Sliding Door |
| $2,400 Windows | $9,200 Kitchen Appliances | $7,250 Plumbing Fittings |
| $15,300 Millwork & Installation | $5,600 Counters & Installation | $450 Hardware |
| Main House Total: $400,200 | ||
Final Tally:
| $10,250 Permits & Clearances | $5,700 Site Work & Excavation | $3,900 Landscaping |
| $400 Rain Barrels | $2,375 Consultants | $191,190 ADU |
| $400,200 Main House | ||
| Grand Total: $614,015 | ||
The attached ADU is rented out, providing passive income to help finance the project.
Photo: Eric Staudenmaier
In both the main house and the ADU, the indoor and outdoor spaces are blended to create a serene ambiance that is accentuated by greenery. "Living in Southern California, we’ve always embraced this idea that you can activate outdoor spaces in a way that they’re usable year-round," says Melissa.
In the ADU, a multipurpose, greenhouse-inspired sunroom serves as both a dining patio and an extension of the kitchen, with new millwork concealing a washer/dryer station.
The sunroom in the ADU has a clear polycarbonate ceiling, built-in shelving, and cabinetry that conceals a washer and dryer.
Photo: Eric Staudenmaier
See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: A $614K Renovation Carves Up an L.A. Bungalow Like a Slice of Swiss Cheese
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