Salvaged Wood From a Neglected Shed Shines Again in This Los Angeles ADU

The oversized shed at the back of this property in Highland Park, Los Angeles, was a bit of a mystery. It had stood for 90 years, filled with tree trunks on one end and interesting antiques on the other. The current homeowners, a television writer and a musician, discovered that plans for the shed had once been filed, yet the city didn’t officially recognize its existence. Despite its state of flux and disrepair, the couple was sure about one thing: It had potential. 

"Before COVID-19, we were envisioning a place where family and friends would be visiting constantly," says one owner, who asked for privacy. "Most of all, we wanted a functional guesthouse that our elderly parents could use while visiting us and our baby. We hope that will still happen someday."

Aside from guest quarters, the couple imagined an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that could work as a temporary address during the future renovation of their historic main house. "It was a chance to make better use of our backyard, too, which has always been our favorite part of the property," the owner adds. 

As it stood, the shed had separate entrances to two distinct rooms: one with carpet and one without. The owner thinks that the carpeted space may have been a residence at one point, but the other area was most likely a barn and chicken coop. Its tree stumps and spiders would have to go, but the couple wanted to find a way to hold onto all that wood.