This Backyard Granny Flat Is Filled With Clever Storage and Natural Light

When Betsy Rickles commissioned architect Webster Wilson to design a compact retirement home in her daughter’s backyard in Portland, Oregon, she requested a flexible living space that would accommodate her needs and those of her visiting grandchildren. "There’s a fun sleeping loft with a ladder and a bed that pulls out from beneath the stairs for sleepovers with the grandchildren," Wilson says. "The large, sliding patio doors open the whole main living floor to the garden for parties or impromptu visits. And all of the built-in storage we included will help maintain a serene, uncluttered environment that’s essential for successful small-house living."

Webster’s challenge was to distill all of Betsy’s spatial and functional needs into a small backyard setting, while keeping communal yard space. "Preserving the yard was a priority for the family," Wilson says. "We were tearing down a garage, and Betsy’s family needed storage space for bikes and other items. The solution was to go vertical. We ended up with three floors—there’s a naturally lit basement level with a bike ramp and exterior entry for the family, and the two floors above that are Betsy's personal home."

The 1,024-square-foot home has a gable roof and cedar cladding. "The roof is standing-seam metal for both permanence and simple elegance," Wilson says. "The exterior walls are tight-knot tongue-and-groove cedar. The semitransparent white stain on the cedar was a real challenge that took much testing and retesting to the get perfect amount of white pigment and still allow the wood’s character to come through."

The material palette of the exterior pays tribute to both the built environment and the natural surround. "The ADU is located in the Humboldt neighborhood of Northeast Portland," Wilson says. "There’s an eclectic blend of mostly bungalows with some earlier Victorians and modern-style homes mixed in. I think Portland, in general, is supportive of thoughtful modern design—especially buildings that are well-crafted, site-integrated, and that use regional, natural materials like wood—so I didn't hesitate to push a more contemporary building, especially in its detailing and fenestration. The familiar form of the gable roof, the backyard scale, and the abundant use of wood reflect the area and blend into the neighborhood context."