The McKinley Park Tudor started out with a garage. Over the years, the garage gave way to a storage shed. When Theo and Paige Martenis bought the home in 2015, they decided their growing family needed more living space.
The answer was an ADU—accessory dwelling unit. The shed that replaced the garage was replaced by an additional 1,000 square feet of living accommodations.
“We want to have another child,” says Theo, whose daughter Sofia is 4. “We needed a place where family could stay with us and help.”
There was just one big hangup. A giant heritage redwood stood on the lot line with neighbors to the rear. Both households love the tree and wanted it preserved.
The mission to save the redwood was accomplished by architect Dennis Greenbaum and contractor Michael Higgins with MT Higgins Construction.
“We gave the architect the directive to build around the tree,” Theo says. “And we worked diligently with the architect, contractor and an arborist to spare the tree as little trauma as possible.”
The result is so dramatic it’s hard to imagine how it was done. The design boxes the redwood with windows on two floors. Integrated blinds allow the tree to be viewed or not. Windows open for ventilation. “It turned out even better than we imagined,” Theo says.
The new unit has living, dining and kitchen spaces on the first floor, plus a full bath. Upstairs are two bedrooms and another full bath.
A sleek steel and frosted glass-paneled garage door faces the side street and opens the unit. Generous sliding doors greet the backyard, shared with the original house. A balcony overlooks the garden.
I interviewed the homeowners as they completed the project. They weren’t sure if they would stay in the main home or move to the ADU. “It turned out so lovely we may want to make it our master suite,” Theo says.
Inside and out, the unit has a more modern aesthetic than a traditional Tudor home.
The couple spared no design details on the new living space. Rooms feature oak floors, Carrara marble counters and a generous island. The bathrooms have marble tile, and an egg-shaped bathtub and steam shower.
The original home is 1,750 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths. Previous owners made modern improvements. The couple added a few updates.
The design to accommodate the tree left the new unit with multiple nooks and crannies. One member of the family especially loves the complications.
“Sofia has a number of hiding places that we can use for storage,” Theo says.
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