Learn How to Build Your Own Granny Flat at the Maxable 101 Expo in Downtown LA

Interested in learning more and getting 101 advice on how to maximize your property with a granny flat? Come out to the Maxable 101 Expo in Downtown Los Angeles this weekend where you can learn from panels of experts. Find tickets, parking information, and RSVP here on Eventbrite.

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Granny Flat? And Is It Worth It?

Depending on how large and what materials you want to use, how much is preassembled, etc your budget for building a granny flat can vary greatly. There are start-ups specializing in pre-fab homes that claim to take just four hours and cost under $10k to build and install a granny flat (compared to the normal 4-8 weeks), but if you want a fully functional rental unit with all the bells and whistles needed to really be competitive in the rental market, expect to spend upwards of $100k. But the return is well worth it! The important thing is to plan to own the property for a long time.

Granny flats cost a little more per square foot than a regular home because they are essentially mini homes with all the same inclusions like plumbing, energy, AC, etc. So they may be tiny homes, but they include all the ‘expensive’ square footage in a normal-size home. The video from Maxable, posted above, details further.

Things to Keep in Mind When Building a Granny Flat on Your Property

• Design requirements: Your city ordinance may require height, size, and other specifications. Be sure you’re in compliance before you start on a costly project!
• There may be city fees and parking requirements for your unit.
• You need to get permitted, but it’s generally not difficult to do so long as you’re up-to-code when it comes to health and safety
• Title 24 requirements in California state that all new construction needs to meet energy-neutral guidelines. That means it’s time to install those solar panels!
• The time it takes to build your granny flat can range from a few weeks to a few months depending upon how many pieces are prefabricated or being built from scratch.
• When it comes to designing the space, having lots of windows and ample light is crucial so it doesn’t feel like a stuffy box. Also, since it’s small and space is at a premium, verticality is imperative — anyone who’s dwelled in small urban environments can tell you that – install window treatments from where the wall meets the ceiling above windows, think tall, narrow bookshelves, small-scale furniture that serves multiple functions (pull out couches, etc)

How to Design a Romantic Bedroom in 5 Steps this Valentine’s Day

Modern Romance & Mix-Matched Stylings

When it comes to the color palette in the bedroom, we’re always fans of something soft and sweet – and mixing it with a modern, trendy furniture piece or light fixture for a little edge. Using a pretty pink color palette, this blushing bedroom mixes traditional elements with trendy modern for a subtly mix-matched look. Keeping everything in a clean, pastel color palette gives the space it’s romantic feel.

Silky Sexy Sensual Sheets

The bed is the main event in the master bedroom – and these bedrooms are a couple of our favorites because not only are the platform beds sexy and custom-made, they feature good quality mattresses that last a while and are covered in the coziest, sexiest bedding. Talk about hotel-quality style!

Lighting Control to Take Your From Day to Night

Having control over the lighting scheme in the bedroom is imperative to helping you ease into bed and fall asleep at night with your natural circadian rhythms and wake up again to natural sunlight in the morning. Great window treatments, and layered lighting (general, ambient, and task) are key to crafting a gorgeous glow. Plus, candles on the nightstand or sideboards once the night is in full swing and you need to set the mood. 😉

Flirty Florals

We’re fans of floral prints, but it’s easy to go cheesy, kiddy, or homespun with a traditional floral print. The key here is to stick to a modern color palette and quality materials so you learn more flirty than grandma’s chintz. 

Something Special for Your Someone Special

This Valentine’s Day, make it special for your person — in the bedroom. Craft a custom space that’s just for the two of you by including something one-of-a-kind, like the artwork pictured in the Venice Beach home of artist Jodi Pantuck. Above the bed is one of Jodi’s original works. The piece is all about emotion discovered through meditation and is intensely physical. We love the way it energizes this sexy bedroom. 

1. Innovative Outdoor Lighting

Indoor lighting has come a long way and now it seems outdoor lighting is playing catch up. Outdoor lighting used to all look about the same, but much like outdoor textiles, the design and technology has started looking as luxe as interiors.

2. Natural Materials

Rattan is a trend that is still going strong — including the cable holding up the chandeliers. The aesthetic is ropey and casual but still maintains an air of sophistication.

3. Walls Designed to Highlight Lighting Features

Of course, in these lighting showrooms, the designers and merchandisers’ top priority is to emphasize the light fixtures. And we can learn a thing or two from them! There were a number of ways the walls were designed to make statement lighting the centerpiece of the room — from wallpaper that contrasted with the fixtures to two-tone monochromatic walls that made the gold and silver fixtures pop!

4. Blinged Out Floral Chandeliers & Sconces

Martyn Lawerence Bullard — always the master of regency style — softened his signature masculine, glam style with floral motifs on his chandelier and sconces for Corbett Lighting. Any of these pieces would create a gorgeous installation.

5. Sandy, Coastal Table Lamps

Vegas is full of glamorous style, but one of the prime demographics shopping the Las Vegas Furniture market is the SoCal coastal buyer and they’re looking for functional lighting for coastal interiors that’s still elegant and versatile — We found plenty in the brightened up Currey Co showroom!

Because the Danes have such long periods of the year that are chilly, the cozy and warm part is extra important and it’s why we tend to become interested in hygge style across the pond in America during the Winter months. 

Without further ado, here’s how to hygge your home for the holidays (and beyond) in 5 simple steps: 

1 Warmth and Well-Scented

Hygge style emphasizes full immersion – it’s not just about styling a trendy room for a photoshoot, it is about how the experience of being in it. That’s why candles, fireplaces, and other home scents are essential in the hygge home. Prioritize and invest in your sel-fcare with sustainable, healthy, high-quality candles and detoxifying bath soaks.

2 Swaddled in Cozy Fabrics

Hygge means always keeping something soft underfoot, be it a sheepskin rug or fuzzy house slippers. 

And it means keeping your body cozy in blankets, robes, or these on-trend cashmere joggers, we can’t get enough of!

3 Organized and Uncluttered

Organization boxes, simply said. The hygge home is clear of clutter. Any little thing that contributes to the calm! We love these simple, monochromatic canvas organization boxes from Target to keep everything uncluttered and uniform.

4 Libations Made with Care

Warm up with tea in the morning or wind down with whiskey by the fire at night. Taking time and care in the process of procuring libations for guests and carefully selecting the serving ware is nearly as important as the beverage itself. Hygge lifestyle is all about quality of experience. 

5 Emphasis on the Tactile

Give yourself a break from intrusive technology we’ve all become dependent on. Skip the flat screen TV on the wall and put away the phones. Hygge-ing your home means emphasizing physical media and tactile experiences and community. We love to hygge a space with photo boxes, bookshelves full of literary adventures, and board games. 

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Shop All of Our Favorite Hygge Home Essentials Here:

Take cues from your favorite hotel rooms and think of your guest bedroom in five zones: Entryway, bed, closet, bathroom, and breakfast nook/snack & coffee bar.

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Thank you so much to @houzz and writer Rashmi Haralalka for featuring this bedroom from our Lake Sherwood project in your round up of the Dreamiest Bedrooms! 💙

A post shared by SoCal General Contractor (@socalcontractor) on Nov 27, 2019 at 11:34am PST

• Guest House Entryway:

Welcome to The Neighborhood

Give guests a warm welcome from the moment they walk in with guide books to your city or neighborhood. This is one of our favorites! It’s also a lot of fun to make your own from your unique local’s perspective. 

Home is where the wifi is…

We love the inclusion of a wifi password as wall art. Place it in a super visible, can’t-miss-it space like near the entry or over a desk. 

And extra phone chargers and a designated charging station always make for a comfortable stay.

Mini Mudroom

Since it’s the Winter, you might be faced with more inclement weather than usual which can mean snowy or muddy shoes – designate a mini mudroom in your guest house entryway near the door with a shoe and coat rack and an extra umbrella or two.

• The Bed Part of the Guest Bedroom

Mattress & Bedding

Of course, the bed is going to be the centerpiece and the most important aspect of the guest bedroom. We tend to keep a neutral palette in the guest bedroom, and like fabrics that are easy to clean. Though for Winter, perhaps something more festive and warm is in order! And extra blankets and pillows are always appreciated. Appreciating a good night’s sleep, we stan a good mattress. Keep your guests comfy in your guest bedroom by always doing your research and buying to last.  

• Guest Room Closet Organization

A Set of Hangers

Regardless of the size of the closet, or even if it’s just an armoire, it’s a great idea to include a set of empty hangers. These are our favorite space-saving sets:

Robes & Slippers

This is where taking cues from hospitality venues comes into play… One of our favorite parts of a luxury hotel stay are the plush, complimentary robes and slippers. 

Luggage Rack

Take the hotel-vibes one step further by including a luxe luggage rack. We love the chic, modern design of this one from Horchow:

• Guest Bathroom Essentials

Travel Toiletries

We like to keep apothecary jars full of travel-sized toiletries sorted by type (shampoo, conditioner, ets) that we accumulate through our travels and shopping in the guest bathroom cabinet.

Extra Towels

For guest bath towels, we like to keep it basic with sets of white linens. What can we say? We like a clean, classic aesthetic in the guest bath. 

• Breakfast Nook

Bar Cart, Snack Station, and Coffee Makers

Even if you don’t have a full kitchenette in a guest house, including a barcart with a coffee and tea station and some light breakfast snacks is a great way to give your guests the opportunity to ease into their day. 

Now all six episodes are available on Lamps Plus’ youtube channel. Read all about it in Home Accents Today.

Watch the complete season below:

Episode I: Marina Del Rey House Tour

Welcome to our Big Green Monster: When my wife and I purchased this single family house with the plan to convert it into three separate rental units, it took a lot of trust! Initially, I couldn’t see past just how ugly the house was. But something beautiful existed in Lori’s imagination and I was there to help bring it to life. Watch the first episode here: 

Episode II: Kitchen Remodel Start to Finish

There was no ventilation in the extremely dated bathrooms so we were definitely going to need to take care of that. They also smelled horrible and had awful tile and we discovered some extra construction issues. Oy vey! This is where our allotted contingency for emergency construction came in. The kitchen, while dated and dark it was, was in great condition. We knew we could keep the countertops, brighten up with a lighter tile and Lori worked her lighting magic!

Episode III: Bath, Stairs, and Bedroom Remodel

When you first walked into the home: You saw the dated carpet and a dingy stairwell front and center. We had to do something about that! We painted it all white and created some drama moments with lighting! The master bedroom was in good condition. We didn’t need to do much to it – but it wasn’t all smooth sailing: The master bath needed some updates. Watch:

Episode IV: Apartment Makeover, Small Space Solutions!

When working with a small space, we used the casual coastal theme to give the space its indoor-outdoor feel. We wanted to go all out on the patio spaces to continue the vacation rental experience in the great outdoors! The two-bedroom apartment was previously connected to the rest of the house, but that needed to be sectioned off. New baseboards, new fans for ventilation, painting everything white, and adding coastal colors and textures updated this space!

Episode V: Apartment Tour and Makeover

Now for the studio… the smallest space, but the biggest challenge! The studio needed a bath and kitchen added to a space where there previously wasn’t plumbing. This resulted in so many delays, especially as we kept discovering new little things that needed fixing. Watch as craziness ensues:

Episode VI: Outdoor Updates: Backyard and Balcony Makeovers

For me, the biggest challenge was not tearing down the house and starting completely from scratch. But Lori Dennis had a vision: From green nightmare to coastal dream, we had big plans for the outdoor space. We wanted to create a beautiful trellis-like backyard. The yard was full of concrete and dead grass. We added low-maintenance plants and pathways and used recycled brick found in the backyard. Repurposing for the win! 

Behind the Scenes of Renovation Inspiration Season II

This season of Renovation inspiration was focused on our personal project! It was just as fun, but super different from the first season —  catch up on Renovation Inspiration Season I here. Last season we renovated a celebrity’s Bel Air Road mansion. Looking forward to bringing you more design TV! 

Custom Bed in Meditation Room

For our Meditation Room in the Greystone Mansion, we had to go full out – this was a custom fabricated bed we made in partnership with our friends at SoCalContractor. The custom gold bed features a platform base, side walls, and a decorative style top. We chose this design style so that it mirrored the mirror style in the room. All in the little details! 

This bed was fabricated with gold leaf with a tufted fabric interior, but the customizable options on this are endless: The bed can be painted, stained wood, wallpaper or upholstered. We used a custom mattress / cushion and upholstered it. This could also could be done with beautiful sheets, blankets, pillows, etc. It’s your meditation space – customize for what feels good for you.

For total relaxation and ambiance, we installed a sound system speaker hanging from the middle center and two decorative wall sconces to warm it up. We ordinarily try to keep the tech to a minimum in the meditation rooms we design. 

For more tips on designing your meditation room, give this post a read. 

Custom Built-In Meditation Bed

Similarly, this bed was a custom, but was built into the space. We took out a closet to build the bed into the wall. With the extra room (which you can’t see in the photo, unfortunately) we added a built in shelf and storage and covered with drapes that matched the meditation bed.

Step By Step Instructions for the Built-In Bed

• Take the doors off and remove the interior.
• Build a low platform and side walls.
• Select a design for the top shape (all drywall).
• Upholster the walls and ceiling.  Again, we tufted to give it texture and softness.
• Custom mattress / cushion.
• Install wall sconces for lighting.
• Add Decorative Pillows.

No Assembly Required Meditation Room

This room doesn’t include a meditation bed, persey, but is more of a lounge designing with the same concept in mind. A deep seated U-shaped plush velvet sectional is shrouded on three sides in custom drapery for a comforting, swaddling effect. 

This one is easy and didn’t require any construction or custom building. We used the open loft in an upstairs home, draped all three walls, included a decorative valence, finished on both the inside and outside. The modular tables are easy enough to move around the space in different configurations dependent upon what the space is being utilized for – entertaining or meditating, etc. 

In this space we also included tons of cozy pillows, brought the outdoors in with plants on both sides, framing the space, a decorative, cozy rug underfoot, and hid the speaker system behind the drapes. Out of sight, out of mind! 

Outdoor Meditation Lounge

Lastly, this outdoor meditation bed was the easiest of all! It is the Woven Outdoor Platform bed from Wayfair to which we added drapes with durable indoor-outdoor fabric. We added a peek-a-boo valance around the top so it hangs on all four sides. For a customized, designer touch, we added custom decorative pillows, and rolled bolsters. The perfect place to meditate and breathe in fresh air!

Photo by D Ramey Logan

Tract homes also have some obvious downsides. They can feel cookie-cutter. Their genericism can be isolating. Paradoxically, they don’t often cultivate a sense of warmth and community that the proximity to close-by neighbors suggests. Today on the Build Blog, we’re exploring the best ways to elevate a typical tract homes with premium designer style so that they deliver on those promises. Mix and match these designer tips to design a house you’re happy to call home.   

Architectural Elements Used to Elevate Ordinary Suburban Tract Homes

Of course, when you’re working on any home improvement project, you want to make sure any work done is in scale, both literally, and tonally, with the size and style of your home (otherwise, it’s not really an improvement). We’ve all seen the tract home with the overwhelmingly large winding staircase better suited for the Palace of Versailles – this is not a home improvement, this is an ego-driven vanity project. Instead, look at the ways of optimizing what you have. Many of the tips we suggest have to do with reestablishing a relationship between your home’s interior and exterior. For example: 

Stone Features

Throughout this Tahoe home, we used Eldorado Stone to give the space its organic, unique texture. Eldorado Stone helps homeowners and trade professionals select products that embody the rich color, texture and character of the landscapes surrounding them, which makes them perfect inspiration for any Green Interior Design.

The bedroom, by interior designer Lori Dennis, even won the Southern Accents Green Design Interior award! Eldorado Stone is also a cost effective way to integrate stone textures into a project because it weighs less than natural stone and doesn’t typically require significant structural adjustments. 

Ceramic Tile — Everywhere!

One of the best things you can do when you move into a home is rip out any carpet. We’re huge fans of ceramic tile as a replacement because of how much customization and creativity you have with color, pattern, and style.

Not to mention it is much healthier, easier to maintain, and looks much cleaner. The same goes for backsplashes or other places you can tile for decoration. For this home’s entryway, we used a Villa Lagoon tile for a colorful statement and matched the motif throughout the home. 

Windows & Doors

When it comes to window, the majority of cost is accounted for by 1. The product material and 2. The installation. Worry more about #2. You want to look first for a reputable window source with excellent customer service. See, what many people don’t realize is that a vinyl window would do the job just as well (if not better) than a wooden window, when it comes to installation and energy-efficiency. The major difference is that the design features and colors might be less customizable.

A reputable window company with team members who have build experience, like our partners at Lion Windows & Doors, here in Los Angeles, are not going to be incentivized to up-sell you on the wood windows, if they’re not right for your home. That is architectural integrity! It’s not about the ‘objective’ best or fanciest, it’s about the right choice for the architectural style of the home. 

Click to Shop Windows & Doors

Kitchen Appliances & Upgrades

More and more the kitchen is becoming an investment center of the home – it’s where families are spending all of their time, together and separately, it’s where people are entertaining. A major attitude shift in consumer buying behavior has been unfolding for a while now, and that is the realization that something doesn’t have to be ‘fancy’ to be nice and that you’re best off investing more in the things you actually do use everyday. So here is the permission if you needed it: buy the better refrigerator or dishwasher.

Buy the Better Fridge…

Gone are the days of investing in formal living and dining rooms – aka the spaces noone uses but once or twice a year — it’s all about maximizing the spaces and buying the best of the items you actually do use. Be realistic about how long you plan to stay in a home. You don’t necessarily have to resort to renovating just to sell unless you plan on doing that soon, otherwise you’re trend predicting based on… what? HGTV shows? Take it from the professionals: we saw beige carpet and granite countertops come on strong and leave just as quickly. 

Lighting in Layers

We write a lot about lighting because it is one of the most misunderstood parts of designing a home and yet, it is one of the most efficient and effective upgrades you can do. Before you decide that a room is too dark and start cutting holes in walls for windows, consider installing some light features (Then add the window ; ) ). It is rare that you can have too much lighting.

Creative Lighting Ideas

More likely, you have the wrong type of bulbs, or maybe you need better tinted shades. Lighting in layers is essential for encouraging one to spend more time in a room, day-to-night. We go where the light touches. If you have the option to easily turn on a reading light over a chair in the living room, maybe you’ll spend evenings reading a book in that chair from now on. You can really get creative with lighting. This is an excellent place to start!

Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces

Use a combination of the above tips, with slight amendments, to design your outdoor spaces with as much gusto as the interior, especially here in Southern California with all of our warmer months! Lighting your outdoors – uplights on trees, string lights or lanterns over patios, and lights lining pathways and driveways are inviting ways to encourage the outdoor dinner party to continue. Tile flooring that continues from indoors to out is another excellent way to extend your home into the surroundings outside the walls of the physical home. Large-scale windows and patio doors that completely open up to the outdoors are another way or smoothing out the transition from indoors to out.

Landscaping for Your Tract Home

And lastly, a specific tip on landscaping: That grass lawn may be the cheapest and easiest landscaping option to install–BUT it is actually among the priciest to maintain overtime, both in terms of time and finances. So our pro designer tip is this: Tear out the lawn. Install a garden, some pavers, carve out space for a water feature or a bistro table and chairs instead. Get creative. It may cost more up front, but overtime will pay for itself and you’ll be much happier with all the time you spend outside. 

If you’re from the Los Angeles area, you know homelessness is an epidemic, worsening everyday. An overwhelming problem combining issues of mental health, access to housing and clean water. It’s becoming a major public health crisis – and as home builders of luxury properties across southern California, we feel a sense of responsibility to not turn our back and lend a helping hand where-ever possible. Enter Pen & Napkin: An organization that gives us hope that through design, we can end homelessness in our lifetime. 

Firstly, What is Pen and Napkin and How are they Ending Homelessness?

Pen + Napkin is a foundation based in Los Angeles whose mission to to end homelessness through partnerships with the interior design community. Working with designers, Pen + Napkin furnishes the first real homes of people transitioning out of homelessness. 

Watch the Instagram story here to see how the project came together:

Ending Homelessness through Design | Interior Designer Lori Dennis Furnishes Home of Family Transitioning Out of Homelessness from Lori Dennis on Vimeo.

Why We Furnish

The rate of people who return to the street after struggling with homelessness is dishearteningly high, nearly 50% — unless, you furnish their new homes. Then that rate drops down to 1%. If you’re in the Los Angeles area and interested in volunteering your time to the Pen + Napkin Organization, click this link to fill out a quick application. This project wasn’t about tastemaking and fleeting consumerism. Watch designer Lori Dennis and Jerome’s explain a bit about the project on NBC:

NBC News features Lori Dennis and Pen & Napkin | Helping Family Transition Out of Homelessness from Lori Dennis on Vimeo.

These staggering statistics illustrate the power of simple material items that the family would never be able to afford on their own, the impact our environments have on us, and the pride people take when they feel a sense of ownership of their spaces. The same thing motivating people to hire an interior designer can also keep people off the street. 

Meet our Pen & Napkin Family

Cristal is a single mother of three who moved into an empty two bedroom, one bath apartment with her kids. So we jumped at the opportunity to lend a helping hand and make this a liveable space for them to call home. 

Shop Our Sources: What Went Into the Home

The majority of the home’s furnishings were donated by Jerome’s, a family-based furniture company with impressive quality items, considering their everyday low prices. They owned the dining room area and the results were beautiful:

The Dining Room 

Over the Jerome’s dining table hangs a Ferguson Showroom chandelier for a little modern flair! And child-proof dishware from Oh Joy! Was exactly the cheerful, practical solution for a family with small kids. All the plants were provided by Trader Joe’s. That’s an often overlooked detail we’re very thankful for. Every room could use a little green! 

The Living Room 

Bernhardt generously donated the sofa and coffee table in the living room. Across from the sofa sits a custom Gina Berschneider club chair. This space needed to feel cozy and intimate for the family to spend lots of time together. The corner standing lamp was donated by Lamps Plus, and the drapes were custom fabrications from Heritage Draperies Workroom. All of the rugs in the home were from Jaipur, including the plush, modern grey in the living room. 

The Bedrooms

In the bedroom it was Jerome’s, Universal Living, and Lamps Plus to the rescue. Tables, wall sconces, floor lamps, bed pillows and throws were graciously donated by Lamps Plus. The beds came to us from Universal Living and Jerome’s provided the writing desk in the kid’s room.

The Personal Touches & Cozy Essentials

Lamps Plus also donated the custom pillows with the kids and Cristal’s names on them and the walls were adorned in pieces from Daleno Art. All the bedding and mattresses were provided by Nest Bedding Organics and bathroom towels were donated by Home Depot’s The Company Store.