Joshua Leibner and Katherine Henninger embrace a lifestyle focused on spending wisely. As Henninger, an English professor at Louisiana State University, notes, ‘Josh will drive across town to use a Groupon.’ Art is the exception to their frugality.
When they decided to add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) next to their home in Northeast Los Angeles, they faced an unexpected financial challenge. Initially estimating the cost at $300,000, they were taken aback when the project ended up costing nearly $600,000. ‘If we had known it would cost that much, we would not have gone through with it,’ Leibner reflects.
Five hundred square feet in size, the ADU’s vaulted ceilings and clerestory windows create a spacious feel. The couple, together with their son Marlowe, had purchased their Midcentury Modern home for $615,000 in 2011. They appreciated their fortune in acquiring the 1950 home, noting its distinctive semicircular floor plan reminiscent of a John Lautner design.
The couple’s home rests on a ridgeline between Eagle Rock and Highland Park, limiting their options for ADU placement to the site of their detached two-car garage. Together, they envisioned the ADU as a versatile space, accommodating themselves, family, or potential tenants.
Impressed by the work of architects Brennan Buck and David Freeland at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, they enlisted FreelandBuck in 2018 to design their ADU. The architects crafted a vertical 400-square-foot studio above the garage with a stylized roof floating over shared space, incorporating tall trapezoidal forms that define its living areas. Terraced decks connect the ADU with the main house, allowing for dining, gardening, and leisure.
Inside, the studio features a kitchenette, sleeping loft, and living room, accentuated by high ceilings that impart a sense of spaciousness. ‘The architects made it incredibly special,’ says Leibner.
Their art collection, with pieces by artists like Mary L. Proctor, Robert Rauschenberg, and Frank Romero, personalizes the ADU. A pendant light from Cambodia, a distinctive touch from their pre-existing collection, adds dramatic flair.
Privacy was a key consideration. The orientation of the main house conceals ADU views, preserving private spaces despite shared proximity via the deck.
Cost overruns attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic led to unexpected financial strain. Supply chain disruptions drove up prices for materials like windows and lumber. Engaging commercial contractor David Bond, they faced initial estimates far exceeding their budget. Eventually, they negotiated down some costs and took on subcontracting roles themselves, applying finishes and redoing the garage with external help and community reuse outlets.
This resourceful approach impressed the architects, who noted how it illustrated community engagement. ‘The build is something both the homeowners and community are engaged in,’ Buck remarked.
With family health issues drawing them temporarily to Virginia, the couple rents their Los Angeles home and ADU. Leibner, a screenwriter and high school English teacher, alongside Henninger, hope to return home soon. ‘This is our home,’ Henninger shares. ‘We’ve invested time, money, and love into making it exactly where we want to be.’
Leibner adds, ‘One benefit of adding the ADU is having an income source to help pay for it.’
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