This is a finished 700 sq ft ADU in Pasadena, CA that we designed and built — and the first thing you notice is the ceiling. A vaulted, high ceiling over the open kitchen-living space makes 700 square feet live like far more, with recessed lighting, a clerestory window and a mini-split system tucked into the volume. White shaker kitchen, quartz counters, a double-vanity bathroom and a rain shower finish it. The 56-second walkthrough below shows every room.
56-second walkthrough of the finished unit, filmed on handover day.
Project at a glance
| Location | Pasadena, CA (San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles County) |
| Size | 700 sq ft, single story |
| Signature feature | Vaulted high ceiling over the open living and kitchen area, with a clerestory window |
| Kitchen | White shaker cabinets, quartz counters, stainless range with hood, dishwasher, window over the sink |
| Bath | Double vanity with twin mirrors and sconces; rain shower with handheld, large-format tile, hex-tile floor and two niches |
| Systems & finishes | Ductless mini-split heating and cooling, recessed LED lighting, luxury vinyl plank flooring, in-unit laundry hookups |
01The ceiling is the whole idea
In a small home, square footage is fixed but volume is a design choice. Instead of a flat eight-foot lid, this unit carries the roof pitch inside: a vaulted ceiling over the open living-kitchen area, a clerestory window high on the wall that pulls daylight deep into the room, and recessed lighting that keeps the planes clean. The mini-split head sits up in that volume where it is out of the way and conditions the whole space. Standing in the room, 700 square feet reads as generous — that is what high ceilings buy.
The kitchen runs along the back wall under the lower part of the slope: white shaker cabinets, quartz counters, a stainless range with hood, a dishwasher, and the sink under its own window to the garden. Classic, bright, and easy to keep — the right choices for a unit that may be rented for decades.
02Bedroom with its own climate zone
The bedroom gets a second mini-split head, so it is conditioned independently of the living area — cooler for sleeping, without running the whole unit. A garden-facing window, recessed lighting and the same luxury vinyl plank floor carry through from the main room.
03A bathroom that doesn’t feel like an ADU bathroom
Bathrooms are where small units usually give up first. This one didn’t: a double vanity with twin mirrors and globe sconces, a frameless glass shower with a rain head and handheld, large-format wall tile, two recessed niches and a hex-tile floor. The unit also carries in-unit laundry hookups — the single feature tenants ask about most.
Why high ceilings are worth it in a small ADU
State law guarantees a single-story ADU at least 16 feet of height by right; a flat ceiling wastes most of it. Vaulting the ceiling inside the same roof adds no footprint and little cost relative to the effect, and it changes how the unit rents and how it feels to live in. It does take planning — the mini-split placement, the clerestory, lighting and insulation all have to be designed for the volume — which is exactly the kind of decision we make with you before permit drawings. If your lot is tight but you want the unit to feel big, this is the move to ask about. Our 1-bedroom floor plans and 2-bedroom floor plans show what different footprints hold, and the cost calculator gives a range for any size at our published rates.
Building in Pasadena or the San Gabriel Valley?
We design and build ADUs across Orange County and Los Angeles County, including Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. Pasadena reviews its own plans and has its own quirks — our Pasadena ADU guide covers the 2026 standard-plans situation and historic-district review, the rules quick-reference table compares cities, and you can see a second finished SGV project in our Rosemead two-story ADU walkthrough. 我們提供中文服務 — 請參閱中文 ADU 指南。Call (949) 374-7980 for a free site evaluation.