See how we use the $425,000 tiny home in our backyard for everything from overnight guests to an office to hosting our daughter's wedding

Kelsey NeubauerMar 8, 2023, 22:52 IST

Cindy Loughridge and Seth Restaino on the steps of their Abodu ADU in Sonoma, California.Courtesy of Abodu

Cindy Loughridge and her husband Seth Restaino bought a house in Sonoma, California in 2021.
They opted to add more space via a $425,0000, two-bedroom ADU that took four months to complete.

This story is based on a conversation with Cindy Loughridge and Seth Restaino, who moved to Sonoma, California in 2021 and built an accessory dwelling unit, also known as an ADU, from housing startup Abodu in their backyard. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Restaino: I have my own company doing marketing for higher education.

Loughridge: I am a freelance photographer: lifestyle, portraits, and weddings. But now that we moved here, I am semi-retired.

We knew before we bought the house that we were going to need to put a new ADU in.

An aerial photograph of the couple's ADU, center, pool, center right, and main house, far right.Courtesy of Abodu

The two-bedroom ADU we chose has an asymmetrical roof and clean, modern lines that feel high-end.

Loughridge and Restaino in their backyard.Courtesy of Abodu

The ADU cost a total of $425,000 and took just four months to install.

The couple's Abodu ADU came with top-of-the-line Fisher & Paykel appliances, left. Their coffee-table styling showcases their minimalist taste.Courtesy of Abodu

Visiting friends, family, and even children — we have four, three of whom are adults — crash in the ADU.

A bedroom where guests sleep has a dresser from Restaino's childhood. He took the photo on the wall of his stepdaughter and her husband.Courtesy of Abodu.

The ADU has a white facade with black trim, which fits the style of the area.

Restaino called the style of the ADU "Sonoma farmhouse," after the Napa Valley city where they live.Courtesy of Abodu

We chose glass doors from La Cantina, a company that makes large folding doors.

Loughridge sits inside the ADU, looking out the La Cantina doors to the backyard.Courtesy of Abodu

We furnished the ADU with classic, simple staples.

Loughridge and Restaino carefully decorated the two-bedroom ADU with classic and modern pieces.Courtesy of Abodu

Many pieces in the home are thrifted or vintage.

A look at the interior-design details of the living area.Courtesy of Abodu

The dining room table was "dirt cheap."

The dining room table from Restaino's childhood, bought by his father during the mid-1900s.Courtesy of Abodu

We purchased a former sewing table for $10 at a garage sale.

The $10 side table next to the couch was real find.Courtesy of Abodu

Our daughter had her wedding in the newly renovated backyard.

An aerial view of the ADU and the backyard.Courtesy of Abodu

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