Cottage ADUs in the Craftsman, gable, and farmhouse traditions.
Nine architect-designed Signature Homes — every one available in cottage variants. The Lincoln Craftsman flagship at 1,000 sqft 3BR/2BA, the Wilshire traditional-gable studio at 400 sqft, and seven others in between. Fixed-price, all-inclusive.
Cottage isn't one style — it's three.
Each substyle is the standard exterior on a different flagship model. Click through to the model page to see the full floor plan, interior, and pricing.
Craftsman
Charcoal lap siding, white trim, deep gable eaves, exposed rafter tails, tapered porch columns. The Greene & Greene Pasadena tradition. The Lincoln is our dedicated Craftsman Signature Home — 1,000 sqft, $389K all-inclusive.
See The Lincoln →
Traditional Gable
Warm vertical wood siding, pitched gable roof, divided-light windows. Bungalow-cottage proportions at the smallest footprint in the lineup. The Wilshire is the compact traditional-gable Signature Home — 400 sqft studio, $219K all-inclusive.
See The Wilshire →
Modern Farmhouse
Vertical board-and-batten siding, matte black windows and trim, gable roof, clean detailing. Cottage proportions, contemporary execution. The Fairfax is our two-story modern farmhouse — 840 sqft, 2 BR / 1.5 BA, $339K all-inclusive.
See The Fairfax →On this page
What is a cottage ADU?
A cottage ADU is an Accessory Dwelling Unit designed in the traditional residential idiom that defines most of California’s older neighborhoods — the bungalows of Pasadena, the Craftsman blocks of Highland Park and West Adams, the small porched houses along the older stretches of Glendale and Mar Vista.
Cottage isn’t one specific style. It’s a family of related residential traditions:
- Craftsman — low-pitch gable roof, deep eaves, exposed rafter tails, tapered porch columns on stone or brick bases, horizontal lap siding, warm interior woodwork. Defined in California by Greene & Greene in Pasadena, 1903–1909.
- Bungalow — close cousin to Craftsman, generally smaller and simpler. Single story, front-gabled or side-gabled roof, modest porch, often shingled siding. The dominant LA housing style 1905–1930.
- Traditional Gable — the broad category of pitched-roof houses that includes English Cottage, Cape Cod, and informal traditional designs. Warm horizontal siding, divided-light windows, modest decorative trim.
- Modern Farmhouse — the contemporary update of traditional. Vertical board-and-batten siding, matte black windows and trim, gable roof, and clean detailing. Cottage proportions, contemporary execution.
What unifies them: pitched roofs (not flat), warm material palette (wood siding, stone, brick), residential ornament (porches, dormers, bracketed trim), and a sense of belonging in a neighborhood rather than standing apart from it. Cottage ADUs are the architectural opposite of the contemporary prefab box.
Practical scale: most cottage ADUs run 400–1,000 sqft on one level. Cottage two-story builds are possible (the Fairfax and Venice traditional-gable variants) but the form’s historic association is single-story, and that’s where it reads most authentically.
Why cottage style works in LA
Three reasons cottage continues to be the right answer for a large share of LA backyards:
- The neighborhoods were built that way. Significant parts of LA County — Pasadena, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, South Pasadena, Mar Vista, Glendale, Burbank Magnolia Park, West Adams, Hollywood east of La Brea — were largely built between 1905 and 1940 in Craftsman, bungalow, and traditional styles. A cottage ADU on those lots reads as authentic; a flat-roof modern reads as imported.
- HPOZ and historic-district approval is faster. Pasadena’s Bungalow Heaven, LA’s 35+ HPOZs, South Pasadena’s historic district, and similar designations require new construction to be architecturally compatible with the existing main house and surrounding character. Craftsman and traditional-gable cottages clear those reviews faster than contemporary designs.
- The main house is usually traditional. Even outside formal historic districts, most pre-1960 main houses in LA are some flavor of cottage or traditional. Building a matching ADU preserves resale value, reads as architecturally coherent to neighbors, and reduces the “new construction” visual jolt that lowers buyer interest at sale time.
The market data backs this up. Cottage and Craftsman ADUs in older LA neighborhoods typically appraise at the same or higher per-square-foot value as comparable modern designs — because the entire surrounding housing stock is traditional, and traditional buyers (the dominant buyer profile in those neighborhoods) self-select for matching architecture.
The Lincoln Craftsman — flagship cottage Signature Home
The Lincoln (1,000 sqft, 3 BR / 2 BA, $389,000) is CALI ADU’s purpose-designed Craftsman cottage. The standard Lincoln exterior is the Craftsman variant — charcoal HardiePlank lap siding, white trim, low-pitch gable roof with deep eaves, exposed rafter tails, and a covered front porch with tapered columns on a HardiePlank base.
The interior follows Craftsman convention without becoming a period reproduction: vaulted ceilings under the gable roof, warm wood slab cabinetry, shaker-style trim, and a layout that puts the open living/dining/kitchen at the front and three bedrooms at the back. The single-story plan keeps the authentic Craftsman proportions — no second-floor box forcing a roof line that doesn’t belong on a 1905 lot.
The Lincoln is also CALI ADU’s only single-story 3-bedroom Signature Home. The combination of size (1,000 sqft is the LA ADU code maximum for many zones), bedroom count, and architectural authenticity makes it the obvious cottage choice for:
- Multigenerational families using the ADU as a real second home for adult children, parents, or returning students. Three bedrooms and one shared bath plus an en-suite primary handles real households, not just a guest suite.
- HPOZ and historic-character lots in Pasadena, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, South Pasadena where the Craftsman language is required (or strongly preferred) for review.
- Long-term rentals in older neighborhoods where 3-bedroom traditional homes consistently rent at the upper end of the local market.
Three cottage Signature Homes to start with
The Lincoln Craftsman flagship, the Wilshire compact studio, and the Laurel Canyon two-bedroom — three different sizes, all in cottage style. Every other Signature Home also offers a cottage variant.
The Lincoln
3 BR / 2 BA · 1000 sqft
$389,000 all-inclusive iFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign.
See model →The Wilshire
Studio / 1 BA · 400 sqft
$219,000 all-inclusive iFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign.
See model →The Laurel Canyon
2 BR / 1 BA · 660 sqft
$289,000 all-inclusive iFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign.
See model →Compact cottages — Wilshire, Sunset, Westwood, Laurel Canyon
For homeowners who want cottage style at a smaller footprint, the four sub-700 sqft Signature Homes each come in traditional-gable variants that hold the cottage idiom at a smaller scale.
- The Wilshire (400 sqft Studio/1BA, $219,000) — the most compact. Available in horizontal-siding warm-traditional gable or modern farmhouse. Impact-fee-exempt under Gov. Code § 66318. The right answer when the goal is “backyard cottage” in the most literal sense.
- The Sunset (480 sqft 1BR/1BA, $239,000) — one bedroom, traditional gable variant with warm horizontal siding and a modest porch. Fits the LA bungalow tract aesthetic precisely.
- The Westwood (550 sqft 1BR/1BA, $259,000) — a slightly larger one-bedroom with a more residential proportion. Traditional-gable variant suits older Westside neighborhoods (Mar Vista, Cheviot Hills, West LA) where the surrounding houses are pre-1960 traditional.
- The Laurel Canyon (660 sqft 2BR/1BA, $289,000) — the smallest two-bedroom cottage in the lineup. Traditional-gable variant works as a true second home, not just a guest suite. Strong fit for HPOZ districts that allow ADUs but prefer two-bedroom over studio.
All four hold the same architectural language as the Lincoln flagship — pitched gable roof, warm horizontal siding, divided-light windows, traditional trim — just at a smaller footprint. The interiors carry the same finish standard (solid wood slab cabinetry, Bedrosians quartz, vaulted ceilings).
For homeowners deciding between a Wilshire studio cottage and a Westwood one-bedroom cottage, the question is usually rental intent. Studios rent quickly to singles and visiting professionals; one-bedrooms rent to couples and command higher monthly rents. Both work; the answer depends on the rental market in your neighborhood and your long-term use plan.
Where a cottage ADU fits best
Cottage style is the strongest fit in five LA-area contexts:
- Pasadena bungalow tracts. Bungalow Heaven (the formal HPOZ between Lake Avenue and Hill Avenue) is the obvious case, but the same principle applies to the broader pre-1940 Pasadena housing stock. A Craftsman or traditional-gable cottage is the right architectural answer; a flat-roof modern reads as imported.
- Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Mt. Washington. Northeast LA neighborhoods built between 1905 and 1935 in Craftsman, bungalow, and traditional styles. Cottage ADUs match the surrounding architecture and clear HPOZ review (where applicable) faster.
- South Pasadena. The entire city has a strong historic-residential character. Even outside the formal historic district, the Design Review process favors traditional cottage proportions over contemporary boxes.
- Mar Vista bungalow tracts, West Adams, Country Club Park. Traditional Westside and South-LA neighborhoods where the main house is a cottage or bungalow. A matching ADU preserves architectural coherence and resale value.
- Glendale, Burbank Magnolia Park, Toluca Lake. Older Valley neighborhoods with a meaningful share of pre-1950 traditional and Craftsman housing. Cottage ADUs match the prevailing aesthetic.
Cottage ADUs are also the right answer in any HPOZ or historic overlay district anywhere in LA County, regardless of neighborhood. The HPOZ Board / Cultural Heritage Commission review specifically tests architectural compatibility with the existing built context — and cottage variants pass that test more reliably than contemporary designs in older districts.
The full lineup — sizes, variants, and pricing
Cottage isn’t restricted to the small models. Every Signature Home offers at least one cottage variant — same fixed price as the standard model, with the roof profile, exterior cladding, and trim package changing while the floor plan, dimensions, and pricing stay the same.
| Model | Configuration | Size | Cottage variants | Fixed price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wilshire | Studio / 1 BA | 400 sqft | Traditional gable, modern farmhouse | $219KiFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign. |
| The Sunset | 1 BR / 1 BA | 480 sqft | Traditional gable, modern farmhouse | $239KiFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign. |
| The Westwood | 1 BR / 1 BA | 550 sqft | Traditional gable, modern farmhouse | $259KiFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign. |
| The Laurel Canyon | 2 BR / 1 BA | 660 sqft | Traditional gable, modern farmhouse | $289KiFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign. |
| The Melrose | 2 BR / 2 BA | 800 sqft | Traditional gable, modern farmhouse | $329KiFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign. |
| The Lincoln | 3 BR / 2 BA | 1,000 sqft | Craftsman (flagship), traditional gable, modern farmhouse | $389KiFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign. |
| The Fairfax | 2 BR / 1.5 BA | 840 sqft · 2 stories | Traditional gable, modern farmhouse | $339KiFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign. |
| The Venice | 2 BR / 2 BA | 1,080 sqft · 2 stories | Traditional gable, modern farmhouse | $399KiFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign. |
| The Culver | 3 BR / 2.5 BA | 1,200 sqft · 2 stories | Modern variants standard; cottage variants on request | $459KiFixed contract price for the Signature Home on a standard lot. Site-specific work — soil reports, utility routing, driveway, retaining walls — is identified and priced upfront, before you sign. |
A note on the two-story models: the Fairfax and the Venice in traditional-gable variants read as “cottage with a second floor” rather than pure single-story bungalow. They’re the right answer when the lot is too tight for a single-story cottage at the desired bedroom count, but the architectural authenticity is strongest in the single-story Lincoln, Melrose, Laurel Canyon, Westwood, Sunset, and Wilshire.
Every model page shows the floor plan, full exterior renderings of the available cottage variants, and an interactive 3D walkthrough. Pricing is fixed and all-inclusive — the number in the table is the number in the contract.
Cottage vs. modern — which is right for your neighborhood?
The choice between cottage and modern almost always comes down to neighborhood fit, not personal aesthetic preference. Here’s the practical decision rule:
| Choose cottage when… | Choose modern when… |
|---|---|
| The main house is pre-1960 traditional, Craftsman, bungalow, or Spanish | The main house is post-2000 contemporary or mid-century modern |
| The lot is in an HPOZ or historic-character district | The lot is in a newer subdivision or mixed-style neighborhood |
| Surrounding houses are mostly pitched-roof with porches | Surrounding houses are mostly flat-roof or low-slope contemporary |
| The neighborhood prizes “character” and architectural continuity | The neighborhood prizes new architecture and contemporary aesthetics |
| Long-term rental in an older-LA neighborhood | Higher-end rental in Westside or contemporary tract |
| Resale buyer is likely a traditional-architecture buyer | Resale buyer is likely a contemporary-architecture buyer |
When in doubt, look at the five closest houses to the lot. If three or more are pre-1960 traditional, build cottage. If three or more are post-2000 contemporary, build modern. The architecture should belong on the block.
For a side-by-side comparison of the same Signature Home in cottage vs. modern variants, every model page (Sunset, Melrose, Wilshire, Westwood, etc.) shows the available exterior renderings for the same floor plan.
Cottage ADU questions, answered
The questions homeowners ask before they pick cottage style, and how CALI ADU’s lineup compares to custom-designed and prefab cottages.
What is a cottage ADU?
A cottage ADU is an Accessory Dwelling Unit designed in a traditional residential style — pitched gable roofs, lap or shingle siding, front porches, exposed rafter tails, divided-light windows, and a warm material palette.
The style draws from California’s Craftsman, Bungalow, English Cottage, and Farmhouse traditions. Most cottage ADUs run 400–1,000 sqft on one level. CALI ADU offers cottage style as a variant on all nine Signature Homes, with the Lincoln (1,000 sqft 3BR/2BA Craftsman) as the flagship and the Wilshire studio as the most compact option.
What’s the difference between a cottage ADU and a Craftsman ADU?
Craftsman is one specific cottage substyle, defined by Greene & Greene and the early-1900s Arts & Crafts movement: low-pitch gable roof with deep eaves, exposed rafter tails, tapered porch columns on stone or brick bases, lap siding, and warm interior wood detailing.
Cottage is the broader category — it also includes Bungalow, English Cottage, Cape Cod, and modern farmhouse styles. CALI ADU’s Lincoln Craftsman is purpose-designed in the Greene & Greene tradition; the traditional-gable variants on the Wilshire, Sunset, Westwood, Laurel Canyon, and Melrose lean closer to bungalow-cottage.
Which neighborhoods are best for cottage ADUs?
Cottage style is the strongest fit in older LA neighborhoods built before 1950:
- Pasadena — especially Bungalow Heaven HPOZ and the broader pre-1940 housing stock
- Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Mt. Washington — Northeast LA Craftsman blocks
- South Pasadena — HPOZ + general historic-residential character
- Mar Vista bungalow tracts, West Adams, Country Club Park — traditional Westside and South-LA neighborhoods
- Glendale, Burbank Magnolia Park, Toluca Lake — older Valley neighborhoods
Cottage ADUs also fit cleanly in HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone) districts where the city requires architectural compatibility with the existing main house.
How small can a cottage ADU be?
California’s Health and Safety Code § 17958.1 sets the minimum permitted size at 150 sqft (efficiency unit). The smallest practical cottage ADU is around 400 sqft — enough for a queen bed, full kitchen, full bathroom, and a small living area.
CALI ADU’s Wilshire is 400 sqft (Studio/1BA) at $219,000 and is impact-fee-exempt under Gov. Code § 66318 because it stays under 750 sqft.
Can I build a cottage ADU in an HPOZ or historic district?
Yes — and cottage style is often the best architectural fit for HPOZ approval.
Historic Preservation Overlay Zones in Los Angeles, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Highland Park, and other older cities require new construction to be compatible with the surrounding architectural character. Craftsman and traditional-gable cottages typically clear HPOZ review faster than modern flat-roof designs in those districts.
CALI ADU’s HPOZ-aware design process documents the historic compatibility for the Cultural Heritage Commission or HPOZ Board submittal — including elevation drawings that show the relationship between the new ADU and the existing main house.
How much does a cottage ADU cost?
CALI ADU’s Signature Home cottage variants are fixed-price, all-inclusive:
- $219,000 — Wilshire 400 sqft Studio (traditional gable)
- $239,000 — Sunset 480 sqft 1BR (traditional gable)
- $259,000 — Westwood 550 sqft 1BR (traditional gable)
- $289,000 — Laurel Canyon 660 sqft 2BR (traditional gable)
- $329,000 — Melrose 800 sqft 2BR/2BA (traditional gable)
- $389,000 — Lincoln 1,000 sqft 3BR/2BA (Craftsman flagship)
The price includes architectural design, structural engineering, permitting, construction, interior finishes, appliances, and utility connections.
Custom cottage designs (HPOZ-specific architectural detailing, hand-selected finish packages, unique site conditions) are quoted separately as a plans + permits package, with construction quoted by your selected general contractor.
What cottage style variants does CALI ADU offer?
Three cottage substyles are available across the lineup:
- Craftsman — Lincoln flagship. Charcoal HardiePlank lap siding, white trim, gable roof, exposed rafter tails, front porch with tapered columns.
- Traditional Gable — available on Wilshire, Sunset, Westwood, Laurel Canyon, Melrose, Lincoln, Fairfax, Venice. Pitched gable roofs with warm horizontal siding.
- Modern Farmhouse — vertical board-and-batten siding, matte black windows, gable roof. Available on Wilshire, Sunset, Westwood, Laurel Canyon, Melrose, Lincoln, Fairfax, Venice.
Every variant is the same fixed price as the standard model. The roof profile, exterior cladding, and trim package change — the floor plan, dimensions, structural envelope, and pricing stay the same.
Can I see a cottage ADU built by CALI ADU?
Yes. The 126-project portfolio at /adu-portfolio/ includes traditional and Craftsman ADUs across LA County.
The Backyard Review can also include site visits to recent CALI ADU cottage builds in your specific neighborhood — particularly relevant if you’re building in a Pasadena HPOZ, a Highland Park bungalow tract, or another historic-character district.
Ready to build your
cottage ADU?
We’ll check your lot, walk you through which cottage variant fits the surrounding architecture, and give you a fixed number — before you commit to anything. 15 minutes.
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