From garage apartments and carriage houses to backyard guest suites and stand-alone home offices, ADUs are one of the most ingenious ways to maximize your property's available space—and your home's property value. Also known as an accessory dwelling unit, these outbuildings aren't a new concept, but they are becoming more prevalent, thanks to an ultra-competitive housing market. As multigenerational living has become increasingly popular among Americans and home prices continue to rise, more homeowners are looking to expand their homes' footprint with additional living spaces, whether for personal or investment purposes. Accessory dwelling units are essentially your everyday tiny homes. However, unlike tiny home floor plans, ADUs can be attached to a single-family house, depending on the type.As ADUs have become more popular, it only makes sense that interior designers are taking on more projects involving the structures. Whether you're interested in putting in an ADU or want to renovate the current one you have, keep reading to hear from two experts on what's trending in interiors for these unique living units.Related StoriesWhat is an ADU?Joey Puterbaugh and Kristian Alveo for KebonyDesigner Kim Lewis looked to the outdoors when designing this ADU, where the living room opens up to a large patio. An accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, is an independent, secondary housing unit that resides on a single-family lot. This is not your backyard shed or detached garage—but it could be. There are a few types of ADUs, but they all mainly fall into these three categories: detached, internal, and attached, according to the American Planning Association (APA). A backyard shed or detached garage that's been converted into an ADU falls into the detached category. However, a detached ADU can be a new construction, too. It just needs to be able to stand alone.An internal ADU is a converted portion of an existing home. Think of a basement apartment or a different floor of a home that's been converted into an additional independent living space.Additions to new or existing homes fall under the category of attached ADUs. These share at least one wall with the single-family home, and are also sometimes called "bump-out" ADUs. What Are ADUs Used For?When someone talks about an in-law suite or an attached Airbnb, they're likely talking about an ADU. “Home office and mother-in-law suites are still the main requests and purposes,” Kim Lewis of Kim Lewis Designs says. She's worked on a handful of ADU projects in the past, so the designer is familiar with these additions. A lot of times, homeowners who add on an ADU are doing so to expand their square footage, both for themselves or family members. Lewis explains that multigenerational living is on the rise in the United States, which is why ADUs are becoming more popular. Kori Sassower, principal agent at The Kori Sassower Team, agrees, adding, “Whether it is an aging parent or a 20-something-year-old child looking to save some money, the flexibility of an ADU has become paramount. We have a housing shortage, taxes are increasing, and ADUs are a very good, safe choice as a home improvement.”However, some homeowners are using ADUs as investment opportunities. “Depending on the area, some clients see this as an investment opportunity; utilizing the asset as a short-term rental where property restrictions allow for it,” Lewis explains. As the market for ADUs increases, Lewis predicts that there will be more legislation introduced that allows these home additions in certain jurisdictions. We have a housing shortage, taxes are increasing, ADUs are a very good, safe choice as a home improvement. ADU Trends Experts Are SeeingWhen it comes to the interiors of ADUs, they tend to follow the trends we're seeing in single-family homes. Joy-filled design, unique features, bold paint colors—they're not basic white boxes. Below, find the six biggest trends experts are seeing in ADUs. Architectural Leaps“ADUs are taking more interesting shapes in architecture,” Lewis says. As 3D printed homes become more popular, Lewis predicts that we'll see more curves in architecture with ADUs, like barrel roofs, radius rooflines, and rounded corners on decking. In a market heavily saturated with boxy, square, tiny homes, she's expecting more progressive architecture with the use of large glass walls to bring the outdoors in. Bold AppliancesChase Daniel"I love how we embraced a darker, moody palette, even though the rooms were small," Lewis says of this ADU.Colorful appliances are trending in every type of home right now, and they're not exclusive to large kitchens. Lewis says that small spaces can pack a big punch when it comes to color, and she's seeing more of that in the ADUs (and traditional interiors) she's designing. “I love a dark burgundy cabinet right now,” she adds.Vast Outdoor SpacesJoey Puterbaugh and Kristian Alveo for KebonyThe outdoor space in this ADU by Lewis would make anyone jealous. Large, open outdoor spaces are very common with ADUs, since the living quarters are smaller than those of an average single-family home. “Large decking can be used to create a more useful footprint around the perimeter of the ADU, tying the accessory space to the main home,” Lewis says. “A desire for nature, sustainable living, and more farming at home might point us to more gardening trends with ADUs.” Wellness RetreatsSassower is seeing more ADUs pop up with a focus on wellness rather than actual living. Personal spas, specifically, have been very popular as the weather gets warmer. Sports CenteredSimilar to basement or garage home gyms, ADUs can be used for more athletic purposes, too, says Sassower. She's seen everything from golf simulators and mini basketball courts to interiors that nod to a ski lodge.Personality-Based DesignThe living room of an ADU renovation that Lewis completed in Fredericksburg, TX, features a dark, moody palette. Deep olive green walls and a matching couch make the space feel sophisticated yet warm. Chase DanielThe powder room in the same Texas ADU by Lewis is a true jewel box space, with a standout fluted stone sink.Chase DanielLike regular interior trends, ADU trends have been leaning towards design with more character. “I'm looking forward to using more limewash and Venetian plasters, and I'm always here for a funky tile to add character,” Lewis says.Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

Sagrada Familia, the Catholic church designed by Antoni Gaudí, isn’t hurting for visitors. Any tourist knows where to go first on their trip to Barcelona. But far fewer are aware of the smaller inventions of its architect. For instance, the Batlló chair, originally designed by Gaudí in 1906, was reissued by BD Barcelona in 2024. After seeing it at the Milanese design fair, Salone del Mobile, that same year, interior designer Giancarlo Valle and his editor wife Jane Keltner de Valle pursued a partnership with BD Barcelona. Now, for the first time, the chair is coming to the US. Gaudí acolytes can see and even sit in one at Casa Valle, the pair's gallery in New York City.“There are so many inspiring and celebrated architect-designers,” says Keltner de Valle, “Josef Hoffmann, Josef Frank, Gio Ponti. But Gaudí, though prolific and arguably more famous than any other, is often overlooked in that context. His furniture has never been exhibited in New York before and many people aren’t even aware he designed furniture.”Courtsey of Casa ValleThe Batlló chair by Antoni Gaudí, produced by BD Barcelona for Casa Valle.At first glance, the chair reads as vaguely anthropomorphic, with a form that calls to mind snails or bones. Fittingly, the house Gaudí built for the Batlló family, Casa Batlló, is known colloquially as the “Casa Dels Ossos” or “House of Bones”, due to its façade of broken ceramic tiles. First built in 1877 for Lluís Sala Sánchez, the house was bought in 1903 by textile industrialist Josep Batlló. Gaudí convinced Batlló to remodel it rather than tearing it down, and by 1906 had finished a complete overhaul of the structure, encouraged by Batlló to design something completely free and without restriction. Gaudí saw to the house in detail, including designs for built-in and free-standing furniture.The Batlló chair started its life in Casa Batlló’s dining room. Fifty oak chairs of the same design, with a new ebony finish, are available through Casa Valle. Seeing the nearly $9,000 price point might prompt the curious to ask if they’re buying a name and legacy or artistic genius and quality. The answer is: All of the above. For starters, each chair is meticulously constructed in Barcelona and takes eight to ten weeks from beginning to end. “Gaudi’s furniture today is crafted exactly as it was in 1906 with the same methods and materials and a certificate signed by the director of the Gaudi Cathedra,” says Valle. “You can very much feel that connection in the works.” Is 100 years of innovative Catalan design worth that price tag? We think sí!

Cool Finds Archaeologists Unearth Two Rare African Figurines in 1,500-Year-Old Christian Burials in Israel The artifacts were buried in the graves of a young woman and child, who may have converted to Christianity in Africa before traveling to the region, researchers say This ebony figurine was found in a child's grave. Dafna Gazit / Israel Antiquities Authority Archaeologists in Israel have found two tiny African figurines buried in early Christian graves. Dating back roughly 1,500 years, the artifacts are carved from rare ebony wood that originated in India or Sri Lanka. The burials are located in a necropolis in Tel Malhata, an archaeological site in the Negev desert. Humans have occupied Tel Malhata since the Middle Bronze Age, and hundreds of graves have been found in the cemetery. According to new research published in ‘Atiqot, the journal of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), three of those graves belonged to two women and a child who died in the sixth or seventh century C.E. These burials contained a trove of grave goods—including bronze jewelry, alabaster jars and five carved figurines. The ebony figurines are quite rare, while the bone figurines are more common for the region. Dafna Gazit / Israel Antiquities Authority “It is a very special find,” Noé D. Michael, an archaeologist at the IAA and the University of Cologne in Germany, tells Haaretz’s Ruth Schuster. Three of the five figurines were made from bone, and the researchers say that bone artifacts of this kind were commonly used in domestic rituals and burials in the region. However, the two others are quite rare. They were carved from ebony, and they depict a man and woman with “typical African features,” per the study. This ebony figurine was found in a young woman's grave. Dafna Gazit / Israel Antiquities Authority “As far as we know, no such figurine had ever been identified in Israel, Jordan [or] our region,” Michael tells the Times of Israel’s Rossella Tercatin. During the sixth and seventh centuries, Tel Malhata stood at the intersection of major trading routes “where merchants from southern Arabia, India and Africa passed,” according to a statement from the IAA. The grave goods reflect this international exchange. Ebony, a kind of dark wood, was a valuable import. “Experts at Tel Aviv University tested the wood and confirmed it came from India or Sri Lanka,” Michael tells the Times of Israel. “An ebony trade between Asia and Egypt and the Horn of Africa is attested starting from the fourth century C.E.” The two ebony figurines were found in the graves of a woman who died between the ages of 20 and 30 and a child who died between the ages of 6 and 8. In the statement, the researchers explain that the artifacts could have been “intimate personal items carrying with them a story of identity, tradition and memory.” Each figurine features a small hole through which a cord might have been threaded, allowing the owner to wear it around their neck.“Since the tombs were close and presented the same kind of burial gifts, they were probably a mother and a child,” Michael tells the Times of Israel. “Unfortunately, we could not extract DNA remains from the bones to run a test.” Two of the bone figurines were also found in these burials. The third was discovered in the tomb of a woman who died between the ages of 18 and 21. The team thinks these individuals may have traveled north from Africa, where conversion to Christianity was becoming increasingly common. As the researchers say in the statement, “It is possible that the figures represent ancestors, and thus they reflect traditions passed down from generation to generation—even after the adoption of the Christian religion.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Fenix Art Museum / MAD ArchitectsSave this picture!© Iwan BaanMuseum, Refurbishment•Rotterdam, The Netherlands Architects: MAD Architects Area Area of this architecture project Area:  8000 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025 Photographs Photographs: Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers:  Goppion Project Contractors: Products translation missing: en-US.post.svg.material_description More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Fenix is a major new museum that explores migration through the lens of art, opening on a landmark site in Rotterdam's City Harbor, developed by internationally acclaimed architects MAD. With a rapidly expanding collection of historic and contemporary objects, Fenix tells the story of migration through a series of encounters with art, architecture, photography, food, and history. Located in what was once part of the world's largest transshipment warehouse, on a peninsula in Rotterdam's historic port district, Fenix overlooks the docks where millions of migrant journeys began and ended. The monumental 16,000 square meter warehouse has been transformed to become Fenix by MAD Architects with restoration consultation by Bureau Polderman. This is MAD Architects' first commission for a public cultural building in Europe, as well as the first museum to be built by a Chinese firm in Europe. The project was initiated by the Droom en Daad Foundation, founded in 2016. The Foundation is helping redefine Rotterdam for the 21st century - developing new kinds of arts and culture institutions and fostering new creative talent that reflects the city's diversity, its spirit, and its historySave this picture!Restoration of the 172-meter-long façade of the former shipping and storage warehouse began in 2018, led by Bureau Polderman, and took a year and a half to complete. Some architectural details date back to 1923 when the warehouse opened, while others were part of the 1948-1950 reconstruction plan. In the past 60 years, many additions were made and the building's function changed many 4mes. The façade lacked uniformity. Fronts and frames were rusty. All elements along the façade have now been restored, refurnished, or rebuilt. The characteristic windows were restored to reflect the style of 1923. The 2,200 sqm expanse of the south façade was blast-cleaned and cement stucco was reapplied. The characteristic sliding doors at street level have been restored to their original post-war state, with doors and frames repainted in their original green color. A serene rhythm of columns, windows, and fronts has emerged that emphasizes the horizontal quality of the building.Save this picture!Save this picture!A defining new feature of the building is the Tornado - a double helix staircase evocative of rising air that climbs from the ground floor and flows up and out of the rooftop onto an outdoor platform offering spectacular panoramic views across Rotterdam and the Maas River, 24 meters above ground level. The dynamic structure is cladded in 297 polished stainless-steel panels, made in Groningen, Netherlands. The canopy that sits at the top of the structure is 17m in length and was transported by boat from Groningen to Rotterdam in pieces before being assembled and lifted into place. Inside the Tornado is a 550m long double-helix wooden staircase which emerges onto the platform, which can also be accessed via a central shaft.Save this picture!Inside the building are a series of vast gallery spaces spread over two floors, housing Fenix's growing art and historical collection, as well as a series of commissions by emerging artists from across the world. The ground floor contains exhibition and programming spaces, while the upstairs galleries are dedicated to the Fenix Collection. The museum is accessed via entrances in the centre of the north façade on the riverfront and the south façade. On arrival, visitors are immediately drawn to the base of the Tornado, whose dynamic, twisting form is lit by the glass roof above the central atrium that allows natural light to filter into the lobby. The entrance atrium features a welcome desk, museum shop, and café. At 2,275 sqm, Plein is a vast, flexible space for events and performances and will host a constantly changing programme of activity curated for and with Rotterdam's communities. Located on the ground floor on the Eastern side of the building, it features doors on three sides which can be opened out to create a welcoming covered public space. Fenix offers a number of dining options located throughout the building where visitors can encounter food cultures that have travelled the world.Save this picture!The top of the warehouse features a 6,750 sqm 'green roof', featuring sedum plants arranged in a concentric pattern, in line with the shape of the Tornado. As well as supporting biodiversity, green roofs provide insulation and store rainwater in the plants and substrate, releasing it back into the atmosphere through evaporation. This significantly reduces the burden on the sewerage system, reducing the risk of flooding and the burden on water treatment. The building uses a Thermal Energy System (TES), which stores excess heat from the building in the soil. A heat pump is connected to the TES to produce the correct temperature for the building. The aquifer serves as the source for the heat pump. By using the heat pump and passive cooling, it is possible to save up to 60 percent in heating energy and 80 percent in cooling energy. The staircase of the Tornado is made from sustainable Norwegian wood called Kebony, a leading modified wood brand established in Oslo, Norway, that uses a proven, innovative, patented technology to enhance traditional 4mber. Biobased modified wood is a sustainable building material with a significantly lower environmental impact than other building materials. Fenix repurposes a 100-year-old warehouse, restored as much as possible to its original state in the 1950s, with interventions in line with the original architecture from 1923.Save this picture!Save this picture!The building has been designed in consultation with VGR, an association specializing in making buildings as accessible and welcoming as possible. Plein and the Atrium will be publicly accessible spaces that are free to enter.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less Project locationAddress:Rotterdam, The NetherlandsLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeMAD ArchitectsOffice••• MaterialsSteelConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on May 21, 2025Cite: "Fenix Art Museum / MAD Architects" 21 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030328/fenix-art-museum-mad-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

For one week in May, New York City is a scheduling race for contemporary art lovers, with multimillion dollar auction previews at both Christie’s & Sotheby’s, over eight major art fairs, and over a 100 peak gallery openings. In the scheduling competition to see it all, it’s no small feat for an artwork to pull you back for a second view or a longer pause. Below are the two most “paused” artworks from my visits to the four biggest fairs in New York this spring. FRIEZE NEW YORK Frieze New York, the fair at the center of it all, was again located at The Shed in Hudson Yards, bringing more than 65 leading galleries from over 25 countries across three floors. Frieze New York has a wonderful crowd energy and this year was a great reminder that the most famous contemporary artists working today continue to dream and produce the unbelievable. Jeff Koons at Gagosian Gallery Jeff Koons. Frieze New York, 2025, installation view. Artwork © Jeff Koons, Incredible Hulk , and © Marvel. All rights reserved. Photo: Maris Hutchinson. Courtesy Gagosian Jeff Koons. Hulk (Tubas), 2004-2018. © Jeff Koons, Incredible Hulk , and © Marvel. All rights reserved. Photo: Ela Bialkowska, OKNOstudio. Courtesy Palazzo Strozzi and Gagosian This year, Gagosian Gallery presented a crowd-gathering trio of Jeff Koons’ “Hulk” sculptures in a booth fully designed and conceived by the artist. Though each appears to be store-bought vinyl inflatables, all are made from heavy polychromed bronze. “Hulk (Tubas), 2004-2018” (above) includes a functional brass multi-belled tuba, while another was imbedded with real organ parts. Read more about the works and the history of the Hulk Elvis series on the gallery’s page or watch a performance on the functional instruments on Jeff Koons’ Instagram. Jeff Koons. Hulk (Tubas), 2004-2018. Photo: David Behringer   Lorna Simpson at Hauser & Wirth Gallery Hauser & Wirth Gallery presented an incredible selection of gallery artists, including these brand new works on paper by Lorna Simpson. Continuing her series of small collages that combine images cut from advertisements in vintage Ebony and Jet magazines with surreal expressive ink washes – each is a celebration and questioning of representation, history, and culture. Lorna Simpson. Walking Glare, 2025. © Lorna Simpson, Courtesy the artist & Hauser & Wirth. Photo: James Wang Lorna Simpson. Amplified. 2025. © Lorna Simpson, Courtesy the artist & Hauser & Wirth. Photo: James Wang   TEFAF Art Fair TEFAF (The European Fine Art Foundation) occupied the entirety of the historic Park Avenue Armory. The fair is known for its museum-quality presentation with works that span from ancient Rome, Contemporary Art and world-class design – a unique and must-visit experience all its own. View of art fair from above with visitors and booths.   George Condo at Gladstone Gallery The mixing of historical weight and contemporary art at TEFAF is the perfect setting for an amazing collection of George Condo drawings. Presented by Gladstone Gallery in a deep red “salon-style” hanging, the early works all range from 1984-1986, a critical moment of Condo’s artistic development. Each gives the sense that we’re watching an idea being born – images and individuals being pulled between representation and abstraction. Installation view, TEFAF New York 2025, New York, May 9 – 13, 2025. Courtesy of Gladstone. Photo: David Regen George Condo. Untitled (NYC 38th St.), 1986. © George Condo / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone. Photo: David Regen George Condo. Untitled, 1985. © George Condo / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone. Photo: David Regen   Yeesookyung at Massimo De Carlo Gallery One of the best exhibitions at The Metropolitan Museum of Art this summer is Monstrous Beauty – a must-see show that features these massive sculptures in a sunlit atrium by South Korean artist Yeesookyung. So it was such a gift at TEFAF to see several smaller works by the artist at two different gallery booths. Works were spotted at The Page Gallery from South Korea and at Massimo De Carlo Gallery (below). Continuing her use of broken pottery shards to build organic forms using the Japanese technique of kintsugi, the new forms and combinations are most surprising as you circle them – always beautiful but never predictable. Yeesookyung, Translated Vase 2020 TVG 13, 2020. Presented by Massimo De Carlo Yeesookyung, Translated Vase 2020 TVG 13, 2020. Presented by Massimo De Carlo   INDEPENDENT Art Fair INDEPENDENT was hosted again this year at the super modern and sunlight-filled “Spring Studios” in Tribeca where over 118 artists were presented by 82 international galleries and nonprofit organizations. My personal favorites this year celebrated process and material with a joyful wonder and high level of craft. Maximilian Schubert at Off Paradise Off Paradise installation at INDEPENDENT art fair. Photo: Marc Tatti Presented by Off Paradise, Maximilian Schubert’s ethereal “paintings” are not what they appear to be – created from solid pigmented urethane resin that has been cast from a mold of a real painting (also created by the artist) and painted only on the sides to mimic canvas and tacks/staples. The object is heavy and solid, allowing Schubert to create ethereal color transitions with multiple layers of resin pours. Even from close examination, everything about them looks like paint on canvas and yet they emit something psychically different – a sustained aura of intrigue that never expires. Maximilian Schubert, Untitled (Over New York), 2024. Photo: Marc Tatti Maximilian Schubert, Untitled 2025, Photo:  Marc Tatti Maximilian Schubert, Untitled 2025 (detail)   Terran Last Gun at Diane Rosenstein Gallery This was my first time seeing Terran Last Gun’s incredible work that uses antique ledger paper (most over 100 years old) with the addition of colorful geometric forms in ink and colored pencil. Presented by Diane Rosenstein Gallery, the artist is based in Santa Fe, and an enrolled citizen of the Piikani Nation (Blackfeet) of Montana. The work feels like a dance across time – a complex conversation with material and traditions, past and present. Learn more about his work and its history on the gallery webpage. Terran Last Gun, Stop For A Moment And Appreciate, 2025. Courtesy the artist and Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles. Photo: Robert Wedemeyer Terran Last Gun, Gathering Of Distinguished Knowledge Holders, 2025. Courtesy the artist and Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles. Photo: Robert Wedemeyer   NADA ART FAIR The NADA Art Fair (New Art Dealers Alliance) was hosted for the first time at The Starrett-Lehigh Building in the very heart of the Chelsea gallery district. My favorite works were an intelligent mix of whimsy and grit that resulted in many great conversations and new revelations on how to see the world. Jaime Pitarch at Spencer Brownstone Gallery Jaime Pitarch. Calderilla, 2025. Courtesy of the artist & Spencer Brownstone Gallery After seeing an number of great Calder works up for auction this season, Jaime Pitarch’s whimsical reference to Calder was both joyous and profound. Presented by Spencer Brownstone Gallery, this 7-foot hanging work is titled “Calderilla” – a reference to both the Spanish word for “pocket change” AND the name Alexander Calder. Made from the real coins found in the artist’s pocket, it continues the artist’s long practice of re-presenting everyday objects to create sustained curiosities and beautiful artworks. Here metal currency is literally elevated – both in gravity and function, questioning ideas of value, craft, art, and perhaps the future of physical money itself. Jaime Pitarch. Calderilla, 2025. Courtesy of the artist & Spencer Brownstone Gallery   Alexandria Tarver at Et al. Gallery The most time was spent with these quietly mysterious pairings by Alexandria Tarver, presented by San Francisco-based gallery Et al. Each frame holds two works on paper: a larger colorful painting and a small sketch on a ripped out page of note paper. The pencil sketches were produced on a visit to Baja California where the artist used the only “drawing materials” available to capture seascapes and landscapes. They each feel as if they are recording enough information for the artist to remember a precise moment – a necessary speed of transcription that perhaps captures a particular ocean wave or an ephemeral breeze. That tiny notepad was then used as a reference to create the larger colorful paintings – a second translation into something different but still emotionally connected. Here too we play witness to the evolution of a memory and idea, sharing a feeling of a place and time. Alexandria Tarver. questions, TS 2, 2025. Courtesy the artist & Ed al. Gallery Alexandria Tarver. questions, TS 5, 2025. Courtesy the artist & Ed al. Gallery I highly recommend signing up on any/all art fair newsletters or creating a login for any of the below. The emails they send out are not too much, and are perfect reminders when the next fair/events will take place. See you there! FRIEZE NEW YORK TEFAF NEW YORK INDEPENDENT NADA 

Three 1,500-year-old burials in the Negev desert have pendants of bone and ebony that may depict the deceased individuals' ancestors.