“The design was intended to respect both the rural character of the 13-acre property and the existing wood two-story farmhouse that has occupied the site for the last one hundred years,” Garber says. The challenge, however, was limiting the new home to the 1,200-square-feet requirement of an ADU. “We had long Zoom calls, navigating the site restrictions,” Dolkas recalls. “The key was to create a space that worked for my parents’ day-to-day but could transform for entertaining.”
The result? A perfectly proportioned ADU that feels anything but small. “My parents had a short wish list—two bedrooms, two baths, and a big open kitchen-living area,” Dolkas says. Built-in storage solutions are seamlessly integrated throughout. “With such limited square footage, we designed everything to be multifunctional,” he explains. The guest room, for instance, doubles as a laundry room, with a washer-dryer in a closet and twin beds that serve as convenient folding stations. “It’s like a little puzzle,” Peter laughs. “Everything fits together perfectly.”
Shop out the look of the house here⤵
But what makes this home truly special is its connection to the outdoors. A wraparound porch, complete with an open-air living area and screened dining room, effectively doubles the home’s footprint. These outdoor spaces also define the H-shape structure. “The simple form of this single-story home, with its broad wraparound porch, recalls other American rural houses designed for hot, sunny climates,” explains Garber, who shared his historic inspiration for the home—architect A. Hays Town’s Louisiana Acadian cottages—with the homeowners.
