Freelance writer Lili Weigert first started her career at the National Geographic magazine, but she has always been fascinated with how spaces affect human moods and lifestyles. In this issue, we talk about her latest book, Making Space: ADUs for Modern Living.
1) What first drew you to the world of ADUs?
The first time I heard the term ADU (accessory dwelling unit) was in 2021, when a friend of mine bought a house in Marin with a large, flat backyard. He was interested in new legislation that would allow him to build a second home on his property. After that, I started hearing about ADUs and seeing ADU construction everywhere. I decided to write an article about the proliferation of ADUs in Marin County, which was featured in Marin Magazine. Doing all the research for that article made me realize that ADUs are bigger than Marin, bigger than California. They’re part of an important global movement. That’s when I decided to write Making Space.
2) How do ADUs reflect the way modern families live today?
Times have changed. Historically, the concept of “home” has been synonymous with security, tradition, and continuity, but those values don’t align with the reality of how we live now. ADUs are about flexibility. An ADU can be a guest house, studio, rental, or sanctuary for aging parents, sometimes all within a single decade. And that flexibility is exactly what we need to navigate today’s challenges and the uncertainties of tomorrow.
3) You’ve featured 20 ADUs from around the world — what common design philosophy connects them, despite their different settings and budgets?
Every ADU in the book is different, but each one treats space as a resource to be honored, not maximized. The designers focus on essentialism: bringing light, proportion, and intention to small-scale living. They prove that size constraints can spark creativity, and that a 600-square-foot home can feel expansive when it’s well-designed and intentionally connected to its surroundings.
4) Was there one ADU that particularly moved or surprised you?
I might be biased, but I’d have to say Cloudview, which is the first ADU I toured. It’s at the top of Sausalito, and I featured it in my article for Marin Magazine. It’s a perfect example of how thoughtful design and innovative engineering can disrupt the norms of the building industry and create something of timeless beauty and sophistication.
5) ADUs are often celebrated as a solution to housing shortages. In your research, how are cities and communities balancing aesthetics, affordability, and sustainability?
Cities are learning that the key isn’t just allowing ADUs, but encouraging thoughtful construction; designs that add housing without erasing neighborhood character. The best examples blend good policy with good design: pre-approved plans that streamline permitting, incentives for sustainable materials, and flexible zoning that respects existing scale. When done well, ADUs can increase density quietly and efficiently, without the disruption caused by larger developments.
6) What are some of your favorite design tricks or lessons that homeowners can apply even in their main homes?
In Making Space, I actually have an entire chapter dedicated to space — how we perceive it and how we can manipulate it to make smaller spaces feel larger. A lot of the tricks are designed to take your focus up and beyond the physical space, whether through high (clerestory) windows, skylights, or vaulted ceilings that blur where the walls meet the ceiling. Apparently, the physical act of your eyeball recalibrating to focus on something farther away triggers a sense of space.