Before & After: An Uninspired L.A. Garage Gets Turned Into a Surrealist ADU

Designer Ben Warwas makes magic on a diminutive lot with a playful building that's all soft edges.

Courtney Wilk-Mandel and Danny Mandel had everything they wanted when they moved into their home in Los Angeles’s Mar Vista neighborhood in 2019. There was plenty of room for the two of them, easy proximity to both downtown and the beach, and a converted garage with a carport and a small office. 

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Kelly Vencill Sanchez
Contributing Editor
Dwell's Los Angeles-based contributing editor, Kelly has also written about design and architecture for Architectural Digest, Coastal Living and Luxe.