London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 03, 2025

These Minimalist Prefab Homes Maximize Indoor/Outdoor Living

These Minimalist Prefab Homes Maximize Indoor/Outdoor Living

2 prefabs-one a Japanese-inspired ADU, the other a young family’s spare and serene headquarters-take root in Los Angeles.

Ask any artist or designer and they will tell you: Constraint is fertile ground for creativity. The art of building a home-especially one like a prefab, with its standardized design elements that optimize both materials and labor-turns out to be no exception to the rule. Take, for instance, two inventive prefab residences designed and built by Connect Homes in Los Angeles, which "couldn’t be more different," says Jared Levy, the company’s cofounder and designer of the projects, yet they came from the same client-set parameters: "Both wanted clean, contemporary design, more natural light, and better indoor/outdoor flow," Levy explains.



The Newberg family’s ADU in Laurel Canyon was designed with a sophisticated, Japanese-style aesthetic in mind. "I always loved the idea of a dark exterior combined with a very light interior," says owner Nancy Newberg.

Stark Contrast


When Los Angeles–based jewelry designer Nancy Newberg originally installed a Connect 2 prefab above her freestanding garage, her plan was to use the 640-square-foot space as a guest house. She chose the one-bedroom, one-bathroom model, and customized it with the addition of a covered deck. Soon after completing the project, her son Nick moved back to town following graduation from college on the East Coast, and he became the first resident to test out the space. "We’ve always shared a passion for tiny homes," says Nancy. "It seemed like the perfect place for Nick to begin his life in L.A."



Many of the furnishings are custom-designed to fit the constraints of the square footage. "I was surprised how much I enjoyed working within the limits of a small space," says Nancy.

The ADU also seemed like the perfect place for Nancy to try out more of her decorating ideas, having just completed a spectacular Marmol Radziner–designed new build for herself and her husband on the same lot. "The goal was to create a cozy little tree house nestled into the hillside," she says of the property’s crowing touch. They painted the exterior black and brought in bleached wood for the floors and ceilings. Levy adds: "The Newberg’s main house is a Spanish Mediterranean-style home covered in beautiful, off-white plaster, so our sleek, black wood cabin couldn’t create more of a contrast."



The floorboards-wide oak planks bleached to a light color-were repurposed from the construction of the main house. The homeowner installed matching tongue-and-groove panels of bleached oak on the ceiling.

Nancy went with a larger-than-usual sliding door that opens up the living room and kitchen to the covered deck module outside. It was a custom touch that would wind up surprising even Levy himself-proof of how special each prefab has the potential to be. "Sliding those doors open and walking out onto a covered deck surrounded by the treetops was a pretty intoxicating moment," says Levy. "I didn’t want to leave."



Light wood cabinetry with metallic pulls bring warmth to the kitchen. The concrete countertops are trowel-finished for a textured look.

Family Reset


Across town in West L.A., Michelle and Brian Duff-along with their two kids and two dogs-had outgrown their home of ten years, but they still loved the neighborhood. The 1,920-square-foot Connect 6T model offered the family the chance to stay put while upgrading to a contemporary design with more space. "We love clean lines, natural light, and openness," says Michelle. The fact that the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home would come together with minimal disruption to their lives and the neighborhood was a welcome bonus. They signed the papers in August, and were moved into their fresh space less than a year later.



"The home’s black metal details, wood cladding, and large windows stand out from the surrounding stucco boxes in the neighborhood," says Levy.

The flowing, uncomplicated floor plan encourages the young family to live in the same ways. A monochrome palette allows artwork and textiles to take center stage-pieces from favorite California artists such Tony Manzella, Alex Cave, and Blockshop Textiles enliven the walls.



The Eames chairs around the dining table are from Design Within Reach, while the table and stools were sourced from CB2.



In the kitchen, black-and-white Ikea cabinetry is paired with white Caesarstone countertops.

Sliding glass doors open to the wraparound deck, which provides plenty of space for outdoor seating and dining. When closed, the oversize sliders still offer beautiful views of the landscaped yard. "Our dogs love keeping watch over the neighborhood through all the generous windows-hence the dog nose prints," laughs Michelle.



"It lifts me up each day to see and feel the light streaming in, and to watch it change throughout the day, " says Michelle.



Although their lot is 50 feet wide, the Duffs chose to build a 24-foot house to enable livable side yards with decks. For the active family, having a home that connects seamlessly with the outdoors was a priority.

The Duffs also value the lighter environmental impact of choosing to go with a prefab design. "We appreciate the fact that building the home in a factory helps reduce waste of both materials and labor," Michelle says. Levy adds: "The conventional homebuilding process can be complicated and opaque, as well as very expensive and time-consuming. In these two cases, prefabs offered more eco-friendly, streamlined, and affordable options."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×