They turned a one-car garage into a stunning living space to house their parents. You can too
LOS ANGELES — Four years ago, when they were running out of room in their two-bedroom bungalow, Pastor Alvarado and Gennifer Leong-Alvarado went to architects Rebecca Rudolph and Catherine Johnson of Design, Bitches with a proposition. Could they design a multipurpose room that served not just them, but their extended family? As much as they needed space for themselves and their two children — Pastor Lee, 9, and Kika Mei, 4 — they also wanted to accommodate more of the people they love. They had a big extended family that visited regularly from out of state. Pastor wanted "something minimal, with essentials, that we could use as an evolving space."
Gennifer was hoping to "create a space we love and not just an extra bedroom."
Like so many young families in Los Angeles, the Alvarados realized their small bungalow was overflowing with kids stuff: toys, art supplies, schoolwork, soccer gear. But scaling up wasn't an option; California's lack of affordable housing,
