How One Oakland Couple Turned Their Garage into the Guest Suite of Their Dreams
Courtesy of Rockridge Casita
When Diana Pasquali and her husband, Greg, were expecting their second child, they were in a pickle: they wanted an additional room for houseguests now that their second-born needed the final bedroom, but their Craftsman home was too small to annex more rooms. Luckily, the solution lay right outside. “We couldn’t add onto our house, so decided to add an accessory space out back in place of an existing cinder block garage that was in bad shape,” says Pasquali.
And she wasn’t kidding about the bad shape it was in. The original garage had a sinking floor, a leaky roof, and a rodent problem. “The rats liked to eat anything we stored, even snorkeling gear,” she says.
Pasquali’s husband started working on designing the project, and then connected with his old friend, Ming Thompson, who was starting her own architecture firm. “She took our idea to the next level,” says Pasquali. “She came up with a design that incorporated clerestory windows and angled rooflines, which make it really bright and airy even though it’s small.”
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Courtesy of Rockridge Casita
When the room isn’t in use by her own guests, Pasquali rents the Rockridge Casita through Airbnb. Through that platform, some of her best guests have actually come courtesy of her own neighbors. Since they live in modest, century-old homes like Pasquali and her family, the casita has become a guest room for the entire neighborhood.
“We have hosted dozens of our neighbors’ relatives visiting for important family events like the birth of a new grandchild. We have guests who return every year during the holidays to visit nearby family. Our original vision for a guest space to host our own family has transformed into a neighborhood resource that many other families get to use,” she says.
Courtesy of Rockridge Casita
The casita is designed like a large hotel room, with its own private bathroom, amenities galore, and the backyard right outside. The design ethos was clear for Pasquali: “We wanted it to feel like a luxurious hotel room in the middle of a California garden.”
She also focused on keeping the decor minimal, with plenty of neutral tones and textiles with a few pops of color, to help the cozy casita feel roomier. The space still manages to pack in a variety of necessities, from a desk and luggage rack to coffee, chocolates, and robes.
Courtesy of Rockridge Casita
“We wanted guests to be reminded that they’re on the California coast, so we have lots of blue textiles, green plants, and a large photo of Point Reyes above the bed,” says Pasquali. “Whenever we travel, we get new ideas from the places we stay, always looking for the thoughtful little touches that will make it feel special and warm.”
Courtesy of Rockridge Casita
The bright space works so well thanks to all the natural light flooding inside, coming from the windows over the desk, the entryway, and even a skylight. The ample natural light is one of Pasquali’s favorite features in the casita. “I love how [the windows] wash the casita in natural light throughout the day,” she says.
Courtesy of Rockridge Casita
No detail was spared when it came to the kitchen. “I went to town searching for the perfect finishes from the tiniest sink to Etsy textiles,” says Pasquali. The small sink sits in the honor bar area, featuring floating shelves sporting items like a French press and drinking glasses above and storage down below with things like mixed nuts and cookies.
Courtesy of Rockridge Casita
Pasquali recommends clearing everything out that you can from guest spaces. “Start with a blank slate and then add back in only what’s essential for guests. Guests don’t want to move photos, books, or clothing aside to make room for themselves. We keep some storage items in our casita—a vacuum, ski boots, camping, and diving gear—but they are labeled and neatly tucked away in large bins in the bottom of the closet. Guests love having empty closet hangers, drawers, a luggage rack, and counter space to put their things.”
When it came to creating her ultimate guest room, Pasquali’s biggest priority was a great mattress and plenty of pillow options for her guests. She recommends spending the night in your own guest room to test out the sleeping arrangements and make sure everything is just right.
Courtesy of Rockridge Casita
Her next priority was creating a clean, comfortable space all around. “We aim for the casita to be casual and super clean—nice amenities but not overly fussy, so that guests can sleep comfortably, make a pot of French press coffee, and sit in our garden, picking some raspberries or enjoying the Oakland sun.”
Courtesy of Rockridge Casita
