Insights • Customer Profile •

Life with Backyard:
Meet the Kurodas

Robert Kuroda relaxing outside his Backyard ADU in evergreen smooth-coated steel.
Above: Robert Kuroda relaxing outside his Backyard ADU in evergreen smooth-coated steel.

The Kurodas give us a tour of their cozy Backyard, where they stay close to family.

When Southern California retirees Robert and Debbie Kuroda needed a Sacramento pied-à-terre for family visits, they turned to Samara for a solution that was anything but ordinary. Their vision? A cozy, Japanese-inspired retreat that could fit snugly into the backyard of Debbie’s childhood home.

With Samara's elegant Backyard accessory dwelling unit, the Kurodas transformed a slice of suburban Sacramento into their perfect home-away-from-home. It's a story of smart design, family ties, and the art of living well in a compact space. Read on to learn how Samara's thoughtful design and turnkey service brought the Kurodas’ dream to life.

Above: The Kurodas, plus their signature sense of humor.

Can you introduce yourselves for the audience?

Robert and Debbie Kuroda. We, along with our brother, are the owners of the Samara ADU in Sacramento. We are both retired, Robert from Walt Disney Imagineering and Debbie from Southern California Edison.

When and why did you first think “we should build an ADU”?

Our son, daughter in law, and grandson were living with us in Southern California. When they moved to Sacramento, we knew we would be visiting them more frequently. We both grew up in Sacramento and have family still there. Our brother lives there in the family house. We would stay there when we visited Sacramento but it would be disruptive if we stayed there for extensive periods of time. We looked at options such as buying or renting a small place but didn’t like the fact that it would be vacant for long periods of time. An ADU seemed like the right option.

What ultimately led to you putting that idea in motion?

Our brother agreed to let us build an ADU in his backyard. We would both have our personal space yet be close enough to see each other. Our brother is also planning to remodel his house, so he’ll stay in the ADU during construction.

The tranquil yard includes fruit-bearing and maple trees, plenty of bamboo, and a zen-like rock garden.
Above: The tranquil yard includes fruit-bearing and maple trees, plenty of bamboo, and a zen-like rock garden.

What were the most important factors for you when it came to choosing someone to build your ADU?

We wanted a prefab unit and a company that would provide a turnkey process from permitting and design through construction. We also needed assurance that the company was trustworthy and financially backed.

Why did you choose Samara?

We visited the showroom in Redwood City and liked the design and construction of the various units. The size and shape of the chosen unit seemed to fit in the backyard. We also needed to address some accessibility issues such as an access ramp and grab bars that Samara was able to do. Although Samara is a relatively new company, it has backing from Airbnb.

What made you decide against using a general contractor or other prefab companies?

Using a general contractor would take more time, both in design and the construction process. Onsite construction would be longer and more difficult, living out of town. We didn’t like the designs from other prefab companies. Several of them were also from out of state.

The tranquil yard includes fruit-bearing and maple trees, plenty of bamboo, and a zen-like rock garden.
Above: The tranquil yard includes fruit-bearing and maple trees, plenty of bamboo, and a zen-like rock garden.
“Though qualified to design our own ADU, I didn’t have the time or energy to create something on my own. So I looked to others who could.”

Robert

Is Backyard’s look and feel important to you? Why?

Yes. I (Robert) am a California licensed architect and landscape architect. I am very interested in design and construction. Though qualified to design our own ADU, I didn’t have the time or energy to create something on my own. So I looked to others who could.

How are you planning on using your Backyard unit?

We will stay there whenever we are in Sacramento. When our brother starts to remodel the main house, he will stay in the ADU.

How has having Backyard impacted your lifestyle?

It’s like having a second home where we can visit family and have a place of our own without bothering others.

What are your favorite features?

We like the green metal siding, vaulted ceilings, and double doors to the outside deck.

“It’s like having a second home where we can visit family and have a place of our own without bothering others.”

Robert

Can you share some details about how you decorated your Backyard unit?

We wanted a cohesive look between both rooms that was modern to complement the Samara ADU. We also have several Japanese prints and ceramics we wanted to feature. So the interior has a modern Japanese flavor. We lived in Tokyo for several years and wanted to have elements that reminded us of Japan.

Tell us more about the garden you designed.

The outdoor space was very important to us. It started with the wrap around deck that provided direct access to the outdoors. We were able to save two large trees next to the ADU. We wanted the space between the existing house and the ADU to provide privacy yet be a garden space to be shared by both living spaces. The contemporary zen-like garden tied into the interior feeling of modern and Japanese. The garden under the existing trees featured plants common in Japanese gardens.

What aspects of working with Samara exceeded your expectations? Would you recommend us to others?

The transition from sales to contracts to project management was seamless. We would recommend Samara to others.

What advice would you give to someone considering building an ADU?

Be sure to place quality (design, product), reliability (schedule and budget), and service (communications, trust) at the top of your list.  ●

The generous wraparound deck includes a ramp to make the approach to Backyard easier.
Above: The generous wraparound deck includes a ramp to make the approach to Backyard easier.

Featured in this story:

One bedroom Backyard

One bedroom Backyard

In evergreen smooth-coated steel with dark bronze roof

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  1. “Net zero” may change for build sites with significant shading.
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