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Budget Breakdown: The Biggest Saves and Splurges of 2021View 6 Photos

Budget Breakdown: The Biggest Saves and Splurges of 2021

When it comes to creating that dream home, there are those things you can live with, and others you just can’t live without.
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With new home builds and renovations, where you skimp and where you spend depends a lot on where priorities lie: Do you plan on utilizing the kitchen day in and day out? Is optimizing indoor/outdoor living a must? What can you achieve by sourcing materials secondhand? Below, see where homeowners found the biggest savings—and where they bet big—in creating the homes of their dreams this year.

Save: Cedar Siding on a $134K Laneway House in Toronto

Price: $3,359

Though Toronto couple Nicole Spiteri and Blair Johnson were content with their newly renovated downtown condo, the duo stumbled across an old Victorian "with laneway potential" that was too good to pass up. After buying the home, they went about knocking down a detached garage and in its place built this new laneway unit, putting their DIY skills to the test. Part of the impetus for being so hands-on was to stay within budget. "We identified what we were capable of doing, and just didn’t hire people to do those parts," says Blair. In the case of the siding, for example, pre-stained cedar was just too pricey, so they stocked up on cedar from the lumber yard and got to work on it with Home Depot paint themselves.

Though Toronto couple Nicole Spiteri and Blair Johnson were content with their newly renovated downtown condo, the duo stumbled across an old Victorian "with laneway potential" that was too good to pass up. After buying the home, they went about knocking down a detached garage and in its place built this new laneway unit, putting their DIY skills to the test. Part of the impetus for being so hands-on was to stay within budget. "We identified what we were capable of doing, and just didn’t hire people to do those parts," says Blair. In the case of the siding, for example, pre-stained cedar was just too pricey, so they stocked up on cedar from the lumber yard and got to work on it with Home Depot paint themselves.

For homeowner Alli Devlin, splurging on wish list items proved to be absolutely worth it when she and her husband renovated their 1978 home in North Bend, Washington, with the help of her cousin, architect Sarah Merriman of SarMerr Design. Case in point: the main bathroom, which features inky, handmade Fireclay tile on the walls, waterproof cement plaster wall coating from Milestone, and a custom walnut vanity topped with quartz by North Coast Modern. "The design turned out even better than what I had in mind," says Alli. "So, I had no regrets on the expense. No regrets."

For homeowner Alli Devlin, splurging on wish list items proved to be absolutely worth it when she and her husband renovated their 1978 home in North Bend, Washington, with the help of her cousin, architect Sarah Merriman of SarMerr Design. Case in point: the main bathroom, which features inky, handmade Fireclay tile on the walls, waterproof cement plaster wall coating from Milestone, and a custom walnut vanity topped with quartz by North Coast Modern. "The design turned out even better than what I had in mind," says Alli. "So, I had no regrets on the expense. No regrets."

When renovating this 1959 Los Angeles home designed by midcentury architect Charles Du Bois (known for his A-frames in Palm Springs), interior designer and homeowner Leonora Mahle used simple slab doors for the kitchen cabinets to save on costs, since she and her family still needed to reallocate funds for asbestos abatement, new sewer and gas lines, and a new roof with solar panels. The pool, which is visible from most rooms in the house, inspired the cabinets’ light blue hue. Leonora and her husband decided to keep the taller cabinets and fridge panels white to avoid overwhelming with the color. 

When renovating this 1959 Los Angeles home designed by midcentury architect Charles Du Bois (known for his A-frames in Palm Springs), interior designer and homeowner Leonora Mahle used simple slab doors for the kitchen cabinets to save on costs, since she and her family still needed to reallocate funds for asbestos abatement, new sewer and gas lines, and a new roof with solar panels. The pool, which is visible from most rooms in the house, inspired the cabinets’ light blue hue. Leonora and her husband decided to keep the taller cabinets and fridge panels white to avoid overwhelming with the color. 

In renovating an 800-square-foot cabin in Arnold, California, San Francisco couple Tom McElroy and Scott Turco saved on costs by doing much of the work themselves. But one strategic splurge was the addition of new windows and sliding doors that connect the living room to the exterior. "We centered them in the room and relocated the front deck to align with them," says Tom. "It made a huge difference in light, views, and the feeling of expanding the living space."

In renovating an 800-square-foot cabin in Arnold, California, San Francisco couple Tom McElroy and Scott Turco saved on costs by doing much of the work themselves. But one strategic splurge was the addition of new windows and sliding doors that connect the living room to the exterior. "We centered them in the room and relocated the front deck to align with them," says Tom. "It made a huge difference in light, views, and the feeling of expanding the living space."

Inspired by Japanese design and driven by the need for additional space, Venezuela-born architect and designer Emma Pereira of Emmanuelle Design built a 400-square-foot guesthouse in the backyard of her home in Miami. The wood-and-metal staircase by Dolle Graz, which leads to a sleeping loft, is a customizable modular kit. "It can be shifted and turned in multiple ways," shares owner and architect Emma Pereira of Emmanuelle Design. "I designed it to follow a half spiral to avoid encroaching on the living area. A custom stair would have cost more than $15,000."

Inspired by Japanese design and driven by the need for additional space, Venezuela-born architect and designer Emma Pereira of Emmanuelle Design built a 400-square-foot guesthouse in the backyard of her home in Miami. The wood-and-metal staircase by Dolle Graz, which leads to a sleeping loft, is a customizable modular kit. "It can be shifted and turned in multiple ways," shares owner and architect Emma Pereira of Emmanuelle Design. "I designed it to follow a half spiral to avoid encroaching on the living area. A custom stair would have cost more than $15,000."

Geoffrey Stein and his wife, Pat Poglinco, were searching for a second home to renovate when they found this 1950s residence in the town of Westport, Connecticut, that had good bones but needed some love. They gave it a thorough update, spending the most on enhancing the backyard by building a retaining wall and a new deck, and redoing the pool.

Geoffrey Stein and his wife, Pat Poglinco, were searching for a second home to renovate when they found this 1950s residence in the town of Westport, Connecticut, that had good bones but needed some love. They gave it a thorough update, spending the most on enhancing the backyard by building a retaining wall and a new deck, and redoing the pool.

Check out more Renovations and Budget Breakdown stories.

Duncan Nielsen
News Editor
Duncan Nielsen is the News Editor at Dwell. Share tips or just say “hi” at duncan at dwell dot com.

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