Budget Breakdown: A $336K Cottage Renovation Gives an Oregon Widow a Fresh Start
Barbara McDonald’s architect son updated the 1946 home by raising the ceilings, opening the floor plan, and installing low-cost, durable materials like Richlite and Marmoleum.
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In 2016, after Barbara McDonald lost her husband, legendary track and field coach Dick Brown (who coached 1980s world-champion distance runner Mary Slaney), she was ready to say goodbye to their spacious home north of Eugene, Oregon’s city center. It was the end of a chapter, and she was ready to make new connections.
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Brian Libby
Dwell Contributor
Brian Libby is a Portland-based architecture writer who has contributed to Dwell since 2004. He has also written for The New York Times, Architect, CityLab, Salon, Metropolis, Architectural Record and The Oregonian, among others.
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