Budget Breakdown: She Built a $277K Starter Home in Her Childhood Backyard
Most single-family listings in Santa Cruz, California, were asking more than $1 million, so Melissa Virostko and her husband created a 600-square-foot ADU for their family of four behind her mom’s house.
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Mariko Reed
Growing up in Santa Cruz’s Seabright neighborhood, therapist Melissa Virostko spent long summer days with other kids on the block riding bikes, running in backyards, and playing at the beach. It was the kind of idyllic childhood she wanted for her children, so after living in San Francisco and Berkeley, she and her husband, architect Brian Friel, set their sights on returning to the small seaside town at the north end of Monterey Bay.
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Rachel Gallaher
Rachel Gallaher is one of the design industry’s most prolific writers, contributing regularly to dozens of titles, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Robb Report, Dwell, Architectural Digest, Azure, Luxe, and...
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