Budget Breakdown: The Biggest Saves and Splurges of 2021

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."