Kyle Hovenkotter and Tiffany Rattray had been living in New York City for a decade when they stubbornly accepted an all-too-familiar fact: they couldn’t afford to buy a home.

“We both went to grad school at Columbia and lived in different neighborhoods across Manhattan and Brooklyn, and we were always thinking about how to put down roots,” Hovenkotter says. “We were dreaming of brownstones but looking at tiny one-bedroom apartments, and finally we started talking about how both of our families are in Seattle.”

As a married couple working as interior designers, they always had the intention to leave the East Coast eventually, even if they didn’t think the future would come so soon. Given that Seattle real estate costs a pretty penny in its own right, Hovenkotter and Rattray thought they'd have better luck buying an irregular plot of land that developers couldn't see potential in.

“Because the city is so built out, any vacant lot that a buyer can find probably has something wrong with it,” Rattray says.

$16,900 Permits & Engineering	$16,000 Site Prep	$90,900 Groundwork
$49,200 Concrete	$60,000 Structural Framing	$17,000 Roofing
$26,000 Siding & Trim	$24,900 Windows	$9,100 Doors
$3,100 Gutters & Flashing	$26,700 Paint	$27,100 Plumbing
$25,200 Electrical	$5,500 Decorative Lighting	$19,200 HVAC
$12,000 Fireplaces	$7,300 Insulation	$23,400 Drywall
$14,000 Countertops	$55,000 Cabinetry	$12,300 Wood Floors
$8,700 Interior Trim/Millwork	$10,000 Tile	$2,100 Glass
$700 Hardware	$16,400 Appliances	$31,200 Architectural Steel
$2,300 Landscaping	$47,700 Supervision & Administration	$80,100 Contractor Markup
Grand Total:$740,000

They came across land situated on an established, tree-lined street in the Central District, a historic location close to many of the city’s main attractions. “This lot that we ended up purchasing was 2,400 square feet, but a ‘buildable lot’ in Seattle has to be 2,500 square feet. So we had to work with the city to get a variance.”

They put the offer in for the lot in May 2018, but didn’t get the city’s approval to build until a year later. The couple made the case that the house would meet the city’s objective for more density while also not imposing a glaring new structure in an older area. The two-story, three-bedroom home Hovenkotter and Rattray envisioned would use a handful of common materials that highlight craftsmanship. A few high-end details would be sprinkled in, but their priority was stretching their budget as best they could.

“My background is in interiors and hospitality, so I knew I could elevate more humble materials like wood and concrete,” Rattray says. “Most of our home could be purchased at Home Depot, but it all comes down to how these pieces are presented.”

The construction permit was granted in December 2019, and the work was slated to begin in March 2020—the same week that the world shut down in response to the pandemic. There were some delays and workarounds, of course, but the project stayed mostly on track. Hovenkotter and Rattray credit some of this to luck and the fact that their minimalist choices kept them out of the supply chain fray. But much of the credit, they want to make clear, goes to their friends.

“Our contractors were actually our teachers at the University of Washington, and we hired their firm because of how well they know the city,” Hovenkotter says. “Our other friend owns a cabinet business, and he worked on the cabinetry, closets, and a bunch of built-ins. And our friend Emily is a landscape architect.” As he thinks of others to mention, Rattray chimes in to say that they lived with her parents during construction, too.

It took a little over a year to build the property, which prioritizes natural light in nearly every room. “Even on a cloudy day, our home still feels bright and airy,” Rattray says. White walls and tall ceilings are punctuated by wood detailing and skylights that dot the ceilings from the living area to the primary bathroom. Generous windows are positioned to create the feeling of being set inside a treehouse, and the couple even sought out a glass block maker to ensure that light poured in from the wall closest to their neighbors while still providing privacy.

“The supplier we found picked up the phone and said, ‘Wait, somebody wants glass blocks?,’” Hovenkotter jokes. “They fell out of favor because they’re not energy efficient, so we added more insulation to the other windows to make up for that.”

The tucked-away kitchen separating the primary suite from the common areas is distinguished by exposed rafters that contrast marble countertops, alongside a custom wood-and-stone island. The living room’s wall of shelving is an ever-changing display of souvenirs and vintage finds, and the bedrooms all have enough storage to spare (one is currently being used as an office). As former New Yorkers, storage space will always feel precious.

“The final inspection took place in March 2021, and shortly after we moved in, we had a baby,” Rattray says. “We didn’t necessarily design the house for a family, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised with how well it’s worked out so far.”

This couple simply knows how to roll with the punches.

More Budget Breakdowns:

A Kitchen Renovation Uses Sustainable Materials and Lush Wallpaper to Go Green

A $336K Cottage Renovation Gives an Oregon Widow a Fresh Start

Project Credits:

Builder: Edge Design Build

Structural Engineer: Buker Engineering

Cabinetry Design: NoellCraft