Our Top Budget Breakdowns of the Year, From $46K to $836K
Every homeowner or designer who shares their project with the world is being wildly brave—after all, they’re putting their most personal spaces out there for all to see. But the bravest of the brave are those who open up not just their doors, but their spreadsheets, divulging the real-life costs that go into each and every architectural detail.
Our Budget Breakdown stories are perhaps the most intimate content we publish—and in 2023 we shared an unflinching look at the finances behind DIY renovations, passive house overhauls, and once-in-a-lifetime new builds. The numbers here can be as inspiring as a photo of a soaring ceiling or artful backsplash, showing just what your dollars can do. As the year wraps up, we’re looking back at the stories that had us dreaming big, even when the budgets were small.
A Live/Work Space Wrapped in Custom Millwork for $219K
Amy and Tomasz’s desks are tucked away on a rounded platform enclosed by Japanese noren curtains, which provides a semiprivate area to meet clients or host industry-related events. "The office was a splurge," says Amy. "I knew I would be spending a lot of time there, and I wanted our work environment to be cozy. I’m happiest when curled up in a blanket."
The Theresa Passive House is a case study in resilient, health-conscious design techniques. Trey Farmer, an architect at Forge Craft Architecture and Design, and Adrienne Farmer, owner of interior design office Studio Ferme, collaborated with architect Hugh Jefferson Randolph to transform a worn, leaky, and loud 100-year-old house into a resilient haven.
The owners of this Barcelona apartment wanted to give their apartment a fresh, open-concept spin. "With these types of projects, you really have to make two budgets," explains Adrian Elizade of Forma Arquitectura. "The first covers the peeling away of what you don’t want. And the second is—based on what you find underneath—for what you decide to keep, and what needs to be restored or replaced. So in that sense, it’s like archaeology."
Audi Culver and Ivy Siosi had never built a house before, but as the founders of Siosi, a decade-old furniture company known for its use of domestic, sustainably sourced hardwood and simple, Scandinavian-influenced forms, they were up for the challenge. A large parcel a few miles from downtown caught their eye, and when the owner split it into four smaller lots, they snapped one up.
Madison and Mark Talley of Tall Architects moved from a camper into their self-designed, self-built space in 2017. The couple and their three-year-old son, George, have happily made the tiny house a home in Vancleave, Mississippi. Madison points out that the pod concept would make it easy to add an extension if necessary. "We see it as a house that can grow with us—and that we can pay for as we go along."
Site restrictions limited the structure’s footprint, so Benson included a loft with the plan. Although the intersecting roof planes give the exterior a contemporary twist, Benson notes that the cladding (a blend of corrugated metal and stained cedar clapboards) keeps the guesthouse not only materially cohesive with the other buildings on-site, but also camouflaged against its arborous setting.
Avalon Rossi used reclaimed wood, plaster built-ins, and four sets of French doors—a lucky score—to recast an 800-square-foot San Diego home. The kitchen now has much more counter space, thanks to the new layout, with a quartz slab Rossi found on "super sale." The pantry doors are repurposed, and the backsplash is a terracotta tile that the designer has had in storage since 2017.
Avalon wanted to simplify and add character, so she kept the stone floor in the kitchen and introduced it throughout the home—a decision made easier on the budget when she found a crate of similar stones discounted at a stone yard. "They were completely mismatched and all different sizes," says Avalon, who sorted through them and carefully selected pieces to be used for the new floor.
"One visit over the winter, and we drove up to find four feet of snow covering the driveway and stairs down to the cabin," interior designer Amy Pigliacampo says. "There was no way to even park the truck!" The most expensive part of the renovation was updating the roof and siding, at a total cost of $56,953.
Four Minneosta housemates turned their dingy garage into a cozy coworking space by scouring Facebook Marketplace and local salvage centers. By locating such treasures as decades-old Douglas fir flooring from a decommissioned munitions plant, they remade the 600-square-foot space into a homey creative commons.
Drawing on a simple material palette of plywood and corrugated metal, architect Rafe Maclean designs a certified Passive House on a steep, challenging lot in Dunedin. Maclean designed around the existing trees on the property, including a native Kõwhai tree, which is why the house is called the Kõwhai House.
Shin Shin Architecture executed a complete gut renovation and redesign for a 1923 L.A. bungalow, transforming the structure from a single-story, single-family residence into a two-story home with a separate accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that can be rented out for added income. "We needed some sort of passive income stream in order to afford the investment," says Melissa. "We saw that as part of our financial model."
Designer and artist Briana Babini decided to turn a neglected Atlanta building into the kind of home she’d always wanted. She subcontracted the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, roof, and insulation work but took on all the rest herself, which freed up money in the $122,000 budget for choice splurges among more affordable finishes.
Drew Stuart and his ex-wife Kristin never wanted the ease of new construction. When they were searching for a place to raise their son in the Catskills years ago, they were committed to undertaking a renovation. It would be the more difficult route, of course, but considering that Drew is a founding partner of INC Architecture & Design, they were excited about the creative possibilities.
Read more Budget Breakdown stories here.
Published
Last Updated
Get the Dwell Newsletter
Be the first to see our latest home tours, design news, and more.