Budget Breakdown: An Architect Revives a 1963 Cabin in the Californian Sierras for $50K

Architect Tom McElroy, founder of San Francisco–based McElroy Architecture, and his partner, stylist Scott Turco, had been renting their San Francisco apartment for 14 years—but had long dreamed of creating their own getaway. Itching for a place they could put their own stamp on, the couple set their sights on a charming—albeit dated—cabin in Arnold, California. About three hours outside of San Francisco and midway between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe the quaint mountain town had been a frequent escape for Tom and Scott over the years.