Budget Breakdown

In the tiny community of Cape Meares, a DIY couple turn an unassuming shingled house into a maritime-inspired getaway.

The founders of Austin-based Hunt Architecture create an elegant workspace and guest room without breaking the bank.

Moving home to Torrance, California, to take care of her dad, Monica Chang makes clever use of 170 square feet.

Emma Pereira drew inspiration from Japanese micro homes to build Atelier Lumi, a tiny studio and guesthouse.

Aimée O’Carroll of goCstudio uses color blocking to fantastic effect in her 60-square-foot kitchen.

San Francisco–based couple Tom McElroy and Scott Turco breathe new life into a dated retreat in the forests of Arnold, California.

On challenging terrain overlooking a wetland, Minarik Architecture creates a resilient, dual-volume residence.

A modern addition to an old London home offers ample space for a growing family, as well as a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf situated under a skylight.

Leonora Mahle gives her midcentury kitchen a fresh new look with a pool-inspired color palette.

The eco-friendly escape is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine—and it even includes a full bath.

Shaving down time and cost, two scrappy Canadians gave themselves a crash course in construction.

Alli Devlin, her husband, and her architect cousin spruce up a riverside home outside Seattle.

Ninety minutes outside New York City, a young couple’s first house riffs on agricultural vernacular with a green twist.

A creative couple combine their talents to give a camper a retro-inspired revamp.

This woodsy retreat’s island site in British Columbia meant working with mostly local builders and materials.

A close-knit team seismically retrofits and reimagines a 1905 residence that had suffered through years of shoddy work.

A classic Big Easy house with a fanciful facade gets a $427K renovation that balances authenticity and imagination.

Undeterred by the pandemic—and with their one-year-old daughter in tow—Danielle and Ely Franko spend seven months overhauling a former hay barn.

Addison Schierbeek Architects modeled the new layout around the homeowner’s favorite element of the property, a Chinese flame tree.

Designer Brit Arnesen and her husband, Derek, imbue the space with feminine, Art Deco–inspired touches.

After getting a taste of #vanlife, Gianna and Jake Bachowski spend the pandemic converting a school bus—finishing just in time for the arrival of their baby daughter.

eMZed Architecture construct a sustainable, durable, high-performance residence and office in Portland, Oregon, for $950,000—an impressive feat given the challenges.

A family bands together to overhaul Alpenglow Cabin, a cozy hideaway in the peaks of Colorado.

Using construction techniques passed down from his father—and plenty of nearby lumber—Marlin Hanson builds his own family home on the Sunshine Coast.

Modular design defines a lakeside holiday home that was built for less than $160K.

Storyn Studio converts a 400-square-foot garage in St. Petersburg, Florida, into a library and guest room.

Having never renovated an Airstream before, Tristan and Lynne Knowlton took to the challenge with plenty of gusto (and elbow grease).

Unable to expand due to local planning restrictions, a couple ask Shands Studio to make their Fairfax residence feel sunny and streamlined.

LED strips embedded in a polycarbonate wall allow one couple to change the mood of their new home.

The husband-and-wife duo behind Colorado Caravan transform a 1969 Airstream Globetrotter for $19,180.