Prefab

The heavy hitters in the kitchen budget were the cabinetry, quartz counters, and a suite of appliances, including a refrigerator, wall oven/microwave unit, induction range, and dishwasher for $10,000.

The kitchen island is nine-and-a-half feet long, made possible by knocking down non-load-bearing walls and enlarging the room’s footprint. The island is “much larger than what most people would do in that space, because it's not that large of a space, but knocking down those walls and going with a large island makes the kitchen feel a lot more grand,” says Devlin.

The first phase of the project involved opening up the kitchen to the living spaces, and connecting the rooms.

The wood slat wall was a great solution for spreading light throughout the split-level and looks right for the era of the house. At $2700, it was also much more cost effective than Devlin’s original design of a metal staircase.

A more recent project has been the entry, for which the couple installed a new door, sidelight, and window, which required new framing, drywall, and paint, for a cost of $6850.

A hefty portion of the budget addressed the exterior, including new siding ($30,000), exterior paint ($4500), and windows ($14,000), or less flashy, but important, interventions, like new interior drywall ($8300) and updated electrical work ($14,450).

Crawford taught himself how to reface the brick fireplace façade, using a creamy-colored, thin set brick. “It was his first time using a tile saw or laying brick, but his meticulous precision paid off,” says Devlin.

The one-bedroom A-frames are connected by a 350-foot walkway along the backside of the cabins. Each unit has access to a private hot tub.

One of the bedrooms gets lots of California sun, and access to a small patio outside.

There's plenty of storage in this midcentury layout, including the wall of cabinetry behind the small peninsula.

Thanks to updated appliances, a new backsplash, and a fresh coat of paint, the updated kitchen is decidedly cool and collected.

In another bathroom, a polka dot wallpaper print creates a playful atmosphere while the dark-toned vanity adds a more serious contrast.

“The walls were incredibly beaten up in the bathrooms, so we installed the best cover up: wallpaper,” Clasen says. There are three bathrooms in the house.

A small sitting area is set beside the dining area, as a casual spot for coffee or dessert.

Designer Raili Clasen forged through a challenging loan process to salvage a rundown property—saving its bocce court in the process.

Sara Bjurbäck and Jonathan Strömberg kitted out a used cargo vehicle to realize their vanlife fantasy on a budget.