Since before the pandemic, Zach Batteer and Carlyle Scott, who are both 29 and work in tech, dreamed of creating a retreat—a gathering place for friends, family, and community to unplug, get back to basics, and spend quality time with loved ones.

“Some of our most cherished moments are experiences in nature with our closest friends and community members,” says Carlyle. “We’d hosted a couple friend retreats, and we realized there weren’t many property options with private sleeping spaces and communal spaces.”

In 2019, the couple decided to make their dream a reality—and they purchased a 53-acre property in Paige, a town 44 miles east of Austin, Texas. “When we bought the property, there was only a dilapidated home and three cow sheds,” says Carlyle. But the natural landscape had much to offer, including lush grasslands, towering oaks, five ponds, plenty of wildlife, and wide-open sky. Inspired by the site’s natural features, Carlyle and Zach spent most of a year building an idyllic retreat, which they named Serana, and opened at the end of 2020.

$22,220 Labor	$7,422 Lumber & Materials	$2,500 Concrete Foundation
$1,905 Furniture & Decor	$1,810 Heat/AC Unit & Labor	$1,700 Electrical
$1,507 Siding Materials	$1,081 Windows & Door	$965 Flooring
$880 Metal Roofing	$859 Limewash & Paint	$771 Curtains & Blinds
$611 Wood-Detailed Headwall	$552 Birch Plywood Ceiling	$382 Wood Baseboards & Door Trim
$342 Sconces & Lamps	$247 Drywall
Grand Total: $45,754

Today, the site holds a remodeled main house (where Zach and Carlyle live full-time), three tiny cabins, five canvas “glamping” tents, a bathhouse, an outdoor kitchen/dining area, an outdoor gym and yoga deck, a saltwater pool, and the recently built Field Cabin. “Toward the end of 2022, we had the idea to build a more refined accommodation,” says Carlyle. “When we first started out, we had no design experience. We were excited to put our learnings into practice by designing a modern cabin that fits effortlessly with the existing structures and surrounding landscape.”

Carlyle and Zach had two requirements for the Field Cabin: It had to be built in 40 days, and ideally, for no more than $80 per square foot (or about $23,000). “We wanted it to be ready in time for spring, when central Texas comes alive,” says Carlyle. They hit their timing target, but not their cost goal. “We ended up being a little less than two times over budget, but the trade-off was that the team was able to get it done on-time,” explains Carlyle.

In the end, it took almost six weeks and exactly $45,754 to create the tiny retreat. “We worked with a general contractor, but handled the design and purchased all the materials ourselves, which let us make decisions as we went along—although we had to make them quickly,” says Carlyle. “They got the framing up in one day, and there were often eight people working on the cabin at the same time.”

Sourcing the materials let Carlyle and Zach decide where to save and where to splurge. They spent on a yakisugi finish for the cabin’s tongue-and-groove pine exterior and limewash for the interior walls. “It was very important to us that the design feel natural,” says Carlyle. “Zach learned about the Japanese art of yakisugi early on in our Serana journey, and we both love the earthy yet refined elegance it offers. It gives a pronounced look that contrasts with the surrounding greenery.”

When it came to the windows, they were able to save both time and money. “There are so many people trying to sell windows that didn’t get used in previous projects on Facebook Marketplace for a fraction of the price,” says Carlyle. “And Facebook Marketplace is immediate!” This instant availability was a boon, since many of the window sizes they needed were on backorder. “I found a large picture window within our size constraints and well below our original budget, which was a big score,” says Carlyle.

Once the exterior siding and windows were in place, the couple realized they needed one more window at the rear of the cabin. “I love maximizing natural light, and while I thought the large picture window [on the front facade] plus two side windows would suffice, it still felt like we needed a window in the back,” says Carlyle. Since all the window sizes that would work were sold out at big box stores nearby, she headed to the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Austin. “I got lucky and found one at just the right size for forty dollars, but it was white,” says Carlyle. “I ended up painting the frame black and it worked great.”

The couple also found many secondhand furnishings for the Field Cabin, including a 1980s leather sofa and a Turkish rug. “We had to be flexible in terms of color and size, but it eliminated waiting time,” says Carlyle. “Almost everything is secondhand—I love to source from vintage shops and Facebook Marketplace because they’re not only budget friendly and immediate, but they have a uniqueness and homey feel.”

Carlyle and Zach couldn’t be happier with how the project came together. “It feels like a manifestation of all that we’ve learned to date,” says Carlyle. “While we didn’t physically build it ourselves, we handled the design and every strategic decision, project managing the whole way. We learned that it does get easier, and that we’re much better at making decisions on the fly.”

More Budget Breakdown stories:

A $237K Tiny Home on Wheels Brings Kids, Parents, and Their Parents Together

A Seattle Family Builds a Rugged Cabin on a Remote Island for $41K

A Couple Give a Century-Old Craftsman a Passive House Upgrade for $836K

Project Credits:

Design: Carlyle Scott & Zach Batteer, Serana / @seranatx

Construction: Diego Soto Carapia

Photography: Ashley Henderson / @ashphotography.atx