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.

$1,079 Bath Tub, Sink & Toilet	$680 Bathroom Fixtures	$1,182 Bathroom Tile
$1,225 Bathroom Framing, Plumbing & Fan	$366 Kitchen Sink	$302 Kitchen Faucet
$2,248 Kitchen Appliances & Fan	$839 Kitchen Lights	$444 Kitchen Tile
$340 Concrete Counter	$123 Kitchen Cabinet Paint	$1,675 Steel Divider
$208 New Electrical	$170 Solid Core Doors	$1,222 Framing & Siding
$1,135 Front Door & Hardware	$2,937 Wood & Tile Flooring	$878 Interior Trim & Paint
$11,122 Front & Rear Decks	$479 Exterior Lights	$408 Gutters & Downspouts
$924 Shed Window & Roof	$4,500 General Supplies
Grand Total: $50,710

The cabin was in vintage condition, largely untouched for nearly six decades—a big part of the home’s appeal. “We mainly liked that the house had not been majorly updated, and that its scale was reminiscent of cozy mountain cabins,” says Tom. “We were looking for a fixer-upper where we could do more than rearrange our furniture.”

Aiming to keep renovation costs in check, Tom and Scott quickly identified high-priority items. When they’d initially zeroed in on the property, they’d been drawn to the living room’s soaring, vaulted ceilings, which tipped them off to hidden potential elsewhere in the house. “I immediately figured that the entire house must have the same ceiling hidden above dropped ceilings in the bedrooms and bathroom,” says Tom.

This suspicion proved correct, and exposing the beautiful, original pine ceilings in the bedrooms and bathroom rose to the top of their to-do list. The kitchen and bathroom were also in obvious need of a complete overhaul.

Tom and Scott did most of the work themselves to keep costs down. “For a long time, we were weekend warriors, driving up late on a Friday night and returning to the city by Sunday night,” recalls Tom. Despite both being design professionals, Tom and Scott started with little-to-no direct construction experience. Learning on the job, they quickly embraced their new role as hands-on DIYers and eager students of YouTube. Recruiting willing friends and family also helped offset construction costs. Apart from some specialized trades, they managed most of the labor themselves.

In preserving the character of the home, many of the cabin’s original elements were retained and repurposed—which, in turn, helped with the budget’s bottom line. The original knotty pine ceilings and Douglas fir trusses were preserved, as was most of the interior wall paneling. The stone fireplace and wood-burning insert were kept in place—a focal point of the living room. The kitchen cabinets were repurposed, receiving a fresh coat of paint and clever reconfiguration. Several light fixtures and the bathroom medicine cabinet also found new homes in the revamped interior.

One strategic splurge was the addition of new sliding doors connecting the living room to the exterior. “We centered them in the room and relocated the front deck to align with them,” says Tom. “It made a huge difference in light, views, and the feeling of expanding the living space.”

Construction wrapped on the cabin in late 2019, and by early 2020, a global pandemic turned the weekend retreat into a home away from home, welcoming the couple for extended stays instead of rushed working weekends. Reflecting on the completed project, Tom and Scott most enjoy experiencing all four seasons from their cozy hideaway. “It’s great to have the sliding doors open in summer to let the air through,” says Tom. “In winter, we like to use the fireplace and stare out the doors and windows to the trees outside.”

As far as tackling the renovation themselves? “We would definitely do it again,” he says.

More Budget Breakdown:

A Historian Couple Revamp Their Storybook Victorian for $174K

An Interior Designer Livens Up Her Dated Kitchen for $57K

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: McElroy Architecture / @mcelroyarch / @shadypinescabin

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