Here’s What It Cost to Build 10 of Our Favorite Homes of the Year

There’s something uniquely vulnerable about inviting the world into your home—your taste, your choices, your most personal spaces laid bare for all to see. But there’s a whole other level of courage required to crack open the books and reveal exactly what you spent to make it all happen.

Our Budget Breakdown stories focus in on details that most design coverage skips over entirely: the actual dollars and cents. Because sometimes a line item tells a story just as compelling as any room reveal—showing what’s achievable, what’s worth splurging on, and where you can save without compromise. So as we step into 2026, we’re looking back at the stories that had us dreaming big, even when the budgets were small.

By the Newfoundland Seaside, a $921K Retirement Dream

A Flood-Resistant Aussie Beach House for $322K