Budget Breakdown: A Couple Roll Up Their Sleeves to Revamp a Colorado A-Frame for $164K
Amy Pigliacampo and Corey Szopinski brave snow, fire, and falling trees as they transform a ’70s cabin into a Scandinavian-style retreat.
Amy Pigliacampo and Corey Szopinski brave snow, fire, and falling trees as they transform a ’70s cabin into a Scandinavian-style retreat.
When interior designer Amy Pigliacampo first picked up the keys to this cabin in a remote enclave of Alma, Colorado, she knew that referring to its neck of the woods as a "neighborhood" would be a stretch. "To be honest, we saw more moose than humans," she jokes.
"One visit over the winter, and we drove up to find four feet of snow covering the driveway and stairs down to the cabin," interior designer Amy Pigliacampo says. "There was no way to even park the truck!" The most expensive part of the renovation was updating the roof and siding, at a total cost of $56,953.
Photo by David Lauer
But Amy was still intrigued by the property, particularly because she and her husband, Corey Szopinski—who also works as her namesake firm’s general contractor—were looking for a place where their two young kids could roam.
"The house is located at 11,000 feet on Mount Bross," she says. "The area around it is known as South Park, which is where the show South Park is set. It’s charming and remote, and it requires a 4x4 to access it in the winter."
The living room sofa is from Article, and the coffee table is from Burke Decor. The rug is vintage, and the couple found the fur chair at Urban Outfitters. It cost $10,228 to fully furnish the cabin.
Photo by David Lauer
The cabin itself had potential, too, given that its sharp A-frame had been mostly preserved since it was first built in 1976—although the interior had a rickety wood spiral staircase, a dark kitchen, and classic builder-grade finishes Amy describes as "shabby." The couple dreamed of updating the space with a clean, Scandinavian palette and contemporary touches. They knew that it would take a lot of work, but they were also sure that their determination would be worth it in the end.
| $1,709 HVAC System | $8,529 Electrical | $51,266 Labor |
| $56,953 Roof & Siding | $10,533 Windows | $1,327 Doors |
| $10,228 Furnishings | $3,247 Appliances | $8,111 Cabinetry |
| $8,189 Tile | $2,396 Spiral Stairs | $1,568 Lighting |
| Grand Total: $164,056 | ||
The family dog, Bruno, "loves to nap by the fireplace," Amy says. The Reform kitchen cabinets are painted a custom blue by Sherwin Williams.
Photo by David Lauer
See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: A Couple Roll Up Their Sleeves to Revamp a Colorado A-Frame for $164K
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