With their rent perpetually rising, Matthew Rauch and Xin Fu began contemplating giving up their apartment in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, in favor of purchasing their own home. It helped that they were realistic about what they’d find. “Given our budget, we knew we probably weren’t going to get anything that we absolutely loved,” says Xin.

Matthew, an architect with his own firm, Rauch Architecture, and Xin, a building project manager, wanted to be within an hour’s commute to Midtown Manhattan, which further narrowed their possibilities. But after perusing listings for a “very long time,” they ended up purchasing the first property they toured: a three-bed, three-bath in Marble Hill, a quiet neighborhood at the northern edge of the city.

It was clear from the beginning that the 1,400-square-foot property would need significant work, with its old rotting kitchen extension, insect problems, and various slapdash renovations it’d had through the decades. At one point, the townhouse had been illegally converted to three units, giving it an odd, inefficient layout. But it had a lot of room.

“One of the appeals of the house was that, because there’s so much space, it was sort of move-in ready,” says Xin. “The large footprint meant that we could start living there while we came up with how we could really use the space. It was a learning process of being in the home for a bit, then figuring out what we actually needed.”

Despite the townhouse’s shortcomings, the duo had a vision for a home that felt private, light-filled, and anything but precious. And it’d be an opportunity to experiment with industrial materials like plywood and steel.

With some help from Matthew’s parents, the couple first tackled the bathroom renovation, handling everything from the demolition, tiling, and waterproofing themselves. Encouraged by their success, they decided to combine the three units and replace the old kitchen extension with a new one, envisioned with an open plan that connects to the small backyard patio.

To stick as close to their $80,000 budget for the extension as possible, they took on the roles of architect and general contractor, demolishing the existing structure and replacing it with a new 175-square-foot kitchen.

Using stainless steel cabinetry kept costs down, but it also gave the space an industrial look the couple likes. “Because this house isn’t so precious, we were totally fine with restaurant-grade cabinetry. There’s a little bit of roughness to it that we both love,” says Xin, adding how they were also attracted to the material’s durability, even if it picks up scratches. “We’re not too worried about it,” she says. Matthew jokes that they add a patina.

Somewhat aligned with the commercial kitchen look, the exterior cladding the couple chose for the extension is the same type used for some Dunkin’ Donuts locations, they say.

$5,000 Demolition	$35,000 Framing, Sheathing, Sheetrock, Insulation & Concrete Footer	$8,000 Standing Seam Metal Roof
$3,500 Fiber Cement Siding	$7,500 Patio Doors and Windows	$11,000 Stainless Steel Built-Ins & Fixtures
$1,600 Flooring	$1,000 Radiant Floors	$1,500 Ikea Cabinets & Worktop
$400 Interior Trim (Marine-Grade Plywood)	$2,000 Kitchen Range	$1,200 Light Fixtures
$1,400 Outdoor Aluminum Fencing	$1,500 Outdoor Concrete Pavers	$500 Decomposed Granite
Grand Total: $81,100

While Xin is the bigger chef of the two, Matthew’s domain is the coffee bar next to the banquette, which combines Ikea cabinetry with a reclaimed piece of wood for their espresso machine to sit on.

One of the most dramatic improvements are new 10-foot sliding glass doors that flood the kitchen with sunlight and connect it with the back patio. One of the couple’s new favorite spots is built-in banquette seating in a corner that overlooks it. “Something surprising to us is that we actually sit inside more often,” says Matthew. “When you have the big patio door open it already feels like you’re sitting outside.”

Given New York City’s chilly winters and muggy summers, the kitchen ends up being a more ideal place to enjoy lazy days and garden views, the couple says. But the furniture they bought for the kitchen can go inside our out. “All the movable pieces are actually for outdoor use. We just like them enough that we kept them indoors,” says Xin. “But it’d be easy to shift them to the patio and then be able to sit outside and enjoy a nice day.”

As for what’s next, any major new home improvement projects may have to be put on hold: The couple are expecting their first child in February of 2024. “We were thinking we were finished with the house,” laughs Xin. “But I’m sure we’ll change it again at some point.”

More Budget Breakdown:

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Rauch Architecture / @raucharchitecture