The stucco exterior fits in nicely with the stone elements of the pool and its hardscape. Gliksman converted the garage's walkout space into an organic area with potted plants and stone. Across from the garage and pool is the main house's backyard. "I wanted the two sites to speak to each other through the linking elements of stone and greenery," she says.

The corrugated aluminum exterior adjacent to the studio marks the storage and laundry room.

Gliksman scoured Craigslist for good deals on appliances, finishes and decor. The KitchenAid microwave is an overstock item from Habitat for Humanity, which had hundreds of them for sale. A vintage parson's table, a 1970s hand-me-down from Gliksman's mom, pairs well with Ikea's Gilbert dining chairs.

Gliksman offers the following tips for shopping on Craigslist:

1. Play around with the keywords. "Sometimes I would look up an actual item, like 'cabinet' or 'dining chair.' But sometimes I would look up different phrases, like 'left from a remodel.' That's how I found some really good stuff," she says.

2. Give yourself plenty of lead time. She started sourcing items little by little before the start of the conversion.

3. Gauge the seller's trustworthiness through correspondence. You can usually get a feel for sellers' reliability through emails and phone calls. How prompt are they in responding to your requests? How much detail do they provide? Do they give information willingly?

More secrets to shopping Craiglist

Although there are pops of color in the accessories and decor and a few splashes of pattern, Gliksman went with white walls and cabinetry and stuck with a mostly neutral base. "There aren't a lot of windows in the space, so the white walls and cabinetry help visually enlarge and lighten up the place," she says.

"I like that the space can be used by my mother in the future or perhaps by a renter. It's flexible enough to change with our needs over time," she says.