Jon Ecake
Home Design Writer · 12+ Years Experience
Based in Austin, Texas
For over 12 years I've covered residential design, home renovations, and real estate — visiting hundreds of job sites from Austin to Seattle. Here I share honest cost breakdowns, practical renovation guides, and design ideas that actually work for real homeowners on real budgets.
By The Numbers
My Story
I'm Jon Ecake, the writer and editor behind Good By Ecake. I've spent the past 12 years working in and around residential design — first as a renovation assistant on job sites across the Texas Hill Country, then as a design writer covering home improvement, floor plans, and decor for a handful of regional and national outlets.
My first real project was a 1970s ranch house outside Austin that I helped gut and rebuild on a tight budget in 2013. That job taught me more about real cost, real contractors, and real trade-offs than any magazine ever could. Every article I've written since comes from that same ground-level perspective: what does a renovation actually cost, what actually lasts, and what actually works for the kind of home most people live in.
Over the years I've walked hundreds of projects — from a 900 sq ft starter home in East Austin to a 4,500 sq ft remodel in Portland — and interviewed dozens of licensed contractors, architects, and interior designers. I take notes on product SKUs, paint codes, labor quotes, and permit headaches. Those notes are what fill the articles here.
Good By Ecake exists because too many home design sites read like brochures. Perfect rooms, no prices, no warnings, no mistakes. I try to do the opposite: show the full picture, including the parts a brochure would skip. If I've tried something and it flopped, I'll tell you. If a product is overpriced for what it does, I'll say so.
When I'm not writing, I'm usually on a job site with a tape measure, at a paint store chasing a sample, or arguing with a framer about sightlines. Based in Austin, Texas.
My Editorial Principles
Honest Cost Breakdowns
Every cost figure is sourced from real quotes, industry pricing guides, or projects I've personally tracked — not guesses or marketing copy.
Ground-Level Experience
If I haven't seen it on a job site, talked to someone who has, or verified it against building codes, it doesn't go in an article.
What Can Go Wrong
Every design choice has a downside. I spell those out so readers can decide with their eyes open, not after the drywall is up.
Regional Reality
Advice that works in Austin often fails in Minneapolis. I note climate, codes, and regional fit so the guidance matches your ZIP.
How I Use AI in My Work
I want to be upfront about something many design sites aren't: I use AI tools as part of my workflow. Not to replace my judgment or my 12 years on job sites, but to speed up research, explore visual concepts, and catch blind spots. Every article published here is written, fact-checked, and signed off by me personally. Here's exactly where AI fits in.
Concept Exploration
I use AI design software to sketch out dozens of layout options, color pairings, and material combinations in minutes instead of days. The AI generates the range; I pick what's realistic, verify the costs, and throw out the rest. Most of what the AI suggests never makes it into an article.
Trend Research
AI helps me scan thousands of recent listings, real estate photos, and trade publications to spot rising patterns — the paint colors showing up in new builds, the layouts architects are actually drawing this year. I still verify every trend against licensed designers I know before writing about it.
Visual Rendering
For before-and-after articles, I use generative rendering to preview what a space could look like after a proposed renovation. I label these clearly as AI renders, never as photos of completed work, and I only share renders that match what's genuinely achievable at the budget discussed.
Research Assistance
I use AI to summarize long building code documents, pull climate data by ZIP, and cross-check product specs across manufacturers. It saves hours. It doesn't write the article — I do. Every sentence here is edited, rewritten, or approved by me.
AI handles the scale — the scans, the drafts, the options. I handle the judgment — what's true, what lasts, what's worth recommending to a real homeowner. My name goes on every article, so my eyes see every word.
What I Publish on Good By Ecake
In-Depth Floor Plan Reviews
I publish detailed reviews of residential floor plans — breaking down dimensions, room flow, orientation, storage, and who each plan actually suits. I also note common build-cost ranges by region and flag layouts that look good on paper but cause problems on site. Every review includes a direct link to the official plan so you can purchase the full technical drawings if it's a fit.
- Honest pros & cons for each plan
- Dimensions, flow & orientation analysis
- Regional build-cost estimates
- Direct link to purchase official drawings
Real Transformation Gallery
Real renovation stories and AI-rendered concept makeovers, clearly labeled so you know which is which. Every transformation includes budget ranges, the key design decisions behind the result, and what I'd do differently. I only publish before/afters when I can verify the numbers and the materials — no staged brochure shots.
- Exterior & facade renovations
- Interior room makeovers
- Verified budget breakdowns
- AI renders clearly labeled
Areas of Focus
Home Renovations
Kitchens, baths, additions, and full remodels. I cover scope, realistic budgets, permit questions, and the trade decisions that make or break a renovation — written from the job-site perspective.
Floor Plans & Layout
Plan reviews, layout critiques, and practical advice on what works for modern households. I focus on flow, natural light, storage, and regional fit.
Cost & Budget Analysis
Honest price-per-square-foot data, regional cost variations, and line-item budgets sourced from real quotes. No marketing inflation, no lowballing.
Background & Timeline
First Renovation
Worked as a paid assistant on a full 1970s ranch renovation outside Austin, Texas. Demo to finish. First exposure to permits, contractors, and real cost overruns.
Started Writing
Began contributing renovation breakdowns and cost guides to regional home publications covering the Texas and Southwest markets.
Floor Plan Reviews
Launched a dedicated floor plan review series, breaking down plans from major architects and stock-plan services with honest pros and cons.
Before & After Series
Started documenting real renovation transformations with verified budgets after too many readers asked, "But what did it actually cost?"
Good By Ecake Launched
Launched GoodByEcake.com as the single home for my reviews, cost guides, and renovation coverage — written entirely for homeowners, not advertisers.