Creative Kitchen and Baths by Bob Elmes, Inc. added lots of light to this 1980s condo kitchen on Longboat Key.
REMODEL Spotlights
Shedding Light on the Subject
Lack of adequate lighting was a huge problem in the kitchen of this 1980s condo on Longboat Key. To get more natural
light, Bob Elmes of Creative Kitchen and Baths by Bob
Elmes, Inc. knocked out a wall with a pass-through as well as a hallway wall. “We then removed all the ceiling diffusers and fluorescent lighting and modified the recessed area of the ceiling, making it larger,” Elmes says. Then the remodeler finished the new ceiling area and added crown molding to
the lower section of the raised area. Behind the crown molding, he placed slim fluorescent lamps around the entire perimeter, while adding recessed can lights in the soffits above the countertops and installing fluorescent under-cabinet lighting. To enhance function and style, the refrigerator was relocated and white Kraftmaid cabinets – topped with a quartz countertop – were installed. A darker cherry cabinet, topped with another quartz, became an island with seating where the owner could work. The owner’s daughter, Jackie Skidmore, helped with the design.
Did You Know IKEA Did Kitchens?
IKEA is best known for its sleek but inexpensive, European-style furniture as well as its philanthropy and social consciousness. But did you know you could also get an entirely new IKEA kitchen? From cabinetry to appliances to fixtures, IKEA has everything required for a major kitchen remodel. Plus, local contractors will do the installation based on your choices. In Tampa and Sarasota, John Hermansen, vice president of Ampersand Construction LLC, a local construction, renovation and design firm, has installed several IKEA kitchens. The owner of this Tampa-area home had the contractor install IKEA Akurum kitchen cabinet frames then selected doors and cover panels to create a custom look. Akurum frames are a lower-priced product available in a wide variety of finishes, including medium brown, black-brown and white. IKEA even offers affordable butcher-block counter- tops. In some cases, entirely new IKEA kitchens can be installed in just a couple of days. “The beauty of the IKEA kitchen is that you can create a higher-end, custom look without the higher-end cost of the time it takes,” says Hermansen.
Increasing the Drama Quotient
The owners of this Tampa Palms home wanted to update the childrens’ bathroom. So they called in Jon Greaves of Greaves Construction and Johanna Seldes of Interior
Design Consulting to help. “Teenagers can be hard to please,” says Seldes. “Adults have one idea and budget and
the kids just want it cool.” The remodeling team partnered with Gulf Tile & Creations and Camelot Cabinets to
remake the dated white bathroom. They kept the basic footprint intact while increasing usable space by removing a laminate cabinet. The team also upped the drama quotient by mixing classic cabinet finishes and styles with brushed nickel, red glass and hand-painted tiles. In the shower, a large concrete tiled bench was removed to create a linen closet for storage. “The bench was a wasted opportunity that we took advantage of,” Greaves says.
An Homage to the Roaring ‘20s
The second-floor bathroom in this Colonial-style home, built more than 80 years ago, had been renovated several times over the years and the owners wanted to restore it to its original Roaring ‘20s glory. Greaves Construction, which teamed with Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, immediately got to work salvaging as many original components as possible. The cast-iron tub, for example, was deeper and wider than modern versions and was refurbished. The room was then gutted to the studs and the reconstruction process got under way. The exterior window was shifted and a new exhaust fan with a recessed can light was used above the tub. The room was replumbed and rewired and new batt insulation was installed on the exterior walls and ceilings. A period-look white subway tile with black accent stripes and a white chair rail were chosen for the tub surround and the wainscot. Small white tiles with a black accents were also used on the floor in a pinwheel pattern. Period look lights and fixtures were installed, including a pedestal sink. The room still looks charmingly vintage, but it was rebuilt to code using current construction techniques and traditional materials.
A Beautiful, Eclectic Space
Fox Group Designs transformed the kitchen of this historic 1924 bungalow, located in South Tampa, combining traditional and modern design to create a beautiful and eclectic space. Shaker-style cabinet doors with beadboard detailing, rust bronze cup pulls and knobs with backplates and an apron-front, farmhouse-style sink typical of the 1920s add vintage flair. By contrast, two different quartz countertops and a glass mosaic backsplash highlighted by under-cabinet lighting introduce a progressive and dramatic color scheme. Stainless-steel appliances, including a telescopic downdraft, complete this strikingly beautiful kitchen, which is as functional as it is charming.