When Mike and Leann Rowe’s son and daughter moved from their 4,000-square-foot home in Lutz, Florida, the couple decided to downsize. Keeping with the empty nest ethos, they not only wanted less square footage, but also something fresh, straightforward and plain. The feeling that they got when they crossed the bridge into St. Pete Beach, a scenic town with neighborhoods nestled in the inter-coastal waterways along the Gulf of Mexico, started to tug at their hearts. “When you mix that water, everything just relaxes,” Leann states.
The couple, who own a Kia car dealership in the Tampa region, had been searching at St. Pete Beach for a short time. They enjoyed the closeness to the beach and, as enthusiastic fishers, they were attracted to the fact that they could be a 15-minute boat ride through the waterways in the Gulf where they could capture grouper.
As soon as an old ranch home came on the current market, they jumped onto it, although it would need extensive work. Why purchase a fixer-upper? It was all about the opinion. The home is at the end of a waterway, so unlike houses which look upon the canal at other houses, there’s only a straight shot into the open water.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Mike and Leann Rowe
Location: St. Pete Beach, Florida
Size: 2,300 square feet; two bedrooms, 2 baths
That is interesting: Architect and Contributor Bud Dietrich chronicled the renovation from the Start. Read the Comprehensive Renovation Diary.
Before Photo
AIA, Bud Dietrich
AIA, Bud Dietrich
“The baths functioned; the kitchen was there,” says Dietrich, who the Rowes discovered on after looking for specialists within their region. However, “the previous homeowner was to woodworking and wood paneling. There was timber on the walls, ceilings and floors; some of it moving diagonal, some vertical, some horizontal. The guy loved timber and went crazy with it,” he states.
The space reminded Dietrich more of a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin as opposed to a beach house in Florida. Renovations in the ’80s had turned the space into a lot of chopped-up rooms. Plus, the water-facing facet of this home needed a 1970s “fast-food storefront,” he states. “It’s an expensive layout of metal and glass which had deteriorated through the last few years and did not yield views into the water.”
Bud Dietrich, AIA
To open the living spaces, Dietrich made a triangular roof on the back side of home to pop up from the flat ceiling using a sunrise window. Then he added sliding glass doors to pick up on the opinion. “This really is the way you are supposed to reside in Florida,” he states.
Dietrich fixed the remaining spaces so that the homeowners now have a connection to the water no matter where they’re standing. “We played around with Various items and always the criteria was, ‘Can I have a view of the water’ ” Dietrich states.
Leann made an ideabook on to map out her inside collections, including the paint colors, which she picked out. The blue has just the correct touch of green inside to reflect the water and also join the interior with the out.
Artwork: Jule Burt; wall paint: Copen Blue, Sherwin Williams; couch: Miles Talbott; windows: PGT Industries; fan: Big Ass Fans
Before Photo
Bud Dietrich, AIA
The Rowes wanted to have the ability to stand at the kitchen sink and see all the way into the water. However, a load-bearing wall and beam that supported the roof and fell down below the ceiling line close to the kitchen blocked part of the view.
Before Photo
Bud Dietrich, AIA
Dietrich raised the beam above the ceiling line to get it out of the way. “Getting rid of that thing was a must,” he states.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
A significant skylight above the kitchen initially had dark stained timber which muted the incoming sunlight. They fixed some of the broken wood panels, cleaned up the remainder and painted everything white to match the living room ceilings.
Ceiling paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
Bud Dietrich, AIA
The Rowes needed a major kitchen island with two sinks so that they could cook together. In reality, during construction, Mike had the island pushed out even further to make more space. “A proper designer would say it’s not a fantastic layout because there’s a good deal of room between the refrigerator and the island, but they needed the excess room so that they wouldn’t bump into each other,” Dietrich says. “It works out well for them. They could each use a sink and do not get in each other’s way.”
You won’t find a good deal of upper cabinets in the area. The island comprises a lot of the storage, with drawers such as plates, glasses, utensils, etc.. Leann chose to make the cabinets on both sides of the hood a natural stain to divide the appearance.
Barstools: Pier 1 Imports; cabinets: Douglas Custom Woodworks; appliances: Frigidaire
Bud Dietrich, AIA
Dark-stained bamboo replaced the existing flooring that was a mix of ceramic tile, terrazzo and timber.
Dining table: Kincaid
AIA, Bud Dietrich
The easy, laid back beach vibe continues in the primary bedroom, which was expanded during the renovation. Leann purchased all the furniture at Annabelle’s, outside Tampa.
Fan: Big Ass Fans
Bud Dietrich, AIA
A media room connects to the outside deck also, like all the spaces in the home, was designed with a clear perspective toward the water.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
Building codes for houses in places like Florida are severe because they have to take into consideration tidal surges and hurricane winds. Because of this, projects can take much more than in nations without natural disaster threats.
“Every piece of this home had to be strapped down, tied down and anchored,” Dietrich says. “Every bolt needed to be analyzed. The metal roofing needed to be secured in a specific manner so uplift pressures wouldn’t rip it off and send it flying. A hurricane picking up a piece of wood could extend through the air like a missile; these dividers are made to withstand those powerful forces. It takes much longer and costs more, but it’s well worth it because you get a stronger, better home.”
For the outside, Dietrich replaced ruined and rotted planks, re-stained and painted, and added new windows. Leann painted front door after reading about it on .
Door paint: Oriole, Benjamin Moore; outside paint: Plymouth Rock, Benjamin Moore; trim paint Gargoyle, Benjamin Moore; chairs: Pier 1 Imports
Now the home is much better able to observe the waterway which leads out to the Gulf of Mexico, a 15-minute ride by jet-ski or boat.
Start in the start: Read the Entire Renovation Diary