Sunny Forecast

Tourists often bring home souvenirs from their vacations, but knick-knacks just wouldn’t do the trick for Canadian residents, John and Kathleen. Instead of purchasing “I Port Charlotte” T-shirts, the couple bought a manufactured home and became seasonal residents in 2019. This Southwest Florida home is where friends, family, and neighbors are welcomed with sun-kissed smiles.

Things slow down and move at a “Floridian pace” in southwest Florida, which is what drew John and Kathleen to Harbor Lakes RV Resort. They were looking for a tranquil, tropical lifestyle to relax and get away from bitter Ontario winters, which promise temperatures often below 32°F, day and night. Temperatures can drop to a dangerous low of -22°F. Conversely, this Port Charlotte resort close to the Gulf of Mexico promises tropical temperatures ranging from 70°F to 90°-plus, is conveniently located near beaches, shopping, restaurants, fishing, theaters, and golf courses.

The snowbirds hadn’t planned to remodel so soon after they purchased the home, but Kathleen discovered a serious leak under the kitchen sink, and mold in several cabinets. At the time, Kathleen was in Florida by herself while John was still home in Canada. So after Kathleen called John, she then phoned a water leak specialist. Apparently, the slow drizzle of water worked its way into the bathroom and underneath both the kitchen and bath flooring. After all the cabinets were pulled away from the walls, they discovered mold in the walls. The mold unfortunately caused Kathleen to become very sick and she spent 3 weeks in bed!

There’s not much to say about the previous dated kitchen, except that it was claustrophobic. The dated kitchen had a size problem—namely the peninsula with wall cabinets above. Living with the small and blah kitchen for 2 years was enough time for Kathleen to have a clear vision of what she eventually wanted: white, white and more white, paired with quartz countertops! Quartz would be a splurge, but they’d waited a long time for this kitchen and they wanted what they wanted.

The home had not been renovated since it was built, and there was nothing worth salvaging in the kitchen. The homeowners had hopes of reworking their kitchen to create more storage space, counter space, and to change the overall aesthetic. The first step was removing the remaining old cabinets. Then the homeowners replaced the flooring with wood-look vinyl planks so the groundwork was set for a spacious new footprint.

What started out as kitchen flooring and cabinet repair quickly snowballed into something much more. The clients took the cards they had been dealt and capitalized on the opportunity to upgrade and enhance their home. The homeowners wanted a home that didn’t look like everyone else’s in their community. They wanted the popcorn texture removed from the ceiling. They asked for ceiling crown molding and 8 LED can lights in the kitchen. One thing led to another, and they ended up making changes throughout the whole house.

After the remodel, as you enter through the front door, your eyes are immediately drawn to the vibrant tortoise painted wall. This color you see when you walk into their home—is joyful and happy—which is exactly how you’d want to feel when you’re at a beach house. For their new kitchen they wanted to achieve a modern, beachy, Key West vibe. With crisp white high-gloss cabinets from Eclipse Cabinetry against the cheerful walls, I would say they surpassed their goal! Another main objective was to relocate the refrigerator and add more pantry storage. The kitchen would also feature pullout shelves, spice racks, and significantly more storage.

The stunning countertop is Cambria Montgomery. The quartz is resistant to scratches and scorches and is stain proof with no maintenance required. The material is nonporous, so it does not absorb liquids, making it easier to clean. I love how the mosaic tile backsplash reflects the countertops.

When you’re choosing new door hardware, there’s an overwhelming number of decisions to make because there’s countless hardware designs on the market. Choosing one largely comes down to personal style, but one of the biggest decisions is between knobs and pulls. Kathleen selected Richelieu contemporary metal chrome handle pull hardware.

Now for the fun part. Kathleen loves to decorate with a theme. She labeled each room in their home with a tropical nickname. The kitchen is seashells, the living room is under the sea, master bedroom and bath is dolphins, the guest bedroom is flamingos, and guest bath is seahorses. Hence the décor accents in each room accordingly to their nickname.

Immediately to the left of the kitchen, the room used to be an enclosed porch, but John and Kathleen turned into a living room.

A bathroom remodel is one of the most ambitious renovations you can take on, in terms of both work and cost. John came up with the idea of splitting a bedroom into two, and Kathleen was onboard instantly. This room had a closet and window. That meant John had to get creative and use every inch of space wisely. John is a contractor, so he has an eye for these challenges, and gets the work done. All the materials for the shower and bathroom (shower tiles, floating vanity, mirror medicine cabinet, and light fixture) are from Canada. You wouldn’t know the cleverly converted full bath and walk-in closet was once a bedroom, until you see the “before” picture.

This kitchen renovation went from gut to gorgeous. Our wonderful customers are thrilled with how it turned out.

I’d like to thank the teams at Just Counters & other stuff, Imex Stone, and Pucci Tile & Marble for their outstanding work! Everyone knows that it takes a special talent to do this kind of remodeling work and excel at it.