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Home and Garden

See how DIY can become 'WOW'

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF
Published March 9, 2007

Sandy and Randy Stewart have never shied away from a daunting renovation.

The South Tampa couple excels at fixing up old, distressed houses and making them beautiful again. He buys and restores vintage apartment buildings around South Tampa. She has helped with numerous home renovations, the couple's hobby and passion.

So when they bought a handsome but aging bungalow in one of Tampa's most historic neighborhoods, they didn't blink at its condition.

"Let's just say from the end of the living room back, we took it down to dirt and studs," Sandy said.

The work included building a new staircase and shortening the swimming pool to accommodate a room expansion.

With its graceful front porch and landscaped front yard, the 1918 house sits within eyeshot of Tampa Bay.

Completed last fall, the 3,400-square-foot house features honeyed hardwood floors, extensive built-in cabinetry, a Pilates room and elegant historic-style bathrooms with basket-weave tile. The kitchen has a marble-top baking counter built to match Sandy's petite frame. There's also twin full-size ovens and a walk-in pantry complete with dimmer lights.

The house will be a highlight on the Fifth Annual Hyde Park Tour of Homes on Saturday. The tour has attracted historic-home buffs from as far away as Sarasota and Orlando.

What's the draw?

"I think it's a combination of architecture and the history of the neighborhood. Plus it's just an enjoyable day," said P.J. Summerville, a member of the Historic Hyde Park Neighborhood Association. The neighborhood of exquisitely preserved historic houses in a variety of architectural styles is bounded to the north by Swann Avenue, Bayshore Boulevard to the south, Rome Avenue to the east, and Howard Avenue and the Crosstown Expressway to the west.

"People like to look at how we have adapted 100-year-old houses to our use today. The people in the neighborhood like to do it because we like to show off our neighborhood. It's not just a bunch of historic houses. It's a thriving neighborhood."

The tour features seven homes built in the early 20th century in architectural styles ranging from Colonial Georgian to American Craftsman bungalow. Tickets bought on tour day cost $20 cash or check only and will be available only at the Kate Jackson Community Center, 821 S Rome Ave. in Old Hyde Park Village.

The Stewarts say they like their neighbors so well that they couldn't help but agree to open their doors to hundreds of visitors this weekend.

"It benefits the entire neighborhood," Randy said.

Plus, Sandy said, it gave them a reason to get a lot of the little things done.

That includes the freshly painted front door, which is original to the house and had been tossed near the garage by previous occupants. Because it's made of heart pine, it survived outside for years.

Decorated with British West Indies style furniture, Oriental-style rugs and original artwork, the house exudes a soft, creamy elegance. The Benjamin Moore paint color palette - in shades of butter cream, soft green, sage and pale blue - offers cool relief from the Florida sun.

Plantation shutters lend a tropical feel, as does their "sit-and-sip" swimming pool, a small, urban-size pool perfect for cooling off with a drink rather than lap swimming.

A built-in cabinet in the casual dining area is an exact replica of one in a historic home that Randy renovated in Seminole Heights.

Over the years, he has restored 10 homes in Seminole Heights, a neighborhood he's also crazy about. Historic rehabilitation is his passion, he says, because it makes a neighborhood better.

"These old houses deserve to be brought back to the way they were," he said.

For their own bungalow, the couple hired contractor Gary Lowe, a gifted carpenter who built most of the cabinetry in the house. The home's interior and exterior was painted by the late Bill McGill, whose work can be seen in historic homes throughout the Tampa Bay area.

From the street, the arts-and-crafts green, golden mustard and creamy white exterior palette adds a touch of curb appeal. So does the generous front porch, something that Historic Hyde Park has in abundance.

A poster of the porches of historic Hyde Park will be for sale on this year's tour, as will a collection of "front porch" note cards featuring watercolors by two neighborhood artists.

"We really use our porches in this neighborhood," says Summerville, who lives in an 84-year-old two-story brick Georgian-style house.

"When I walk down the street, I always see people eating breakfast or lunch on their porches, say hello, and go on my way."

Elizabeth Bettendorf can be reached at ebettendorf@hotmail.com.

. IF YOU GO

Hyde Park Tour Of Homes

When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Free parking is available in the parking garage across from Kate Jackson Park along Rome Avenue. All tourgoers can buy tickets and check in at the Kate Jackson Community Center, 821 S. Rome Ave. in Hyde Park Village.

[Last modified March 8, 2007, 07:45:03]