Imagine purchasing a brand-new, unfinished junior penthouse in the Channelside district and having it ready and livable in just seven months. For this homeowner, it took a lot of creativity and the perfect team of industry professionals to pull off this impressive feat.
After arriving in Tampa Bay and living in Westchase for nine years, the homeowner undertook a major lifestyle change involving a divorce and a move downtown. A gorgeous view of the Hillsborough Bay, no more long drives to work and a spacious penthouse that perfectly suits her tastes put a smile on her face and a charming grin on her daughter’s.
The lead professional on the construction team, Dean Dupre of Champion Residential Builders, Inc. (CRB) pulled together a core of well-established contractors who all worked smoothly with the homeowner in order to meet a difficult deadline. Jeff Wallace of Park Avenue Designs, specializes in kitchen, bath and cabinetry design and Kathy Lohmeyer, also of CRB, assists Dupre in selecting lighting, hardware and other accessories. Together they produced an impressive living, dining and kitchen area beautifully lit by floor to ceiling windows for daytime and stunning chandeliers and other stylish lights for evenings.
Several walls, which gave the unit a dated look, were completely removed—all but one containing utilities in the kitchen. It now is home to a Samsung flat screen television, ideal for enjoying entertainment while grilling and sautéing.
The homeowner had envisioned all white seating with dark cabinetry and very simple, clean lines for the kitchen. The stainless steel appliances pop against the rich dark wood cabinets, while the light walls, painted Lime Granita by Sherwin-Williams, are accented by a backsplash made of Thassos glass tile and stone. The Kohler double sink, Danze plumbing fixtures and instant hot water make cleanup easy. Pendant lights give a sense of elegance that emphasizes the Electrolux hood with its long, extended pipe over the cooktop.
Throughout the house the basic walls are Extra White from the Precious Metal collection by Sherwin-Williams, which give a tin-like finish to plain white walls. The custom-made, nearly black wenge cabinetry seen in the dining area and living areas was created by Harbor Woodworks. In the living area, the chartreuse green accent wall picks up the bottle green color of the glass countertops in the kitchen. The views dominate every area of this penthouse, both inside and out. Tucked between the wall of windows in the living room is a stylish accent piece showcasing a metal dancer atop an inner-lit chunk of honey onyx sitting on a wenge base. Even the 84-inch diameter glass dining table, with six custom-made black and white chairs, adds a visual element to the sleek kitchen design.